Regenerative Development to Reverse Climate Change

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My aim is to create an integrated framework so that countries can develop evidence-based strategies to reduce global warming and regenerate their communities, while achieving economic growth at the same time.

Acknowledgements: We wish to thank everyone who has been directly and indirectly involved in informing the vision and shape of this publication. Special acknowledgement is due to our partner, the Cloudburst Foundation, which has been instrumental in the launch of our Regenerative Development to Reverse Climate Change initiative. In particular, this publication draws heavily from the Cloudburst Foundation’s work on Regenerative Development to Reverse Climate Change on pages 6, 9 and 10.

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ForewordRt Hon Patricia Scotland, QC Secretary-General of the Commonwealth

Stepping out of the still-whirring helicopter and onto the lush green grass of Iwokrama, Guyana’s tropical rainforest reserve, I knew I was about to begin an amazing journey.

The two-hour ride from Georgetown, the country’s capital, had given me a bird’s eye view of this hidden paradise where the air is so clean it is often referred to as the earth’s lung.

Now, as I stood beneath the never-ending stretch of treetops, I knew I was in the midst of an explosion of exotic life, with at least 1,250 plant species, more than 500 species of birds, and endangered species such as the world’s largest otter.

In many ways it was a milestone trip. Firstly because of the sheer inspirational power of the habitat, but also because of the insights I gained as I sat with Dane Gobbin, CEO of the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development, and Sydney Allicock, a member of the nearby Macushi tribe and Guyana’s fourth Vice President and Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs.

It was much more than a conversation about conservation. It was about the sacred principles that govern the Macushi tribe’s interaction with their environment. Minister Allicock spoke about understanding our role in the ecosystem and benefitting from nature while preserving its pristine state.

His words resonated with the message of regenerative development which is being promoted by some of the globe’s leading academics, scientists and environmentalists. This recognises that people are part of nature and part of the ecosystem in which we live. It is based on the idea that we can simultaneously improve ecological health, socio-cultural vitality, economic value and human potential in an integrated manner.

I left Iwokrama ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work on exploring the potential of regenerative development. In partnership with the Cloudburst Foundation, the Commonwealth held the first Regenerative Development to Reverse Climate Change (RDRCC) event in London less than five months later and then another in May 2017.

In the first workshop, sixty eminent academics, economic and social scientists, activists and climate action financiers from all parts of the world came together to answer a question: ‘is it possible to reverse climate change using a regenerative approach?’ The answer was a resounding yes.

In May we received strong backing from climate action advocates such as Prince Charles, former president of Kiribati Anote Tong and former president of Ireland Mary Robinson. Mr Tong, who planned for a possible evacuation of people from his island as a result of severe sea level rises, described the regenerative development model as a “light at the end of the tunnel”.

What we have seen recently in the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Pacific is unprecedented. This sharp increase in monster storms, floods and landslides and the sheer scale of the devastation they cause, is irrefutable proof that climate change is an ominous threat to our very existence and the starkest reminder that urgent action is a must. This is why I have called for a task force to co-ordinate a rapid response to natural disasters affecting member countries.

Ultimately, my aim is to create an integrated framework so that countries can develop evidence-based strategies to reduce global warming and regenerate their communities, while achieving economic growth at the same time. To accomplish this goal, I need everyone to work together. I hope you will join me on this exciting journey to save our planet.

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The Climate Change Challenge

If you live in Kiribati, a collection of 33 coral atolls and reef islands in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, climate change is a stark reality. The islands’ 114,395 people, dispersed over 3.5 million sq. km, live with regular flooding that is destroying their houses, killing their crops and poisoning their drinking water.

The main island, Tarawa, is only a few metres above sea level. And with that level predicted to rise by up to a metre and a half by the end of the century, there is concern that children born today in Kiribati may live to see their island completely disappear into the ocean.

In the Caribbean, vulnerable countries are suffering the onslaught of some of the deadliest storms since records began. With increasing frequency and ferocity, natural disasters such as Storm Erica and Hurricanes Irma and Maria are demolishing infrastructure, businesses and homes, decimating economies and destroying lives and livelihoods.

These challenges, scientists believe, are largely the result of an increase in carbon dioxide and other gasses from industrial processes that are having a heat-trapping effect on our atmosphere. As a result, temperatures are warming up, oceans are becoming more acidic and climate patterns are changing. Storms are becoming more violent and

frequent, coral reefs are dying in warming acidic oceans and marine ecosystems are being disrupted or destroyed.

