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From December 1st through 12th, the 20th Conference of the Parties (COP 20) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) took place in Lima (Peru). The outcomes of the conference represent a low-ambition consensus. They are a missed opportunity to set the course for an effective as well as ambitious agreement, scheduled to be concluded in Paris in 2015 and to enter into force in 2020. Before and even during the Lima conference, we saw many positive signs pointing towards a new momentum for climate action.

This guide provides climate change negotiators with a synopsis of the key elements in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)’s Biennial Assessment of climate finance flows. This is of relevance not only to the overall landscape of climate finance, but also to the emerging new global agreement on climate change, to be agreed at the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties in Paris in 2015.

Global emissions have reached a new peak, but recent developments indicate a new readiness for action on climate protection. This is the message of the 10th edition of the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI); a ranking of the climate protection performance of the 58 highest emitters worldwide published by Germanwatch and CAN Europe at the UN Climate Conference in Lima today. "We see global trends, indicating promising shifts in some of the most relevant sectors for climate protection", said Jan Burck (Germanwatch), author of the Index.

The Climate Change Performance Index is an instrument supposed to enhance transparency in international climate politics. On the basis of standardised criteria, the index evaluates and compares the climate protection performance of 58 countries that are, together, responsible for more than 90 percent of global energy-related CO2 emissions.

Germanwatch views a new landmark decision by the German federal government as a crucial but not entirely sufficient signal towards the UN climate negotiations in Lima/Peru. Today, the German federal government decided upon additional emission reduction measures that shall guarantee that Germany reaches its 2020 greenhouse gas reduction goal of 40% below the 1990 level.

In the climate finance arena, the Adaptation Fund (AF) has pioneered direct access - an access modality that allows developing countries to receive funds for project and programme implementation directly without going through an intermediary. To date, a number of national implementing entities (NIEs) in Africa have commenced the process of programming direct access funding domestically; moreover domestic climate funds (DCFs) in several African countries are similarly grappling with this challenge...

The Philippines, Cambodia and India were most affected by extreme weather events in 2013. This is the result of this year’s Global Climate Risk Index, presented by Germanwatch. “We all remember the images of the catastrophic Typhoon Haiyan, which wiped out entire regions and took the lives of more than 6000,” said Sönke Kreft, author of the study and Team Leader for International Climate Policy at Germanwatch. “Climate change must be controlled so that the future will not bring more of these record-breaking catastrophes."

Beijing, October 31, 2014 | Following-up on the round table “Strengthening the role of NGOs in China’s sustainable urban development” organised by China Association for NGO Cooperation (CANGO), Germanwatch and E3G in December 2013 in Beijing, this publication showcases eleven NGO projects and programmes addressing low carbon and sustainable development in cities and urban-rural areas in China.

This is the Climate Finance Advisory Service (CFAS) Daily Briefing. Produced at key meetings and negotiations by the CFAS expert team, the Daily Briefings try to provide a concise, informative update on key discussions that have taken place at each day of the meeting and give an overview of substantive points of action or progress. Please note that this is an independent summary by CFAS and not officially mandated by the SCF.

From 9-10 October 2014, the 24rd meeting of the Adaptation Fund Board (AFB), the operating body of the Adaptation Fund established under the Kyoto Protocol, will take place in Bonn, Germany. In the two days prior to the meeting, the Board members will convene in their respective committees: the Ethics and Finance Committee (EFC) and the Project and Programme Review Committee (PPRC).