The impact of climate change on development is evident. People in developing countries are much more affected by climate change due to widespread poverty and lower resilience and coping capacities. The negative impacts of climate change threaten lives and livelihoods, as well as the hard-won gains achieved in reducing poverty in recent decades.

That is why Swiss development cooperation has been heavily engaged in interventions mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and improving the resilience and adaptation capacities of the affected populations in our partner countries.

The purpose of this report is to assess whether and in what way these interventions have achieved the expected results. External experts carried out an independent assessment covering the period 2000-2012. This Report is the third of its kind, following the Report on Effectiveness in the Water Sector (2008) and in the Agricultural Sector (2010).

By sharing its experiences and knowledge in the field of climate change and fostering international action, Switzerland can make a relevant contribution to limiting the adverse effects of global warming and thus securing progress made in reducing poverty worldwide. The need for forward-looking and flexible decision-making to deal with an uncertain future requires considering different options and designing more effective policies and instruments to address climate change and contribute to sustainable development. Building on their experience and on the conclusions of this report, SDC and SECO will do their utmost to further integrate climate change into their portfolios in a concerted effort to fulfill their mandate of poverty alleviation.

We are pleased to present to you this report and wish you an interesting reading.