IIMB organized a two-day International Round Table of experts on 'Global Environmental Financial Architecture' at India International Centre at New Delhi during August 31-September 1, 2009, in partnership with the Government of India, Royal Norwegian Embassy, GTZ and the British High Commission. This workshop was a follow up to the International Conference on Environmental Financing of Global Public Goods held in IIMB during October 22-24, 2008.
IIMB Director, Professor Pankaj Chandra delivered the welcome and introductory remarks. Mr Shyam Saran, Special envoy to the Prime Minister of India gave the inaugural address. H.E. Sir Richard Stagg, the British High Commissioner to India and H.E. Ann Ollestad, Ambassador of Norway to India delivered the keynote addresses. Introduction to the Round Table was made by Professor A Damodaran, IIMB.
A core group of policy makers and economists concerned with environmental financing met at the Round Table. They represented India, Germany, UK, Norway, France, USA and the OECD, Paris. Industry was represented by Tata Sons Ltd, Shell India Ltd and the NTPC. Mr G B Pradhan, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Power also addressed the participants.
The International Conference on Environmental Financing of Global Public Goods had earlier called for stronger initiative on the contours of a global environmental financial architecture for conservation of global goods including climate regimes, land and biodiversity.
The International Round Table is of utmost significance since it provides building blocks for negotiations on climate change and biodiversity at the forthcoming UNFCCC COP in Copenhagen in December 2009 and CBD COP 10 at Aichi Nagoya in 2010.
The Round Table discussed the following:
-A critical survey of the structure, processes and outcomes of the existing financial systems for global public goods with reference to institutions and involved and governance systems in relation to the maxims of new, additional, predictable and equitable modes of financing
-The relative roles of public financing, dedicated bilateral and multilateral financial mechanisms (including carbon markets) in facilitating realization of the maxims of new, additional, predictable and equitable modes of financing global public goods
-The range of financing options for National Action Plans based on national and international public financing and complemented by market based instruments that are 'new' and 'additional' and 'equity' based
-Review of proposals on financing tabled by Conference of Parties to Climate Change and Biodiversity for assisting conservation efforts, adaptation and mitigation (including NAMA) in developing countries, from the point of view of the