Simon Maxwell, CDKN Chairman, presented a six step programme for climate compatible development today in a speech to the annual Chatham House Conference on Climate Change in London.

Quoting Clay and Schaeffer (1986): “the whole life of policy is a chaos of purposes and accidents” Mr Maxwell outlined different processes of policy change, from crisis models to ‘disjointed incrementalism’. He proposed that the best guide to taking command of the climate and development challenge is:

1. Find the ‘win-wins’ between economic development and climate action, such as energy efficiency.
2. Look for co-benefits to climate action, such as reduced pollution, energy security, congestion.
3. Frame climate mitigation and adaptation actions as risk management, such as dealing with threats to exports, climatic disasters.
4. Emphasise the opportunities of taking adaptation and mitigation action, such as job creation from renewables development.
5. Build on and use the energies of civil society,  ‘reverse lobbying’.
6. Above all – lead.