A discussion paper on fast-start finance commitments of the Copenhagen Accord

In the Copenhagen Accord, taken note of by COP15 in December 2009, developed country Parties committed to provide “new and additional resources (…) approaching USD 30 billion for the period 2010–2012 with balanced allocation between adaptation and mitigation”. Both the volume of funds and – among other criteria – whether they are new and additional are important to the process of building trust between countries to advance the work of developing a comprehensive, legally binding climate regime.