Search Climate Insights Directory

The GCF Secretariat broadly agrees with the Independent Evaluation Unit's findings on the Project Preparation Facility (PPF), acknowledging its role as a strategic de-risking tool. The Secretariat commits to improving coherence between the PPF and the Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme (RPSP), differentiating support pathways for varying entity capacities, and enhancing monitoring and knowledge management. While accepting most recommendations, the Secretariat notes that some findings lacked sufficient contextualization and that the PPF Service modality represents only about 21% of approved requests.

Lisa Fernandez's farewell note outlines the evolution of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC) from its inception in 2007. She highlights the program's dual focus on research—such as the "Climate Change in the American Mind" project and audience segmentation—and impact, including the creation of Yale Climate Connections and the Yale Climate Opinion Maps. Fernandez notes the program's expansion into international research and education, specifically mentioning work in China, Brazil, and India, and the launch of a "Strategic Climate Change Communication" online course. She concludes by introducing her successor, Jono Anzalone, and emphasizing the continued public support for climate action.

WWF's Food Waste Warriors (FWW) program aims to eliminate food waste in US K–12 schools, noting that nearly 40% of food served in schools is wasted, totaling 530,000 tons and $1.7 billion in lost value annually. The program focuses on three pillars: engaging students through standards-aligned education, expanding edible food recovery via share tables and refrigerators, and diverting waste from landfills through composting. FWW reports that up to 90% of school food waste can be recovered or recycled, with some participating schools achieving a 70% reduction in waste. The report details success stories from Maryland, Maine, Tennessee, and Georgia, and proposes a national data-collection platform and recognition program to scale these efforts.

The report evaluates federal funding programs in Canada, finding that while most allow for natural infrastructure, few incorporate the full range of criteria needed to make it a mainstream alternative to grey infrastructure. It recommends integrating specific enabling criteria, improving access for rural communities, and increasing funding for proactive adaptation.

The report argues that while Canadian federal infrastructure programs generally allow for natural infrastructure, significant design gaps—such as high funding thresholds, lack of capacity-building support, and a focus on new 'tangible capital assets' over existing ecosystem preservation—stymie widespread adoption. It evaluates programs like the ICIP, CCBF, and DMAF against 14 enabling criteria, finding that most fail to prompt or require the consideration of natural solutions. The report recommends a 'natural infrastructure-first' approach, differentiated support for rural and underserved communities, and the integration of natural infrastructure into housing and biodiversity policies to address interconnected crises.

The report details the implementation of Phase 2 of Rwanda's climate adaptation Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) system. Following a pilot in the agriculture sector, this phase focused on tracking seven specific adaptation indicators from Rwanda's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)—four in human settlements and three in transport—to evaluate the effectiveness of adaptation initiatives and inform future strategies.

The NAP Global Network Peer Learning Strategy establishes a framework for South-South knowledge exchange to enhance the development and implementation of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) in developing countries. Moving away from one-off events, the strategy prioritizes sustained, continuous learning through four primary activity types: Peer Learning Forums, Peer Exchanges, Peer Learning Cohorts, and 1:1 Peer Learning Partnerships. The approach integrates technical, relational, reflexive, and experiential components, while emphasizing gender equality and social inclusion (GESI). The strategy also links peer learning with national-level action and knowledge generation to create a 'value chain' of support for adaptation practitioners.

The TNRC project provided a comprehensive framework for integrating anti-corruption measures into conservation, producing over 170 knowledge resources and training 1,200+ NGO staff. It emphasizes a three-step approach: learning basics, conducting corruption-aware situation analysis, and adapting programming through six thematic pillars. Key achievements include the creation of the Countering Environmental Corruption Practitioners Forum and the institutionalization of anti-corruption strategies within WWF and TRAFFIC.

The Air Aware campaign, led by Youth@SAIIA as part of the global Breathe Cities initiative, focuses on empowering youth aged 13–25 in South Africa to advocate for clean air. The program utilizes a structured journey including 'Train-the-Trainers' workshops, the appointment of Youth Air Champions (YACs) who implement community-specific campaigns, and engagement with policy frameworks like the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act 2004. Key activities included mapping air pollution hotspots in Soweto, linking air quality to biodiversity in the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve, and digital campaigns connecting plastic waste to air pollution. The initiative aims to culminate in a Youth-Led Conference on Air Pollution Policy and Implementation to integrate youth lived experiences into the City of Johannesburg's air quality governance.

The NAP Global Network's 'Envisioning Resilience' initiative uses photography and storytelling training to empower underrepresented women to document their lived experiences with climate change. By presenting these visual stories to decision-makers, the project aims to shift policy dialogue from simple consultation to meaningful engagement, highlighting the intersection of gender, social exclusion, and non-climatic vulnerabilities.

The IAI's STeP Fellowship program, designed to train early-career scientists in the science-policy interface, has seen significant growth with 64 total fellows from 13 countries. In November 2022, 30 fellows participated in a Science Diplomacy Leadership Workshop in Uruguay, resulting in a leadership declaration. This declaration commits the fellows to transdisciplinary approaches, inclusive decision-making, and the pursuit of transformative change to address urgent challenges in the Americas.

