Simplified Approval Process (SAP) Technical guidance compendium

The Simplified Approval Process (SAP) Technical Guidance Compendium outlines the eligibility and technical requirements for GCF projects with contributions up to USD 25 million and minimal environmental and social risks. It provides sectoral guidance across agriculture, ecosystems, water security, cities, energy efficiency, forests, REDD+, renewable energy, and transport, detailing 'SAP-able' activities, impact measurement indicators, and the requirements for achieving a paradigm shift in each sector.

• The Simplified Approval Process (SAP) is designed to reduce the time and effort for the preparation, review, approval, and disbursement of certain activities, specifically targeting small-scale activities to help vulnerable countries like Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
• To be eligible for the SAP, projects or programmes must have a GCF contribution of up to USD 25 million and environmental and social risks and impacts classified as 'minimal to none'.
• In the agriculture and food security sector, SAP-able activities include the use of climate-smart crop varieties (defined by early maturity or tolerance to extreme weather), conservation agriculture, and the reduction of food loss and waste through circular economy approaches.
• For ecosystems and ecosystem services, a paradigm shift is indicated by the development of a natural capital accounting (NCA) system to quantify and value ecosystem services in national planning, moving away from reliance on GDP alone.
• Water security SAP guidelines emphasize four sub-sectors: Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), Climate Resilient Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (CR-WASH), Integrated Drought Management (IDM), and Integrated Flood Management (IFM).
• Urban climate projects under SAP focus on 'secondary cities' with populations between 1 and 3 million, prioritizing decarbonization of energy, energy efficiency in buildings, and low-carbon mobility.
• Energy efficiency (EE) interventions for industry and appliances are divided into operational changes/process optimization and equipment/technology interventions, such as the establishment of credit lines for energy-efficient equipment.
• Forest and land use SAP-able activities include the restoration of degraded forests, the establishment of deforestation-free commodity supply chains, and the use of blockchain for sustainable forest management.
• REDD+ SAP projects are structured into two fixed components: compliance with UNFCCC requirements for results-based payments (RBPs) and the implementation of innovative REDD+ demonstration activities.
• Renewable energy (RE) SAP-able activities include off-grid electrification via stand-alone solar PV, rooftop solar programmes, and the extension of credit lines to local financial institutions for RE projects.
• Transport sector SAP interventions focus on the adoption of new technologies (e.g., replacing diesel buses with electric buses) and modal shifts (e.g., revising urban plans to encourage walkability).

APA

Green Climate Fund (2022). Simplified Approval Process (SAP) Technical guidance compendium. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/20230206-sap-technical-guidance-compendium.pdf

Chicago

Green Climate Fund. Simplified Approval Process (SAP) Technical guidance compendium. 2022. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/20230206-sap-technical-guidance-compendium.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Climate Fund |title=Simplified Approval Process (SAP) Technical guidance compendium |date=December 2022 |url=https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/20230206-sap-technical-guidance-compendium.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenclimatefund2022simplified, author = {{Green Climate Fund}}, title = {{Simplified Approval Process (SAP) Technical guidance compendium}}, institution = {Green Climate Fund}, year = {2022}, month = dec, url = {https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/20230206-sap-technical-guidance-compendium.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }