Crunch Time for the Green Climate Fund: 5 Issues to Watch at Critical Board Meeting

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) faces a crisis of confidence as it nears the end of its first funding period. The World Resources Institute outlines five key priorities for the GCF Board's final 2018 meeting in Bahrain: approving a record 20 funding proposals worth $1.1 billion, accrediting 16 new partners while managing capacity constraints, establishing a process for the fund's first replenishment, reforming decision-making to move beyond a strict unanimity-based consensus model, and conducting a comprehensive performance review of its portfolio.

• The GCF Board is considering an unprecedented volume of funding requests, with 20 proposals totaling $1.1 billion awaiting approval. However, the Board faces unresolved questions regarding oversight for high-risk programs, the appropriate level of support for higher-income developing countries, and whether to fund activities that might increase the viability of fossil fuel production.
• While 16 new entities are seeking accreditation—including nine national entities from developing countries and three private sector entities—the GCF faces capacity constraints in managing a growing number of partners. There is also a geographic imbalance in accreditation, with countries like India and Bangladesh having multiple entities while others, such as Brazil and Nigeria, have none.
• The GCF is approaching its first replenishment trigger, which occurs once 60 percent of its resources (approximately $5 billion) are approved. If current proposals are approved, this trigger would likely be reached by the first Board meeting of 2019.
• The GCF currently operates on a consensus model interpreted as unanimity, allowing any single Board member to block decisions and cause delays. A proposal from the co-chairs suggests a system where a decision is only blocked if more than one-third (five members) of either the developing or developed country Board members oppose it.
• The GCF has approved $3.5 billion for 74 climate projects across 78 countries during its first funding period, but it now requires a standard performance review to identify lessons learned and provide the data necessary for contributors to secure further funding from their legislatures.

APA

World Resources Institute (2018). Crunch Time for the Green Climate Fund: 5 Issues to Watch at Critical Board Meeting. https://www.wri.org/insights/crunch-time-green-climate-fund-5-issues-watch-critical-board-meeting

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Crunch Time for the Green Climate Fund: 5 Issues to Watch at Critical Board Meeting. 2018. https://www.wri.org/insights/crunch-time-green-climate-fund-5-issues-watch-critical-board-meeting.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Crunch Time for the Green Climate Fund: 5 Issues to Watch at Critical Board Meeting |date=12 October 2018 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/crunch-time-green-climate-fund-5-issues-watch-critical-board-meeting |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2018crunch, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Crunch Time for the Green Climate Fund: 5 Issues to Watch at Critical Board Meeting}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2018}, month = oct, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/crunch-time-green-climate-fund-5-issues-watch-critical-board-meeting}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }