During our wrap-up session, it was over to participants to reflect on the two days of sessions
We asked: What was your key takeaway message from CBA16 that needs to be heard at COP27?
Here is a selection of your replies:- "25% of adaptation finance must be channelled to local level for LLA"
- "Streamlining delivery of climate finance for LLA through use of national and regional intermediaries, including CSOs, in developing countries"
- "Top-down climate strategies and policies at national sub/national level need to be complemented with bottom-up approaches for adaptation. LLA principles are endorsed but still need a lot of work to scale up and mainstream in city planning and budgeting"
- "Donors need to trust the expertise of their recipients"
- "The time for pilot projects is over. We need to scale up!"
- "Adaptation finance is still hugely insufficient. Scaling up must be accompanied by a commitment to increase finance flows to support local action."
- "We need to support the development of financial delivery mechanisms that incorporate inclusive (climate) planning and decision making – this takes time and institutional development. But it's worth it!"
- "We must have local voices, especially women, from groups most at risk from climate change at COP27 with a space to speak and be heard."
- "Where is the private sector and how can they be attracted to commit to meeting local needs? What are their incentives?"
- "We need to move from adaptation commitments to concrete policies that favour local leadership, wisdom and knowledge."
Key points
Panellists Shehnaaz Moosa, Director, CDKN and Vincent Gainey, Climate Resilience Advisor at the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, responded to the participants' reflections as well as the main themes that emerged over the two days.
Here were some of the most pressing messages for taking forward to COP27:
Mechanisms to get finance flowing. Calls for climate finance to reach local communities are ringing out louder than ever; the time for talking is over. While there is increasing recognition for LLA and the need for financing local action, we have heard again and again at CBA16 that resources are not flowing to communities on the frontline. We urgently need to develop financial modalities that devolve resources into the hands of communities and empower them to take action that communities themselves deem appropriate.
Breaking down barriers to finance. Getting finance flowing means donors – particularly the big global funds – addressing the hoops and hurdles that prevent local organisations from accessing finance. Meanwhile, there is still an underlying lack of confidence from donors in the ability of locally-based organisations to deliver. More work is needed to build trust and confidence.
Recognition and power. Communities need to be recognised as partners and not just beneficiaries. This means going beyond consultation, to local action being put at the very heart of the decision-making processes. Communities need to take on the power to drive action, from conceptualising ideas, through to implementation and M&E.
Plenty of data – but little is useable. More and more data is being generated, but very little is usable by communities to inform their climate actions. More progress is needed in providing communities with data in a format that works for them.
South-south learning and leadership. The LLA principles are a catalyst for a crucial power shift, where local communities take on leadership and drive action at the local level; it's no longer about donors dictating the way forward.
LLA works: the evidence is there. There is ample evidence coming from many pilots across different countries showing how local organisations are of delivering LLA effectively. How much more do we need to prove? It's time to scale up!
Annette McGill