Policy can deal with climate and development together

Significance Emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) bear little responsibility for the build-up of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions but are highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, not least because they have relatively large agricultural sectors. Some EMDE governments are sceptical of calls to decarbonise for fear it will impede development, while some donors worry about a potential development-decarbonisation trade-off. Impacts Climate change-driven events have a disproportionate impact on women and girls, thus contributing to global gender inequality. Poor state capacity hinders the ability of many countries to combine climate action and poverty alleviation. Climate action may present a new path for middle-income economies that have deindustrialised ‘early’ in their development process.