Independent evaluation of the relevance and effectiveness of the GCF’s investments in the African States

The GCF is the largest multilateral climate finance contributor to African states, but its portfolio is heavily weighted toward mitigation (59%) over adaptation (41%), despite urgent regional needs. While the GCF has effectively leveraged co-financing, particularly through Multilateral Development Banks, it faces significant challenges in direct access, with only 18 Direct Access Entities (DAEs) accredited across 13 countries. The evaluation highlights cumbersome and rigid procedural barriers, including an English-only policy and high transaction costs, which hinder access for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Fragile, Conflict, and Violence (FCV) states. Gender-related co-benefits are growing, but engagement with indigenous peoples remains limited. The report recommends shifting the portfolio toward adaptation, streamlining accreditation and fee structures, and increasing regional presence in Africa.

• The GCF portfolio in African states is disproportionately focused on mitigation rather than adaptation, with mitigation-focused projects accounting for 59% of approved finance over seven years (2015-2022).
• Energy generation and access is the dominant result area in the African portfolio, representing 42% of its total value.
• Cooperation and complementarity between the GCF and other climate funds (GEF, AF, CIF) remain largely unsystematic and are primarily driven by accredited entities rather than institutional frameworks.
• Country ownership is generally moderate across African states, but the Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme (RPSP) is under-utilised and difficult to access for the most vulnerable countries.
• The direct access model is severely limited by a lack of accredited entities, with only 18 DAEs accredited in 13 of the 54 African countries.
• The GCF has successfully leveraged co-financing, with Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) as the largest source, though co-financing for LDCs and FCV states remains low.
• Private sector engagement has gained momentum since 2019, largely through the GCF's use of equity and guarantees to de-risk investments, but remains heavily skewed toward mitigation (89% of private co-financing).
• The GCF's English-only policy and geographical distance from Africa act as significant barriers to access and country ownership, particularly for non-Anglophone states.
• Procedural barriers, including lengthy accreditation and approval processes, are described as cumbersome and unresponsive to the urgency of climate action in Africa.
• Gender-related co-benefits are diverse and growing, but evidence of transformative change in power relations is limited and largely anecdotal.
• Engagement with indigenous peoples is very limited across the African portfolio, and there is a general reticence among stakeholders to recognize indigeneity in the African context.
• Direct Access Entities (DAEs) show potential to be more cost-effective than International Accredited Entities (IAEs) in terms of management fees.

APA

Green Climate Fund (2023). Independent evaluation of the relevance and effectiveness of the GCF’s investments in the African States. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/gcf-b35-08.pdf

Chicago

Green Climate Fund. Independent evaluation of the relevance and effectiveness of the GCF’s investments in the African States. 2023. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/gcf-b35-08.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Climate Fund |title=Independent evaluation of the relevance and effectiveness of the GCF’s investments in the African States |date=23 February 2023 |url=https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/gcf-b35-08.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenclimatefund2023independent, author = {{Green Climate Fund}}, title = {{Independent evaluation of the relevance and effectiveness of the GCF’s investments in the African States}}, institution = {Green Climate Fund}, year = {2023}, month = feb, url = {https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/gcf-b35-08.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }