ABSTRACT
This chapter will explore the inter-relationship between climate finance and climate justice within the UNFCCC, in order to provide recommendations on how the UNFCCC climate finance framework can be improved to embed climate justice and reach the most vulnerable people, and how this can be adopted. This is done through the development of a conceptual framework to provide a visual representation of the current climate finance landscape, highlighting the constraints and bottlenecks to climate justice. In its development, it became clear that justice and equity are lacking within this framework. This has led to the development of a refined framework which integrates justice principles. A comparative analysis of both frameworks finds the key relationships which shape the current climate finance landscape, and are key to achieving climate justice – between developed and developing countries, and climate finance and development. It also finds that there is a lack of focus on protection of the most vulnerable people. Based on this analysis, three key recommendations for improving the UNFCCC climate finance framework so it can achieve climate justice are made:(1) creating more equal responsibility between developed and developing countries, (2) integrating climate finance and development goals and (3) putting the most vulnerable people at the centre of climate action. It is also recognised that these recommendations may not be sufficient, and perhaps other options for climate finance need to be considered moving forward, such as a more devolved/decentralised system.
