This month saw the launch of two initiatives that both aim to reduce the impact of climate change.
A joint initiative by the World Bank, the African Development Bank and the World Meteorological Organization, Strengthening Climate and Disaster Resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa focuses on strengthening meteorological and hydrological services in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Public-Private Partnership on Climate Data and Information for Resilient Development meanwhile aims to improve early warning systems for natural disasters in developing countries. The PPP comprises bilateral donors like the United Kingdom and United States, multilateral banks such as the Asian Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank, and companies like tech giant Google.
Both initiatives come as the deadline to seal a new climate deal in Paris, France, to replace the Kyoto Protocol draws near. But progress on the negotiations over this new agreement has been slow and “difficult,” according to climate experts. There remain no clear steps on what the emission targets are and how they will be achieved, nor is there clarity on how the international community plans to mobilize $100 billion in climate financing that is needed annually through 2020.
