INITIAL SUBMISSION OF VIEWS ON WORK STREAM I OF THE TRANSITIONAL COMMITTEE REGARDING ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SAFEGUARDS

The Sierra Club and Center for International Environmental Law argue that country ownership and international environmental and social safeguards are complementary. They propose a five-part policy framework for the Green Climate Fund including alignment with international standards, transparency, protections for vulnerable groups, clear compliance requirements, and a comprehensive environmental management system.

• The authors assert that the principle of country ownership and adherence to international environmental, social, and fiduciary standards are not in conflict, as countries can define priorities within a framework of procedural and substantive expectations for accessing Green Climate Fund resources.
• The document recommends that the Green Climate Fund align its policies with internationally-agreed conventions, codes, and 'best practice' standards, deferring to existing standard-setting bodies such as the UN Development Group and the human rights system rather than relying primarily on multilateral development banks.
• To ensure inclusive decision-making, the authors suggest the Green Climate Fund adopt a governance model similar to UN-REDD, which includes civil society and indigenous peoples as full voting members of its governing Board.
• The proposed policy framework for the Green Climate Fund should include explicit performance benchmarks, auditable criteria, and 'bright-line rules' for 'no go areas' or 'no go technologies' to ensure compliance.
• A comprehensive environmental and social management system for the fund should incorporate a 'precautionary and polluter pays approach', rigorous alternatives assessment, effective grievance mechanisms for public redress, and dedicated staffing and budgetary support.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). INITIAL SUBMISSION OF VIEWS ON WORK STREAM I OF THE TRANSITIONAL COMMITTEE REGARDING ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SAFEGUARDS. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Safeguards_26May11.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. INITIAL SUBMISSION OF VIEWS ON WORK STREAM I OF THE TRANSITIONAL COMMITTEE REGARDING ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SAFEGUARDS. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Safeguards_26May11.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=INITIAL SUBMISSION OF VIEWS ON WORK STREAM I OF THE TRANSITIONAL COMMITTEE REGARDING ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SAFEGUARDS |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Safeguards_26May11.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndinitial, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{INITIAL SUBMISSION OF VIEWS ON WORK STREAM I OF THE TRANSITIONAL COMMITTEE REGARDING ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SAFEGUARDS}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Safeguards_26May11.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }