“Direct Access” to Climate Finance: Lessons Learned by National Institutions

This research paper by the World Resources Institute outlines lessons for national institutions in developing countries seeking "direct access" to climate finance from multilateral funds like the Adaptation Fund and the Green Climate Fund (GCF). It provides guidance on planning for engagement, navigating the accreditation process, and designing and implementing projects to enhance national ownership and reduce transaction costs.

• Effective engagement with climate funds requires deliberate planning, including aligning finance searches with national strategies for sustainable development and climate change. Countries should carefully select institutions for specific roles: National Designated Authorities should possess broad perspectives of the development landscape and convening power, while implementing entities should have documented processes to mitigate social, environmental, and fiduciary risks.
• The accreditation process for implementing entities is rigorous and resource-intensive, requiring significant human and financial resources, as well as senior-level buy-in. Institutions often find documenting their existing systems more challenging than meeting the actual standards, and some may need to adapt their policies or utilize readiness support to comply with requirements.
• Successful project design and implementation depend on aligning proposals with the objectives of the fund, the country, and the implementing entity. To ensure high-quality execution, implementing entities should carefully select executing entities and provide them with training on fund standards. Additionally, establishing robust monitoring systems and engaging external stakeholders—including beneficiaries—leads to more robust proposals and smoother implementation.
• Direct access allows national or subnational entities to receive funding without international intermediaries, such as regional development banks or the World Bank. As of October 2015, the Adaptation Fund had approved 20 project proposals from 12 national entities, while the GCF Board approved two project proposals from national institutions in November 2015.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). “Direct Access” to Climate Finance: Lessons Learned by National Institutions. https://www.wri.org/research/direct-access-climate-finance-lessons-learned-national-institutions

Chicago

World Resources Institute. “Direct Access” to Climate Finance: Lessons Learned by National Institutions. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/direct-access-climate-finance-lessons-learned-national-institutions.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=“Direct Access” to Climate Finance: Lessons Learned by National Institutions |url=https://www.wri.org/research/direct-access-climate-finance-lessons-learned-national-institutions |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutenddirect, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{“Direct Access” to Climate Finance: Lessons Learned by National Institutions}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/direct-access-climate-finance-lessons-learned-national-institutions}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }