Evaluation of Denmark’s Climate Change
Funding to Developing Countries
Overview of the Findings
DIIS Seminar Copenhagen
30 September 2015
Purpose of the Evaluation
Core evaluation question:
• What is the impact of the Danish climate change funding
on mitigation of and adaptation to the consequences of
climate change in developing countries?
Two subsidiary tasks:
• Identify the transformations and contributions of Danish
climate-change funding to global climate change policies
and financing; and
• Provide lessons from this support to inform the shape and
scope of future interventions and the Climate Envelope as a
whole.
2
Level of Support & How it was Spent
Portfolio primary focus
approx. DKK 3 billion
Implementing partner
sample – DKK 1.2 billion
3
Results from the Interventions
4
Global Agenda, Poverty & Social
Inclusion
• Successful influence on global climate change
policies
Capacity building for poorer countries at
global negotiations
• Stronger voice for vulnerable groups
• Poverty focus thru’ broadly based approaches
5
Energy Efficiency & Renewable
Energy
• Builds on Danish expertise and experience
• Strong focus on policy influence and modelling
• Working in middle-income countries provides
lower risk inputs for low-income countries
• Some successes in attracting private sector
investment partners
6
Portfolio-level Findings
7
Overall Portfolio
• Good relevance and alignment with Danish
and partner aims and priorities
• Very wide range of themes, modalities and
geography
• Intense pressure to spend post Bali 2007
• Limited experience captured on what
does/does not work
• Tendency to be opportunistic
8
Portfolio Management
• Similar issues to those of other donors
• Complex institutional framework
• Diverse guidance documentation
• Annual budgeting
• Limited lesson learning
• Good use of energy expertise but limited
“Danish Identity”
9
Conclusions and Lessons
• Uncertainty in 2008, hence “research”
• Negative results are not failures
• Need to consolidate, be more strategic and
enhance cross-portfolio coherence
10
Recommendations
1. Develop Climate Envelope strategy
2. Improve Climate Envelope structure
3. Strengthen M&E and feedback system
4. Maximise funding leverage
5. Strengthen policy influence and crossportfolio coherence
11
Points for Discussion
• Climate Change cuts across institutional
structures in donor and partner countries
• Middle-income cf. Low income partners
• Policy “balloon” detached from reality?
• Objectives, safeguards and multiple voices?
• Decision making by consensus or opting out?
• Cost-effective evaluation approaches?
• Difficulties of tracing climate finance
12
That’s All Folks!!
13