The First C3A Annual Symposium
Solar panel field, Source: iStock
Over the past year, C3A has emerged as a key player in the new debate over the role of Ministries of Finance in the climate agenda. In parallel of the structuration of coordination through platforms such as the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action at global scale, and regional platforms such as the LAC Regional Climate Change Platform of Economy and Finance Ministries or the just released ASEAN Climate Finance Policy Platform, there is a need to develop a space for knowledge mobilization, science-informed policy debate and tailored training programs. In collaboration with our regional and academic partners, we have already organized high-level discussions, regional conferences, technical workshops, and training sessions.
As C3A enters its second year, more needs to be done on this front, but new fronts also need to be opened. To this end, we are launching the C3A First Annual Symposium. This project aim to enhance dialogue between academics and policymakers, particularly within Ministries of Finance, by translating complex climate science into actionable insights. It also aim at animating a broader knowledge network that can support this new self-reflection on what Ministries of Finance can do for climate.
An inaugural edition in Paris on December 6
The inaugural edition of the C3A Annual Symposium will take place in the World Bank Offices in Paris on December 6, 2024. It will convene high-level stakeholders from Ministries of Finance, the academic world and development and multilateral institutions around “The role of Ministries of Finance in navigating the mid-transition period”. This annual Symposium has three main objectives: sharing and exploring cutting-edge academic research on a topic of contemporary policy relevance; mobilizing and showcasing the global Knowledge Network of the C3A Program, particularly from Global South countries; and promoting knowledge exchange while building a comprehensive resource library for the key partner Ministries of Finance involved in the C3A Program.
The topic of the right policy mix to be mobilized for the mid-transition period was already raised in a joint C3A, Brookings Institution, CFMCA event at the last Spring Meetings in Washington DC. As emphasized there by H. E. Sri Mulyani Indrawati from Indonesia, we are entering a situation of rapid economic transformation in which both fossil and low-carbon systems coexist leading to economic, financial, political and geopolitical turmoil in combination with ongoing environmental crises. This period, which some call “mid-transition” calls for designing specific policies that can help societies navigate through it. These include closing financing gaps without jeopardizing financial stability, advancing climate mitigation options while minimizing transition risks, adapting to physical risks and responding to climate damages and losses, and managing trade-offs between adaptation and transition efforts while maintaining fiscal and debt sustainability. In that context, public authorities in general and Ministries of Finance in particular have a key role to play in shaping and coordinating appropriate policy options to build economic resilience and manage the transition.
To dig deeper into the different dimensions of this crucial issue while consolidating the efforts already engaged in mobilizing a global knowledge network, we have considered that broad topic for this inaugural C3A Annual Symposium.
Call for contributions
To ensure the success of this first edition, we would welcome submissions of both research papers and policy briefs on topics related to the role of Finance Ministries in navigating the mid-transition period like the political economy, risks, and policy strategies.