Climate & Development Knowledge Network

The Climate and Development Knowledge Network aims to advance gender-equitable and socially-inclusive climate-resilient development by mobilising knowledge-into-action, capacity and Southern climate leadership from local to global levels.

CDKN is a Southern-led network founded in 2010 to advance climate-resilient development in the global South. The programme is managed by SouthSouthNorth, and implemented in partnership with Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano (FFLA) in Quito, Ecuador and ICLEI South Asia in Delhi, India.

The third phase of CDKN (2022-2027) will focus on accelerating equitable, financed and ecosystem-based action on climate change that is locally-led and strengthens the voice and climate leadership of disadvantaged groups at community level. This includes women, young and elderly people, children, people with differing abilities, Indigenous Peoples, people living in informal settlements, marginalised groups, and migrants and displaced people.

CDKN focuses on three priority action areas:

Support integration of gender equality and social inclusion in climate policies and practice;
Enable access to appropriate and inclusive finance that supports locally-led climate action; and
Strengthen implementation of just and effective ecosystem-based adaptation.

CDKN focuses on moving knowledge into increased action on climate change using the following approach:

producing and sharing relevant knowledge to drive action, weaving diverse forms of knowledge – including local, Indigenous and scientific knowledge – building collective understandings of climate impacts to co-create and apply solutions;
advancing Southern leadership and locally-led climate action;
responding to local contexts by understanding and working with the socioeconomic, cultural and political decision-making circumstances;
fostering collaboration through long-term relationships built on trust, working across sectors and scales to achieve systemic change;
mobilising and strengthening the capacity of individuals and institutions to harness the rich knowledge and expertise that exists in the global South, including at local levels; and
facilitating continual learning to reflect on emerging lessons and insights in tackling the climate crisis.