Accreditation Framework of the Green Climate Fund

The Accreditation Framework of the Green Climate Fund defines the requirements and processes for entities to become Accredited Entities (AEs), enabling them to submit funding proposals for climate mitigation and adaptation. It distinguishes between Direct Access Entities (DAEs), based in developing countries, and International Access Entities (IAEs). The framework outlines a five-step institutional accreditation process—nomination, pre-screening, application, screening, and Board approval—grounded in fiduciary standards, environmental and social safeguards (ESS), and country ownership. It also provides mechanisms for capacity building for DAEs, a fast-track approach for recognized standards, and a project-specific assessment approach (PSAA) as a pilot alternative to institutional accreditation.

• The GCF distinguishes between two primary types of accredited entities: Direct Access Entities (DAEs), which are government or non-government organizations legally incorporated and operating in developing countries, and International Access Entities (IAEs), which are organizations operating across borders, such as UN agencies and multilateral development banks.
• The institutional accreditation process consists of five sequential steps: government or self-nomination, pre-screening by the Secretariat, submission of application and payment of fees, a detailed screening report by the Accreditation Panel, and a final approval decision by the Board.
• Accreditation screening is based on a subset of GCF fiduciary principles, environmental and social safeguards (ESS), and gender policies. Applicants are screened according to the highest environmental and social risk category (A, B, or C) they intend to operate in, and they may later apply for an upgrade to a higher risk category.
• The Secretariat prioritizes accreditation applications from direct access applicants (especially in countries without an existing DAE), entities in least developed countries, small island developing States, and African States, as well as those implementing locally led adaptation for vulnerable groups and private sector entities.
• To support Direct Access Entities, the GCF provides several capacity-building channels, including pre- and post-accreditation support via the Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme, the Project Preparation Facility (PPF), and peer support through partnerships with International Access Entities.
• The framework incorporates a 'fast-track' approach that leverages existing accreditation or due diligence processes from other international benchmarking systems to increase efficiency without reducing the rigor of GCF screening.

APA

Green Climate Fund (2025). Accreditation Framework of the Green Climate Fund. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/accreditation-framework-gcf-b42.pdf

Chicago

Green Climate Fund. Accreditation Framework of the Green Climate Fund. 2025. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/accreditation-framework-gcf-b42.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Climate Fund |title=Accreditation Framework of the Green Climate Fund |date=3 July 2025 |url=https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/accreditation-framework-gcf-b42.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenclimatefund2025accreditation, author = {{Green Climate Fund}}, title = {{Accreditation Framework of the Green Climate Fund}}, institution = {Green Climate Fund}, year = {2025}, month = jul, url = {https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/accreditation-framework-gcf-b42.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }