Tackling climate change in low- and middle-income countries

Designing and implementing action to address climate change is one of the most important public policy challenges of our time – and particularly acute for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) around the world. One aspect of that challenge is to tackle climate change without exacerbating poverty. Although there is widespread agreement that LMICs need economic growth to reduce poverty and build resilience to climate change, there are few – if any – precedents on how to achieve this kind of development at scale, and still less agreement on how to go about it. In this chapter we highlight the importance of providing access to low-carbon energy, ensuring food security, protecting nature and biodiversity, and improving adaptation and resilience. We also recognise that any action to tackle climate change needs to be considered within the principles of equity and climate justice. As such, we frame our exploration of ‘what works’ within a sensitivity to national political economy dynamics and the need for effective national institutions. LMIC policymakers must also contend and engage with international political and economic structures and institutions. All told, while there are several promising initiatives around the world, the reality is that we still lack shining examples of countries that have successfully achieved low-carbon and resilient development. Evidence of ‘what works’ in LMICs is sparse.