On land, climate change is leading to desertification, droughts, wildfires, decreasing crop yields and diminishing food and water security. In 2017, hundreds of people perished in mudslides in Sierra Leone. There were also floods in Bangladesh, Pakistan and India, displacing millions and taking lives. In recent times, East African countries have suffered some of the worst droughts, causing severe food shortages and a refugee crisis.

There is also concern about increasing diseases such as dengue, malaria and Lyme disease. Climate change, brought about by unsustainable human activity, has also been linked to an increasing rate of animal and plant extinctions..

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The Trillion-dollar Question

This existential threat will wreak havoc, not just on the natural environment but also on economies and pace of development. It poses a tough question: ‘action or inaction, which is costlier?’

Last year, the London School of Economics estimated that climate change could eliminate US$2.5 trillion of the globe’s financial assets. A United Nations report later found that economic growth as measured by GDP would be 10%, or US$12 trillion, higher if the 1.5°C threshold is achieved.

The Commonwealth has been at the forefront of efforts to address climate change since 1989. That year, Commonwealth Heads of Government signed the Langkawi Declaration, for the first time committing their countries to an active role in protecting natural balances and preventing environmental deterioration.

Since then, the 52-member intergovernmental organisation’s work on climate action has accelerated. In 2009, at their summit in Port of Spain, Trinidad, leaders signed the Port of Spain Climate Change Consensus: The Commonwealth Climate Change Declaration.

The agreement acknowledged that humanity had a “few short years” to avert the “catastrophic impacts” of climate change. Heads of governments

agreed to “significantly increase technological and technology support to developing countries to facilitate the deployment and diffusion of clean technologies through a range of mechanisms.” This agreement influenced the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen later that year.

At their summit in 2015, Commonwealth Heads of Government agreed to a powerful climate change statement with an enforceable two degrees limit on global temperature rise with aspirations to 1.5 degrees, just days before COP21 in Paris. Their consensus contributed to the landmark international agreement in which governments committed to action that would limit global warming to two degrees.

In 2016, the Commonwealth opened the doors to its Climate Finance Access Hub, to help countries make successful applications for funding from climate change financing mechanisms. Later the same year the Commonwealth Secretariat, in partnership with the Cloudburst Foundation, gave birth to the RDRCC initiative.

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The Regenerative Development Revolution

Tackling climate change requires a complete revolution in the way we interact with our environment. The agreement to take action to limit temperature rises to two degrees was historic, and mitigation and adaptation strategies are vital. But the global community must do more if it is to save the countries most vulnerable to climate change, such as Kiribati.

Regenerative development has the potential to realise and exceed the Paris Agreement on climate change, and the Sustainable Development Goals to end poverty and hunger, boost economic growth, reduce inequality and maintain peace and stability. It is a re-thinking of the way we live with our land, forests, cities and oceans. It is based on the idea that we can rebuild ecological health, socio-cultural vitality, economic value and human potential in an integrated way.

In contrast to economic development which largely uses natural resources once for human benefit and then discards what remains as waste, the regenerative approach seeks reciprocity between human beings and their natural environment,

between social systems and economies. In creating interlinked systems, it stimulates the creative potential of people and places.

By working to conserve biological biodiversity and reverse both land degradation and climate change, regenerative development will create sustainable investment opportunities across the Commonwealth using approaches such as public-private partnerships and private finance ventures. It will also help countries achieve the objectives of other conventions such as the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

The concept is consistent with, and furthers the principles of, the Commonwealth Charter, which includes environmental protection, preservation and conservation of natural ecosystems, and social equity and economic progress as part of sustainable development. The Charter calls for adaptation and mitigation actions and the generation and adoption of clean technology and waste management strategies, which are all elements of regenerative development.

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The Commonwealth Effect The benefits of regenerative development are clear, but why is the Commonwealth ideally placed to lead this initiative?

Fifty-two countries make up the Commonwealth, 31 of which are small states. They span Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Americas, Europe and the Pacific, constitute one fifth of the world’s land mass and are home to one third of all humanity. They include the world’s largest, smallest, richest and poorest countries. An astonishing 60 per cent of the Commonwealth’s population is under 30 years of age. All major faith groups are represented.

One of the Commonwealth’s greatest advantages is its convening power. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) brings together the 52 leaders to discuss global, regional and national issues and to set the agenda for the Commonwealth’s work. Climate change remains a top agenda item, and the meeting provides an important opportunity to discuss cutting-edge solutions and agree on strategies.

