This document provides an overview of the OECD DAC statistics and Rio markers system for tracking climate, biodiversity, and desertification related finance. It discusses how the Rio markers are applied to development activities to indicate if objectives target the Rio conventions as a principal, significant, or not at all. It also describes how the data can be viewed from both a recipient and provider perspective to analyze development finance flows. The document outlines some key features and areas for future improvement to ensure the DAC methodologies and data remain a reference on development assistance targeting environmental objectives.

1. Introduction to the
OECD DAC Statistics & Rio markers
Stephanie Ockenden & Mariana Mirabile, DAC Secretariat
Workshop on partner country perspectives for tracking domestic
and international climate and biodiversity-related finance
19 May, OECD Paris

2. Outline
1. Overview of DAC Statistical System
2. What are the Rio markers?
3. How marker scores are applied for policy objectives?
4. The key features and caveats to note
5. Two perspectives for viewing DAC statistics
6. Accessing the data
7. Future improvements

3. OECD DAC Statistical System
• Development finance
statistics are:
– reported by members,
international organisations &
some non-DAC and charities
– collected within the Creditor
Reporting System (CRS),
– monitored by Secretariat &
WP-STAT (quality controls &
reviews)
– transparent - activity-level ODA
data publically available online
• Reporting guided by
standardised
definitions and
classifications, e.g.
– commitments,
disbursements
– sector classifications
– Bilateral / multilateral
(avoids double counting)
– exchange rates
– ODA definition

4. Identifying climate, biodiversity- &
desertification-related finance
4 Rio markers:
• Climate Change Adaptation, and Mitigation
• Biodiversity
• Desertification
+ 1 Environmental Marker
• Rio markers indicate policy objectives
 i.e. activities targeting Rio conventions as a principal
objective, a significant objective, or not at all
 Applied ex-ante, purpose based, cross-cutting and multiple
objectives can be tagged
• To ensure common understanding among reporters,
application of each marker guided by:
 Definition, eligibility criteria, examples, and guidance
 Recorded in CRS reporting directive & Handbook

5. How does the marker methodology
indicate policy objectives?
Activities are screened,
identified and marked as
either, targeting the Rio
conventions as a:
• 2 = Principal
objective
• 1 = significant
objective, or
• 0 = not targeted

6. • The Rio markers are descriptive rather than strictly
quantitative
• Track mainstreaming and allow for an approximate
quantification of financial flows targeting the
objectives of the Rio conventions.
Key features and caveats:
Marker presentation and quantification
Principal +significant data
= Upper bound or total estimate
Principal data only
= Flows specifically targeting Rio conventions
• Finance reported by Parties to the conventions is often based on,
but may not be directly comparable to, Rio marker data

7. • Allows tracking of multiple objectives
simultaneously whilst avoiding double counting
Figure 18.2. The multiple objectives of environmental development co-operation
3 year annual average, 2010-2012, bilateral commitments, USD billion, constant 2012 prices
Source: OECD DAC Creditor Reporting System statistics, July 2014.
Key features and caveats:
Tracking of Multiple

8. Access the data
• Data can be analysed from two perspectives
Recipient perspective Provider perspective
How many resources were invested in Mexico
for renewable energy projects?
How many resources did Norway invest to
fund green projects?

9. Bilateral
provider
Multilateral
institution
Developing
country
Transfer of resources (USD)
Bilateral flows
Two perspectives
How the DAC statistical system work
Core
contribution
Multilateral
outflows
Recipient perspective = bilateral flows + multilateral outflows
Provider perspective = bilateral flows + core contributions

10. Bilateral
provider
Multilateral
institution
Developing
country
Bilateral flows
rio marked
Two perpectives
How the DAC statistical system work
Climate-related development finance
Imputed
multilateral
contributions
Climate-related
components for
MDBs & Rio markers
for climate funds
Recipient perspective = bilateral flows Rio marked + climate component of multilateral outflows
Provider perspective = bilateral flows Rio marked + Imputed multilateral contributions
Transfer of resources (USD)

11. Access the data
• Data visualisation
• Excel

12. Goal:
DAC methodologies and data remain a point of reference on Official
Development Assistance & Other Official Flows* targeting environmental
objectives
Areas for improvement :
• Quality: “fine tuning” Rio marker definitions
• Use: supporting transparency and exploring the evidence base to
support more quantified reporting
• Coverage: collaboration with MDBs and multilateral funds to provide
integrated picture of bi and multi flows, and imputed multilateral
contributions.
• Communication: statistical flyers and data visualisation portals
ENVIRONET-WP-STAT Task Team on improvement to the Rio
markers, environment and development finance statistics

13. Questions for discussion today &
tomorrow:
• Are countries and stakeholders aware of the
DAC statistics and using these?
• Can the communication and user access to
these be improved? If so how?
• Do countries have similar definitions
understandings of what are climate and
biodiversity activities?

14. OECD DAC CRS Rio marker statistics and analysis
www.oecd.org/dac/stats/rioconventions.htm
Joint ENVIRONET-WP-STAT Task Team:
Stephanie.Ockenden@OECD.org and Valerie.Gaveau@OECD.org

15. Additional slides

16. To what & how are the markers applied?
Coverage
• Bilateral flows only
• Official Development
Assistance (ODA)
– Since 1998 for biodiversity,
climate mitigation and
desertification
– Mandatory from 2006 flows
– Adaptation introduce and
mandatory from 2010 flows
• Other Official Flows (OOF)
– Voluntary basis since 2012
(excl. export credits)
Application
• Every activity screened
• Excluding:
– general budget support
imputed student costs,
– debt relief except debt
swaps,
– administrative costs,
– development awareness,
and,
– refugees in donor countries
• Commitments basis