The Politics of International Climate Adaptation Funding: Justice and Divisions in the Greenhouse

• Published in: Global environmental politics Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 49 - 68
• Main Authors: Ciplet, David, Roberts, J. Timmons, Khan, Mizan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: One Rogers Street, Cambridge, MA 02142-1209, USA MIT Press 01.02.2013; The MIT Press
• Subjects: Ambiguity; Climate; Climate Change; Developing Countries; Finance; Global warming; Industrial Societies; Justice; Negotiation; North and South; Political Parties; Sen, Amartya; Sen, Amartya Kumar; Subsidiaries
• ISSN: 1526-3800; 1536-0091
• DOI: 10.1162/GLEP_a_00153

Finance for developing countries to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change now tops the international climate negotiation agenda. In this article, we first assess how adaptation finance came to the top of the agenda. Second, drawing upon Amartya Sen's (2010) “realization-focused comparison” theory of justice, we develop a definition of based upon the texts of the 1992 UNFCCC and its subsidiary bodies. From this perspective, we assess three main points of contention between countries on both sides of the North-South divide: in raising the funds, in their distribution, and in how they are governed. Overall, we argue that while some ambiguity exists, the decisions of the UNFCCC provide a strong basis for a justice-oriented approach to adaptation finance. However, in practice, adaptation finance has reflected developed country interests far more than the principles of justice adopted by Parties.