TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE: EXAMINING BUREAUCRATIC INFLUENCES ON GREEN AID A quantitative study of the effect of politicized bureaucracy on the effectiveness of climate mitigating aid – a global perspective.

Abstract: The climate threat is alarming, which has spurred research regarding how to mitigate its consequences. A significant amount of environmental aid is transferred yearly, to help developing countries adjust and mitigate climate change. Yet, we know very little about whether aid is used in the most efficient way, to reach the Sustainable Development Goals of the Paris Agreement. With varying results, studies have investigated how corruption and low institutional quality reduce the efficiency of climate finance on emissions of greenhouse gases. However, there is little research examining which specific aspects of institutional quality that affects the efficiency of climate aid. This study focuses on how a highly politicized bureaucracy affects how well green Official Development Assistance (ODA) mitigate CO2 emissions in recipient countries. By introducing five consequential mechanisms and the theoretical concept of political forbearance, I suggest that politicization reduces green aid efficiency. A panel regression analysis with politicization as a moderating variable examines 121 recipient countries of green ODA for the years 2002-2019 and their emissions of CO2 per capita. Control variables urbanization, population density, democracy, and GDP per capita could interfere with the relationship between the main variables and are therefore controlled for. Results show no support for the two conducted hypotheses, indicating no significant causation between the degree of politicization of the bureaucracy and the efficiency of climate aid in reducing CO2 emissions. Finally, the conclusion discusses potential explanations for the insignificant results and proposes research model modifications for future research.