The Ivory Initiative (2018-2022) focused on closing legal ivory markets in Asia and reducing demand among Chinese consumers through policy engagement and behavioral science. The initiative achieved significant reductions in ivory availability in China, with physical outlets dropping by 86% and online adverts by 86% by 2021. It successfully advocated for bans in Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Taiwan PoC, and Singapore, while strengthening laws in Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam. Demand reduction efforts, including the #TravelIvoryFree campaign, saw the proportion of Chinese consumers intending to buy ivory fall by nearly half between 2017 and 2021. The report concludes that these efforts contributed to a decline in African elephant poaching, with the Proportion of Illegally Killed Elephants (PIKE) in 2021 reaching its lowest level since 2003.

The WWF Groundwater Awareness Project, funded by the Danish government via the Table Mountain Water Source Partnership, implemented an educational campaign in Cape Town primary schools to highlight the importance of groundwater. The project included multimedia lesson plans, a poster competition involving 15 schools, and a celebratory field trip for 38 top-performing students to the Greenpoint Urban Park on 28 February 2022. Additionally, a billboard campaign sponsored by Tractor Outdoor ran from 1 February to 31 March 2022 across the Western Cape, with two video billboards recording a combined total of 743,429 playouts.

The PROACT program has significantly increased the knowledge, confidence, and attitudes of community team members regarding P/CVE, with knowledge levels rising from 18.4% to 90.7% post-training. The program has strengthened County Engagement Forums (CEFs) and implemented County Action Plans (CAPs), though sustainability is challenged by a reliance on external donor funding and inconsistent CEF membership. Key findings highlight a shift in terrorist recruitment from face-to-face to online methods and a need for greater security actor trust in community-led processes. Recommendations include embedding P/CVE funding into county legislation, extending the program duration for sustainable transformation, and developing P/CVE curricula for educational institutions.

The Goudoumaria reception centre in Niger provides socio-economic rehabilitation for Boko Haram defectors, but the programme faces significant challenges including funding shortages, inadequate vocational training, and gender-based stereotypes. While it has processed at least 375 individuals, issues such as long detention periods for the first cohort and a lack of psychosocial support for the second have hindered effectiveness. Economic instability and insufficient installation allowances have led some beneficiaries to return to Boko Haram, highlighting the need for improved monitoring and sustainable reintegration strategies to ensure regional stabilisation in the Lake Chad Basin.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), established in 2010, is a federal interagency collaboration led by the EPA to restore the Great Lakes ecosystem. The program focuses on providing safe water, controlling invasive species, mitigating algal blooms, and protecting native habitats. GLRI supports climate resilience by restoring coastal wetlands, forests, and grasslands, and by funding indigenous-led resilience projects. Since its inception, GLRI has funded over 6,000 projects totaling $3.48 billion, protecting over 440,000 acres of habitat and generating an estimated $3.35 in economic activity for every federal dollar spent. Funding is increasing under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2019, rising from $300 million to $375 million in FY 2022, with annual increases of $25 million through FY 2026.

The North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), established in 1989, is a federal grant program dedicated to protecting and restoring wetland habitats for migratory birds in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Wetlands provide critical ecosystem services, including storm protection valued at $23.2 billion annually in the U.S., carbon sequestration, and wave energy absorption. Since its inception, NAWCA has funded over 3,000 projects, protecting more than 32 million acres of wetlands and leveraging $1.6 billion in federal funds into over $4.6 billion in matching grants. Recent funding was reauthorized through the America’s Conservation Enhancement Act of 2020, with annual funding of up to $60 million through Fiscal Year 2025.

The EU–China Environment Project (2018–2021) facilitated policy alignment and knowledge exchange between the EU and China across several key environmental domains. Major achievements include supporting the development of China's National Pollutant Discharge Permitting Regulation, contributing to the drafting of the Yangtze River Protection Law, and co-hosting workshops to inform the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework ahead of COP15 in Kunming. The project also provided research and workshops that influenced China's 14th Five-Year Plan and the 'Guiding Opinions on Integrating and Strengthening Efforts in Climate Action and Ecological and Environmental Protection'. Additionally, the initiative addressed plastic pollution, global deforestation in supply chains, and carbon leakage, while promoting a green economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Scottish Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund (2016–2019) provided grants of up to £4,000 to help workers in the declining oil and gas sector transition to new employment. Managed by Skills Development Scotland (SDS), the program supported 4,272 workers, achieving high employment rates, although approximately half of those re-employed remained within the oil and gas industry. The program's success informed the subsequent £25 million National Transition Training Fund launched in 2020 to support workers in declining sectors and promote green jobs for a net-zero economy.

The NAP Global Network's 2021–2025 strategy focuses on accelerating climate resilience in developing countries by enhancing the quality and implementation of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). The Network aims to bridge the gap between planning and action through tailored technical support, innovative peer-to-peer learning, and the production of accessible knowledge products. Key targets for 2025 include reaching 30 new developing countries, ensuring 30% of support benefits Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and collaborating with 15 countries on the transition from planning to implementation. The strategy emphasizes gender equality, social inclusion, and the integration of NAPs with other climate instruments like Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Adaptation Communications (ADCOMs).