RDRCC requires strong and compatible policies in education, health, trade and debt, development financing and oceans management (forty-five

of our member countries border an ocean). The empowerment of young people and women are also key considerations. These are translated into major programme areas for the Commonwealth Secretariat, which provides vital support to governments and which can help build sound regenerative models.

For example, the recently announced Commonwealth Blue Charter will be critical for the protection of oceans, by developing ocean governance in line with the 16 principles and values of the Commonwealth Charter. These principles include environmental protection, good governance, justice and peace, human rights and gender equality, and recognition of the needs of vulnerable nations and young people. The Blue Charter will further intensify the Commonwealth Secretariat’s commitment to seek durable and equitable ocean development solutions.

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Financing climate action is a major concern for governments, so the Commonwealth’s Climate Finance Access Hub is an essential element of the RDRCC model. The main hub is hosted by Mauritius and financed by Australia. It manages a network of national and regional experts who help governments make applications for funding on climate action from international financing mechanisms. The climate finance experts collaborate with countries and regional partners to develop transformative climate change projects that will successfully attract investment.

The Commonwealth is also well placed to help countries develop trade models that are in line with the RDRCC approach. It is facilitating the development of multi-billion dollar industries through its New Markets New Products initiative, and helping countries to develop effective National Export Strategies.

The Commonwealth also helps governments manage public debt effectively, so that more money is available for climate change projects. Its flagship debt management software is used by more than 1,000 agencies, 45 Commonwealth and 15 non-Commonwealth countries. The system has a global portfolio of more than $2.5 trillion of public debt and is part of a Commonwealth debt management programme that also includes advocacy, policy advice, development of debt management strategies and capacity-building initiatives.

The Commonwealth is exploring the feasibility of a vulnerability index linked to the issue of debt management. The index would improve the eligibility of middle income countries for multilateral funding if they were highly vulnerable to climate change.

The Commonwealth is instrumental in promoting the use of innovative financial tools such as catastrophe bonds or other event-linked securities including counter-cyclical instruments - provision for natural disasters through loans and bonds. With

its wide experience in floating debt instruments in bond markets, the Commonwealth is well-equipped to help member countries mobilise financial resources through green and climate bonds.

In the area of human rights, its work includes actions to end child marriage and violence against women and girls. These initiatives are key for the empowerment of women, who are disproportionally affected by climate change and are an essential part of the regenerative development solution.

The Commonwealth’s health and education programme is assessing the impact of climate change on the spread of disease. As host of the 2018 Commonwealth Conference of Education Ministers, and with the presidency of COP23, Fiji has placed climate change high on the agenda of education ministers. This priority is an imperative if emerging generations are to create cutting-edge solutions to climate change.

RDRCC also recognises the power and vitality of young people. The Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network (CYCN) is central to global activism on the issue. Its #WalkingtheTalk campaign promotes innovative green solutions, education and empowerment programmes at local levels, and enhances advocacy at UNFCCC for a world below 1.5 degrees.

All in all, the Commonwealth’s shared history, common legal frameworks, ideals of democratic government and wide use of English create a unique platform for transforming ideas into action. This special Commonwealth effect makes it a prime catalyst and instrument for global action on climate change.

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Maya Mountain Research Farm (Belize)mmrfbz.org

With kind permission of Maya Mountain Research Farm

Local communities are working to regenerate exhausted land once used to farm cattle into a multi-strata food forest, in the process growing a fertile landscape, hurricane-proof buildings, bio-fuel driven electricity, drinking water, irrigation systems and sanitation.

The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy (QCC)

queenscommonwealthcanopy.org

With kind permission of The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy

The QCC presents a rare opportunity to unite the whole Commonwealth family and save one of the world’s most important natural habitats – forests.

Regenerative Development Case Studies

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Next StepsThe Commonwealth Secretariat, the Cloudburst Foundation and their partners are developing an integrated work plan that will test the implementation of regenerative development initiatives in selected Commonwealth countries. The work plan will involve the brightest and most diverse minds tackling climate change and be guided by stakeholders across finance, government, development and private-sector fields.

This action plan will be shared at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in April 2018 and afterward, to the world.

Getting involvedRDRCC requires everyone working together and pooling resources. To find out more about the initiative and to get involved, contact…

Natricia Duncan Senior Communications Officer n.duncan@commonwealth.int

Voices on climate change

HRH Prince Charles

“Some in the North may be ambivalent (quite unbelievably) about the difference between a limit of 2 degrees or 1.5 degrees of global warming, but of course for some countries, particularly the small island developing states of the Commonwealth, the difference could scarcely be more critical as it may literally mean the survival of their countries or their extinction….

By combining the practical focus of Project Drawdown with the key concept of Regenerative Development, this initiative embodies a welcome shift towards a more holistic approach to climate issues from which I believe other initiatives can draw strength – whether that be the work now seeking to link climate, agriculture, soils and landscape restoration, or the increasing global, scientific effort to understand the links between human and

‘Planetary Health’, it seems to me that this holistic, systems-based approach is key to informing the new policy agenda.”

Sydney Allicock, Guyana’s fourth Vice President and Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs

“Today I see a circle, we are coming back to a recognition of the value of the indigenous way of life and our principles about how we treat the environment, how we conserve and take just what we need, not be greedy. We need to understand our role in the ecosystem so we can benefit from the forest while keeping it in its pristine state.”

Bilal Anwar, Manager, Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub

“Regenerative development offers the most realistic solution to the recurring challenge of balancing developmental aspirations with climate resilience for countries. It effectively means returning back to nature for solutions, curing the damage caused to the planet through the means and forces of nature.

I am pleased to see the Commonwealth taking the lead on this initiative and making it part of its global developmental agenda. The Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub is aligning its country support functions to the principles of regenerative development to provide a comprehensive and holistic support to climatically vulnerable countries.”

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Ben Haggard, Founding Principal, Regenesis Group, and Programme Director the Cloudburst Foundation

“The technologies and strategies we are talking about need to be undertaken in consultation with local people. This is key to the idea of regeneration. What we are really up to here is building new capacity into every community, nation and ecosystem where these strategies are applied. So it is not just the strategies, it’s also the capacity that is being built into the systems surrounding those strategies. This is how reversing climate change also becomes an engine for social and economic regeneration.”

Dr David McConville, co-chair of the Buckminster Fuller Institute, founder of Spherical and Creative Director of the Cloudburst Foundation

“We can’t address global challenges in isolation, and as we start to consider what is the next phase beyond sustainable development, we have to move beyond just capital access, technology access, and really think about these issues qualitatively. The notion of regenerative development is not only affiliating with, restoring and mimicking nature, but actually realising that we are part of this system.”

Richard Muyungi, Assistant Director of Environment, Tanzania

“You cannot address climate change in isolation, you have to look at all of the Sustainable Development Goals in combination to be able to address all the challenges a country like Tanzania faces.

I do believe that the Regenerative Development to Reverse Climate Change model, as proposed by the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, is the best model. Applying this model, we will be able to comprehensively look at a country’s development challenges and be able to address them comprehensively.”

Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland

“A new vision for global partnership must weave together the interlinked challenges of advancing sustainable development and stabilising the climate system. Climate justice, I believe, can provide the

basis for this approach; recognising that taking climate action and ensuring a safer world for future generations is about a just transition; eliminating fossil fuel emissions while ensuring that people everywhere have their rights upheld and share the benefits of sustainable development.

Regenerative development can play a significant role in ensuring we stay below 1.5 degrees Celsius and avoid the worst consequences of climate change.”

Anote Tong, former President of Kiribati

“What is being proposed here, even the title of the conference, regenerative development, reversal of climate change, is a bold statement, very ambitious. But what alternatives do we have? If we don’t do that, we are acknowledging that we are heading to doom with nothing beyond.”

Dr Ulric Trotz, Deputy Director and Science Advisor, Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre

“Having in the last few years shifted some of our attention to Ecosystem Based Adaptation (EBA), we are fully supportive of this (RDRCC) initiative. The basic tenet which informs our action in this direction is that the healthier our ecosystems are, the more likely they will survive the ravages of climate change. Caribbean populations, like those in other SIDS, are heavily dependent on healthy terrestrial and marine ecosystems and the ecosystem services these provide, for their livelihoods and wellbeing.

“Regeneration” of degraded marine and terrestrial ecosystems (reef, mangroves, seagrass beds, forests, wetlands, watersheds) is a sine qua non for the attainment of our Sustainable Development Goals and the achievement of a climate-resilient future. We at the Caribbean Climate Change Centre look forward to being fully involved with this exciting initiative.”

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