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2nd Symposium on Supranational Responses to Corruption: Integrity in Climate Finance and Action

The 2nd Symposium on Supranational Responses to Corruption, with a focus on Integrity in Climate Finance and Action, aims to generate new ideas, research, and knowledge on the connection between the climate action and integrity agendas. It seeks to study and reflect on why and how to manage integrity risks throughout climate funding and investment cycles across the private and public sectors. Further, the symposium aims to strengthen dialogue and collaboration between knowledge-producing actors and decision-makers to support a creative, efficient, and coordinated evolution of integrity and anti-corruption policies in climate finance and action. The discussions will also address how, and to what extent, anti-corruption responses can lean toward creating an anti-corruption ecosystem at the supranational level. The distinctive feature of “supranational” mechanisms is that they can act against integrity risks in contexts where a government is unable or unwilling to actively counter corruption. In other words, their effectiveness does not depend on the immediate actions or inactions of a specific state.

Rising temperatures are driving natural disasters, extreme weather, and food and water insecurity, which can trigger economic disruption, migration, and conflict. In parallel, corruption in various manifestations is fueling the climate crisis by enabling the misuse of key natural resources and diminishing the effective mobilization and deployment of financing to achieve climate goals.

If only a fraction of the trillions of US dollars in necessary climate investments were to be lost to fraud and corruption, that would amount to billions siphoned away from vulnerable communities in need of urgent assistance. This puts in sharp focus why addressing integrity risks - with a focus on prevention and loss recovery - is critically relevant to effective climate action.

Addressing integrity in climate finance, this symposium aims to generate new ideas, research, and knowledge on the role of integrity in effective climate solutions. It seeks to study and reflect on why and how to manage integrity risks throughout climate funding and investment cycles across the private and public sectors. Further, the symposium aims to strengthen dialogue and collaboration between knowledge-producing actors and decision-makers to support a creative, efficient, and coordinated evolution of integrity and anti-corruption policies in climate finance and action.

DATE: May 9 - 10, 2024

LOCATION: London, UK and Online

May 9, 2024 | 9:30 am – 11 am (GMT+1) | Opening session

Welcoming remarks: Dr. Alexandra Manea, Office of Sanctions and Debarment, World Bank & Symposium Organizing Committee

Keynote address: Rachel Kyte, Dean Emerita, The Fletcher School, Tufts University; Professor of Practice in Climate Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford; former WBG Vice President & Special Envoy for Climate Change

Opening remarks:

  • Veerle Heyvaert, Associate Dean of Law School, London School of Economics
  • Jamieson Smith, Chief Suspension and Debarment Officer, World Bank
  • Michael Burger, Executive Director, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia University 
  • Tim Smith, Lead Investment Stewardship Manager – Climate Change, Norges Bank Investment Management
  • Gillian Caldwell, Chief Climate Officer and Deputy Assistant Administrator, USAID 
  • Ketakandriana Rafitoson, Vice-Chair, Transparency International 

May 9, 2024 | 11:20 am – 1 pm (GMT+1)| Session 1. Linkages between integrity and climate risks

  • Chair: Dr. Matthew Stephenson, Professor of Law, Harvard University Law School
  • Tiffanie Chan, Policy Analyst, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment – The Corruption and integrity risks in climate solutions: an emerging global challenge
  • Brice Böhmer, Climate and Environment Lead, Transparency International – The Climate and Corruption Atlas 
  • Dr. Michael Nest, Independent Expert – Climate governance in a fast-changing world: evolving patterns and contestation around finance
  • Dr. Dieter Zinnbauer, Research Fellow, Copenhagen Business School – Doing integrity: fast - how to reconcile the measured pace of accountability with the speed imperative of the energy transition
  • Anna Koens, Impact Manager, Journalismfund Europe - Earth Investigations Programme – The climate crisis and corruption: a narrative that leads to action

ORGANIZERS

World Bank Group Office of Suspension and Debarment

The World Bank Office of Suspension and Debarment, led by the World Bank's Chief Suspension and Debarment Officer, provides the first level of adjudication in the World Bank's suspension and debarment, or "sanctions" system.

World Bank Sanctions Board

Composed of seven (7) external judges, the World Bank Sanctions Board is an independent administrative tribunal that serves as the final decision-maker in all contested cases of sanctionable misconduct occurring in development projects financed by the World Bank (WB). With the support of a dedicated Secretariat, the Sanctions Board functions as the second tier of the WB sanctions system and issues final decisions on appeals of determinations reached at the first tier.

Green Climate Fund

The Independent Integrity Unit investigates allegations of fraud, corruption, misconduct, and other Prohibited Practices in GCF-funded activities. 

Transparency International

The growing volume of climate finance has created risks for corruption, as has the relative newness of some of the channels and stakeholders involved in its planning and disbursement. Managing these risks is imperative if climate finance is to be used for its intended purpose: securing the transition to clean energy, and ensuring it is a just transition, as well as safeguarding the resilience of the most vulnerable communities. Unfortunately, corruption is already present in the climate domain.

In the Climate and Corruption Case Atlas, the first digital tool of its kind, Transparency International has investigated more than 75 cases around the globe and continues to gather information to paint a picture of what’s happening.

PARTNERS

LSE Grantham Research Institute

The Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment was established by the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2008 to create a world-leading multidisciplinary centre for policy-relevant research and training on climate change and the environment, bringing together international expertise from across LSE and beyond, including on economics, finance, geography, the environment, science, law, international relations, development and political science.

Norges Bank Investment Management

We are responsible for the operational management of the oil fund. Our objective is the highest possible return on the fund. We aim to achieve this in a safe, efficient, responsible and transparent manner, and within government guidelines. The fund is invested worldwide and so we are an international organisation with a global outlook.

USAID

USAID’s Countering Transnational Corruption Grand Challenge is launching an open innovation activity to address corruption in climate finance, specifically focusing on carbon markets to ensure more funds go to mitigating climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

To learn more about this activity or discuss how to contribute your financial or in-kind resources, contact us at info@challengecorruption.org.

Columbia University Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

The Sabin Center develops legal techniques to combat the climate crisis and advance climate justice, and trains the next generation of leaders in the field. 

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Knowledge Report of the 2nd Symposium on Supranational Responses to Corruption: Integrity in Climate Finance & Action

In May 2024, the 2nd Symposium on Supranational Responses to Corruption: Integrity in Climate Finance and Action (Symposium) was hosted at the London School of Economics and Political Science.  The Symposium brought together 60 practitioners, academics, and relevant stakeholders from both the climate and integrity areas to discuss the potential of supranational anticorruption mechanisms to become an important tool for swiftly managing integrity risks associated with climate-related projects.  The agenda for the two-day Symposium consisted of seven sessions based on 18 selected proposals following a Call for Contributions, including panels on specific integrity risks in climate, carbon markets, private investments, the role of the international financial institutions, and social accountability.  

  • Bacarese A, Aladrovic V, and Fariello F (2024) Combating Corruption and Integrity Risks in World Bank Group Climate Solutions: How the Sanctions System and the Integrity Vice Presidency Support the Bank's New Vision for a World Free of Poverty - on a Livable Planet
  • Koens A (2024) The nexus of the climate crisis, corruption and lack of integrity: establishing a narrative that leads to action. Investigative journalists' take

 

Date: May 09 - 10, 2024 ET

Location: London, UK, online