EfD is developing an actionable research agenda that supports an efficient low-carbon transition in low- and middle-income countries. The agenda will combine strategies that also improve gender equity. The project is supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
The negative impacts of climate change will be felt the hardest by countries in the Global South. This demands an increased focus on strengthening the capacity of key policy actors to integrate environmental sustainability into economic decision-making. The research task involves an extensive scoping process, that will feed into IDRC’s 2030 strategic vision and support the implementation of National Determined Contributions (NDCs).
The high-level agenda will include:
- Identification of research needs given national policy scenarios (including NDCs) to support the evidence-based implementation
- Identifying the potential of policy instruments in enabling a conducive environment for an inclusive transition toward a sustainable society
- Approaches to integrating new climate investment models into public budget expenditure frameworks and better aligning climate finance with national policies
- Specification of research needs through the analysis of key sectors (e.g., energy, forests, infrastructure, land use, and finances.) crucial to the transition process
- Assessment of scope and progress of gender-mainstreaming in climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies
- Conducting a needs assessment for capacity development and proposing strategies tailored for current and future policy actors, and
- Engagement of key stakeholders at all levels for validation of knowledge gaps and capacity potential
With several countries coming forward pledging their targets for a carbon-neutral future, we are provided with an immense opportunity to design ambitious energy and climate action. The research aims to map the most crucial knowledge gaps to prepare a research agenda that supports the necessary transitions to sustainable and inclusive economies.
The setting of the research agenda will involve the engagement of EfD’s cross-country collaboration across international universities and reputed institutions. The research will heavily draw on EfD’s significant experience of interactions between researchers and policymakers to support evidence-based policy.