Climate Council definition and benefits

What is a climate council?

• ICCN members are all Climate Councils who are officially mandated by the national government as an advisory body on climate policy.  This mandate may take different forms, for example through legislation, ministerial decree, or a commercial grant agreement.
• Usually the councils (also commonly known as “committees” or “commissions”) are made up of independent experts from a wide range of academic fields relevant to climate policy.  The council may also have experts representing wider government, business and civil society interests.
• Councils are commonly supported by a secretariat.  The secretariat is often funded via a sponsor government ministry but may also be funded by other donors.  The secretariats contain a mix of analytical, communications and administrative expertise.
• The ICCN is currently focused on supporting national climate councils.  However, the Steering Committee will consider other forms of climate councils, for example sub-national level, on a case-by-case basis in response to any direct requests. 
• The primary focus of our members is advising their government on climate change policy – whether that be mitigation, adaptation or both – as well as the just transition associated with climate policy (rather than having a broader remit on all aspects of social, economic and environmental policy). 

Why should countries establish a climate council?

As the world faces the urgent challenge of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, a science-based approach to national climate governance has never been more essential.  Since their inception, national climate councils – that unite experts from science, policy, and economics – have played a pivotal role in driving decarbonisation efforts.

Here’s six reasons why we believe all countries should consider creating a climate council, no matter their level of resource.

1. Their advice helps governments make the right long-term policy decisions to meet NDC commitments and other legally binding targets.
2. Their positioning in national climate governance ensures they can be influential and trusted.
3. Their expertise provides credibility to decisions and helps build consensus more quickly on which options to pursue.
4. They provide investor certainty in a country’s low-carbon economy, as councils are established to be politically impartial and endure beyond the usual 4–5-year cycles of government.
5. It shows leadership in climate governance and can influence others to follow suit.
6. Research supports the impact of climate councils on effective climate policy-making and achieving carbon budgets.