G7-Elmau-Progress-Report-2015-Biodiversity-A-vital-foundation-for-sustainable-development

G7 ELMAU PROGRESS REPORT 31pollution. The initiative is now jointly funded by the UKDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)as well as DFID, with DFID projects having a strong povertyalleviation and livelihood focus. Since 1992, the UK governmenthas awarded 929 Darwin projects in 158 countries. 12Rhino. Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa. Jeremy EppelThe Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA) programaims to deliver high-quality, cutting-edge researchthat will improve understanding of the way ecosystemsfunction, the services they provide and their relationshipwith the political economy and sustainable growth. Theprogram’s research will provide the evidence and tools toenable decision-makers to manage ecosystems sustainablyand in a way that contributes to poverty alleviation.GB£ 30 million has been committed until fiscal year2017/2018. 13The UK is involved in financing several international activities,such as the World Bank’s WAVES initiative and theUnited Nations (UN) Poverty Environment Initiative. Startingin 2011/2012, the UK began providing GB£ 1.9 million(US$ 3 million) for a period of four years and is consideringoptions for future engagement in the WAVES initiative. 14This has contributed to a US$ 15 million World Bank Multi-Donor Trust Fund, supported by the UK, Norway, the EuropeanCommission, Japan and the Netherlands. The UK willprovide GB£ 4 million (approximately US$ 6 million) overfour years from 2013/2014 to 2016/2017 to the UN PovertyEnvironment Initiative. 15 The UK’s contribution representsa burden share of approximately 10 percent based on a US$60 million budget. Other donors are UNDP and UNEP, theEuropean Commission, Germany, Norway, Spain and Sweden.3.8.2 Financial flowsUK ODA distributions for biodiversity peaked in 2011 atmore than GB£ 109 million. On average, the UK disbursedGB£ 55.6 million annually to international biodiversityfunding (see Table 3.9). Inter-annual variability in biodiversitydisbursements is due to a number of differentfactors, including program funding cycles and agreedmethodological changes. Care should therefore be takenin drawing inferences from any inter-annual trends.Year 2011, for instance, reflects a significant contribution tothe Forest Investment Program.Table 3.9 International biodiversity funding, United Kingdom (GB£ millions)2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013Total 32 36 28 49 79 109 56 56Box 3.8 United Kingdom’s methodologyThe methodology is based on calculations of the United Kingdom’s gross disbursements recorded against theOECD-DAC sector codes for (i) Biodiversity (43010) and Forestry Total (312) in the CRS and (ii) a 33 percent shareof the UK contributions to the GEF. Sterling equivalent ODA figures have been calculated using the OECD’s officialSterling-USD exchange rates for each calendar year.