Approach and scope for providing support to adaptation activities – Addendum I: The GCF’s approach to adaptation: analysis and implications for the Fund

The report assesses the GCF's adaptation portfolio, finding it generally aligned with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) but lacking in areas like human health. It identifies a critical need for standardized guidelines on 'climate rationale' to distinguish adaptation from general development and recommends a flexible three-tier costing approach (total, incremental, and beyond incremental cost). The study also highlights the under-utilization of diverse accredited entities and the limited role of the private sector in adaptation projects.

• The GCF's adaptation portfolio and pipeline are largely consistent with the priorities identified in NDCs and the portfolios of peer climate funds, with agriculture being a primary focus area. However, human health is a significant point of divergence, appearing in over half of NDCs with adaptation components but in only about a tenth of GCF country programmes and briefs.
• The GCF lacks clear, consistent standards for establishing a 'climate rationale' to prove that proposed activities specifically address climate risks rather than general development needs. This has led to inconsistent evaluations between the GCF Secretariat and the Independent Technical Advisory Panel (ITAP).
• The study proposes a three-step framework for establishing climate rationale: (1) identifying predicted climate changes and vulnerabilities, (2) articulating how activities address those specific impacts, and (3) connecting activities to a larger policy framework.
• There is a significant gap in the utilization of the GCF's accredited entities; more than a third have not submitted any full funding proposals, and a small group of four entities (UNDP, World Bank, ADB, and EBRD) account for over half of the approved adaptation and cross-cutting projects.
• The GCF's use of non-grant instruments for adaptation is very limited, with 93% of adaptation-only funding provided as grants. Additionally, there is a lack of engagement with subnational or local executing entities, as the majority of projects are implemented by national government ministries.
• The report argues against a 'one-size-fits-all' costing approach, recommending instead a set of three approaches based on the project type: total activity cost for climate-specific actions, incremental cost for adjusting existing infrastructure, and 'beyond incremental cost' for highly vulnerable communities where development and adaptation are inseparable.
• Private sector engagement in adaptation is minimal, with less than 25% of portfolio and pipeline proposals containing private sector considerations and only two private entities having submitted adaptation-related proposals.
• Stakeholders report a lack of clarity regarding the roles and sequencing of the GCF's Readiness Programme and Project Preparation Facility (PPF), as well as a shortage of experts who possess both adaptation expertise and knowledge of GCF processes.

APA

Green Climate Fund (2018). Approach and scope for providing support to adaptation activities – Addendum I: The GCF’s approach to adaptation: analysis and implications for the Fund. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/gcf-b21-inf03-add01.pdf

Chicago

Green Climate Fund. Approach and scope for providing support to adaptation activities – Addendum I: The GCF’s approach to adaptation: analysis and implications for the Fund. 2018. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/gcf-b21-inf03-add01.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Climate Fund |title=Approach and scope for providing support to adaptation activities – Addendum I: The GCF’s approach to adaptation: analysis and implications for the Fund |date=14 October 2018 |url=https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/gcf-b21-inf03-add01.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenclimatefund2018approach, author = {{Green Climate Fund}}, title = {{Approach and scope for providing support to adaptation activities – Addendum I: The GCF’s approach to adaptation: analysis and implications for the Fund}}, institution = {Green Climate Fund}, year = {2018}, month = oct, url = {https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/gcf-b21-inf03-add01.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }