Synergies between climate-related ODA and international mitigation: a South Korean perspective

Purpose: This study aims to illustrate that official development assistance (ODA) can catalyze international mitigation, which can drive innovative financing for development cooperation. Design/methodology/approach: Based on project descriptions, this study qualitatively analyzed the international mitigation linkages of 139 climate-related ODA projects in South Korea for 2023 based on five project characteristics: (1) mention of international mitigation objectives; (2) support for international mitigation readiness; (3) expansion of Korean mitigation businesses; (4) collaboration with international organizations; and (5) classification of projects as having international mitigation linkages using the World Bank’s International Transfer Readiness (ITR) as a performance indicator. Findings: The analysis found that 29 out of 50 mitigation projects (58%), 16 out of 77 adaptation projects (21%), 1 out of 12 projects marked as having both mitigation and adaptation principal objectives (8%) and 46 out of 139 climate-related ODA projects in Korea (33%) could be linked to international mitigation. Moreover, based on their project characteristics, 21 of the 46 projects linked to international mitigation projects had ITR indicators as performance indicators. Originality/value: Some parties, including Korea, have declared their intention to use internationally transferred mitigation outcomes in their nationally determined contributions under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Amidst this debate, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to identify synergies between ODA and international mitigation on various criteria and provide policy recommendations to promote synergies.