Learning, landscape and opportunities for IDRC climate programming

This report examines over a decade of IDRC experience in supporting action to address the impacts of climate change in developing countries, with the purpose of contributing to the IDRC Climate Change Program’s strategy development for the period 2020-2030. This analysis has been informed by both documentation review and 42 semi-structured interviews with IDRC program staff, project grantees, and global experts in the field of climate change. Reflecting on lessons learned from past and ongoing climate change projects, as well as wider trends in climate change research and policy, this report helps to identify strategic opportunities and potential future directions for the Centre. We highlight directions that have a high potential for impact, within the context of the size and type of investments made by IDRC. The paper is divided into four main sections. The first provides a historical background of IDRC’s programming, as well as an overview of the evolution of climate change programming in developing countries. The second section provides a detailed thematic analysis of past projects, presenting lessons learned from six themes of IDRC’s climate work: climate change & cities; climate finance; climate change hotspots; climate science & services; leadership & capacity development; and gender & climate. It also summarizes cross-cutting lessons from across the portfolio. This is supported with the third section, which situates IDRC’s work in the global context and suggests areas that represent a potential ‘niche’ for the Climate Change Program. The fourth and final section of the report outlines a range of opportunities that the Program might explore for its 2020-2030 strategic period