Staying on track: Tackling Corruption risks in climate change

Climate change creates a serious challenge for sustainable development, with scientific projectionsindicating that billions of people will face food and water shortages, increased exposure to diseases,losses of homes, assets and livelihoods, and forced migration. Recognising the urgency of the issue, theinternational community has pledged significant funding for adaptation and mitigation in developingcountries, and a wide range of mechanisms and institutions for climate finance are rapidly developing.In order to maintain progress - or even current achievements - towards the MDGs, it is imperative thatthese funds be spent effectively and not be diminished or lost through corruption.Maximising the effectiveness of climate finance must include steps to reduce the potential forcorruption, as large influxes of resources coupled with an imperative to spend can create conditionsripe for corruption. This paper thus identifies the corruption risks in relation to two elements ofthe climate change response of particular importance to developing countries: adaptation, andreducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD+).