National climate funds: a new dataset on national financing vehicles for climate change

The Paris Agreement’s nationally driven structure puts the spotlight on financing strategies at the national level. The role of national funding vehicles in mobilizing climate finance, however, has not received extensive attention. This paper remedies this gap by introducing a novel dataset of national climate funds established in developing countries. The database creates an inventory of national financing vehicles and tracks their major attributes, including scope, legal form, and the host, among others. We show that 39 countries have established national climate funds. These funds seek to access and mobilize finance from various sources, domestic and international. Most of these funds have broad mandates to tackle climate change, while a smaller share has a more targeted, sectoral focus. Funding sources vary from taxes to international aid. The funds offer a limited range of financial instruments, primarily awarding grants. The funds also differ in how integrated they are with overarching climate plans and strategies. We also find that most developing countries use existing budget lines to target finance towards climate change objectives. Only five countries track public expenditure on the basis of dedicated budget codes. This paper contributes to the literature by providing an empirical basis to pursue questions regarding the role and effectiveness of national climate funds. For policymakers, the limited range of instruments at the disposal of many of these national climate funds also suggests a need to ensure that the national climate funds have the design features they need to support the implementation of national policy goals. <b>Key policy insights</b>Systematic data on public climate finance are scarce. Most governments do not use climate change codes to track their expenditures related to climate change. Policymakers should adopt practices that will help instil transparency in public expenditure on climate change.Policymakers have to revisit the design features of national climate funds such as legal form and areas of operation as the wider operating context changes.Funds accredited with multilateral climate funds are underutilized by fund contributors. The Green Climate Fund’s direct access modality offers one major avenue to foster synergies between national climate funds and multilateral climate funds.Policymakers have the opportunity to harvest lessons from existing funds and calibrate climate policies accordingly, especially as countries contemplate setting revenue-generating carbon prices. Systematic data on public climate finance are scarce. Most governments do not use climate change codes to track their expenditures related to climate change. Policymakers should adopt practices that will help instil transparency in public expenditure on climate change. Policymakers have to revisit the design features of national climate funds such as legal form and areas of operation as the wider operating context changes. Funds accredited with multilateral climate funds are underutilized by fund contributors. The Green Climate Fund’s direct access modality offers one major avenue to foster synergies between national climate funds and multilateral climate funds. Policymakers have the opportunity to harvest lessons from existing funds and calibrate climate policies accordingly, especially as countries contemplate setting revenue-generating carbon prices.

《巴黎协定》（Paris Agreement）的国家自主驱动架构将焦点汇聚于国家层面的融资策略。然而，国家融资载体在动员气候资金方面的作用尚未得到广泛关注。本文通过构建发展中国家国家气候基金的新型数据集填补了这一研究空白。该数据库收录了各国国家融资载体的完整清单，并追踪其核心属性，涵盖覆盖范围、法律形式、主办主体等诸多维度。研究表明，已有39个国家设立了国家气候基金。此类基金致力于从国内外各类渠道获取并动员资金。其中多数基金拥有应对气候变化的广泛使命，而较小比例的基金则聚焦于更具针对性的部门领域。资金来源涵盖税收至国际援助等多种渠道。这类基金可使用的金融工具种类有限，主要以拨款为主。此外，各基金与整体气候规划及战略的整合程度也存在差异。我们还发现，多数发展中国家通过现有预算拨款渠道将资金投向气候变化目标。仅有5个国家通过专属预算编码追踪公共气候支出。本文为相关研究提供了实证基础，助力学界探讨国家气候基金的作用与有效性等议题。对于政策制定者而言，多数国家气候基金可支配的金融工具种类有限，这也表明需要确保国家气候基金具备支撑国家政策目标落实所需的设计特征。
<b>核心政策洞察</b>
公共气候资金的系统性数据较为匮乏。多数政府未使用气候变化专属编码追踪其与气候变化相关的支出。政策制定者应采取相关举措，以提升气候领域公共支出的透明度。随着整体运营环境的变化，政策制定者需重新审视国家气候基金的设计特征，如法律形式与运营领域。获得多边气候基金（multilateral climate funds）认可的基金未得到出资方的充分利用。绿色气候基金（Green Climate Fund）的直接准入模式为推动国家气候基金与多边气候基金之间的协同增效提供了重要途径。政策制定者可从现有基金中汲取经验，并据此调整气候政策，尤其是在各国考虑设立可产生收入的碳定价机制之际。
公共气候资金的系统性数据较为匮乏。多数政府未使用气候变化专属编码追踪其与气候变化相关的支出。政策制定者应采取相关举措，以提升气候领域公共支出的透明度。随着整体运营环境的变化，政策制定者需重新审视国家气候基金的设计特征，如法律形式与运营领域。获得多边气候基金认可的基金未得到出资方的充分利用。绿色气候基金的直接准入模式为推动国家气候基金与多边气候基金之间的协同增效提供了重要途径。政策制定者可从现有基金中汲取经验，并据此调整气候政策，尤其是在各国考虑设立可产生收入的碳定价机制之际。