19 december 2011
FairClimateFund (FCF) and the Fair Climate Programme (FCP) of ICCO joined forces with our partner the Fair Climate Network Southern Africa and Fair Trade International at COP 17 in Durban at a side event called ´Making Climate Finance work for the Poor´. The attendance at the event was high and participants showed support and solidarity with the mission.
The idea to make carbon finance work for the poor is not something that is prevalent in the carbon markets. As Wim Hart Director of ICCO puts it `FCF and FCP go beyond what the carbon markets offer because we pay fair prices and make sure income is transferred back to the producer of the carbon credits´.
The Fair Climate Network Southern Africa aims to foster projects in Africa aiming to use carbon finance in a fair manner where improvement of health and economic development play a key role. FCP´s expertise lies in developing these types of projects and FCF´s expertise lies in financing them. The projects will produce carbon credits which FCF will sell to companies, consumers, governments, or institutions who wish to offset their remaining carbon footprint in a FAIR manner.
The link was made with Fair Trade International because we share the same mission which is to minimize the injustice that is taking place in the carbon markets by applying fair trade principles to carbon finance projects. Impoverished families and small producers are adversely affected by climate change and they do not have the purchasing power to adapt quickly, which is why carbon financing can play a role in improving their situation.
We were proud to be part of this initiative and look forward to bringing the message forward worldwide!
