Background of the GCCA

Origins of the GCCA

In 2007, the European Commission delivered a communication to to the Council and the European Parliament on the necessity to build a Global Climate Change Alliance between the European and poor developing countries most vulnerable to climate change. The communication stated that: "The European (EU) has taken a leadership role in promoting international action to tackle climate change. In March 2007 EU Heads of State and Government put forward proposals for a global and comprehensive post-2012 climate change agreement to limit global warming to 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and committing to significant cuts in the EU's GHG emissions, even in the absence of an international agreement.

The EU, as the largest provider of Official Development Assistance (ODA), has also taken a lead role in international development efforts, as reflected in the “European Consensus”, in ambitious ODA commitments and in the promotion of aid effectiveness and coherence. Although the EU already highlighted the strong links between climate change and poverty in 2003, the urgency and magnitude of the challenge calls for a more collective initiative to match Europe’s responsibility and commitment in the fight against poverty."

The strengthening of the GCCA has been a continuous process since then, as one can see in the second European Commission communication on the implementation framework of the GCCA.

Selection of beneficiary countries

The criteria to beneficiary countries builds on the Bali Action Plan (2007) that emphasises the need for enhanced action on adaptation, in particular with LDCs, SIDS and countries of Africa affected by drought, desertification and flooding. Therefore, the primary target groups of the GCCA, are LDCs and SIDS, the underlying assumption being that these are the countries which are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and which have the least resources, both human and financial, to address those challenges. Eighteen countries have received the GCCA support to build projects on cross-cutting climate change issues.