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The briefing analyzes Green Climate Fund (GCF) funding proposals from 2015 to July 2018, finding that interventions for energy access receive significantly less funding than other energy projects and largely neglect low-income and 'high-impact' countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) Proposal Toolkit 2020 serves as a technical manual for entities seeking climate finance for developing countries. It outlines the essential roles of National Designated Authorities (NDAs), Accredited Entities (AEs), and Executing Entities (EEs), and provides a ten-step methodology for proposal development. Key design requirements include a strong climate rationale, a Theory of Change, and a logical framework aligned with GCF's investment criteria. The guide emphasizes the integration of environmental and social safeguards, gender action plans, and indigenous peoples' policies. It also details the financial instruments available—grants, concessional loans, equity, and guarantees—and explains the approval pathways, including the Simplified Approval Process (SAP) for smaller, low-risk projects.

The National Adaptation Plan Framework for Botswana provides a high-level strategic guide for integrating climate change adaptation into national and subnational development planning. It outlines a multi-sectoral approach emphasizing horizontal and vertical integration, ecosystem-based adaptation, and community-centered planning. The framework proposes a governance structure led by a National Climate Change Unit (NCCU) and a National Committee on Climate Change (NCCC), while prioritizing the needs of youth, women, and vulnerable groups. It also details strategies for mobilizing domestic and international climate finance and aligning the NAP with existing policies like Vision 2036 and NDP 11.

The document defines the NAP process as a strategic approach for countries to identify and respond to medium- and long-term climate adaptation priorities. It outlines the transition from short-term project-based interventions to systemic integration of adaptation into national development planning and budgeting. The process consists of a continuous cycle of planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E), supported by technical guidelines from the Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LDCEG). The text emphasizes that a NAP is both a document and a process, highlighting the importance of vertical integration between national and subnational levels, gender responsiveness, and private sector engagement. It further clarifies the synergy between NAPs, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the Paris Agreement, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The document examines the complex climate finance landscape in Kenya, where a wide range of funding sources and a devolved governance model create coordination challenges. It identifies technical barriers such as capacity gaps and fragmented funding, alongside political barriers including a lack of high-level political will and diverging agendas between the government and development partners. The authors argue that while technical measures are necessary, they are insufficient without addressing underlying political priorities and shifting the government's focus to better include bilateral donors, who provide the majority of the country's climate finance.

The document outlines lessons from a dialogue between grassroots organizations and donors on advancing locally led climate adaptation in Africa. It emphasizes the need to shift from top-down to circular decision-making, build mutual trust through transparency, and move away from short-term, projectized funding models. The briefing argues for the integration of development-sector knowledge into climate finance and the reduction of accreditation barriers for local actors. It further advocates for a shift in the 'hierarchy of knowledge' to better value indigenous and local expertise, and calls for more flexible funding that supports long-term agency and administrative costs rather than just direct climate benefits.

The document examines barriers to climate finance in sub-Saharan Africa, arguing that while recipient capacity is often blamed, donor-centric processes and a lack of standardized definitions are root causes. It recommends that donors undertake internal reviews to streamline access, provide better needs-assessment guidance, and establish consolidated platforms for funding information.

The document examines how COVID-19 exposes weaknesses in global institutions and threatens Africa through economic shocks, reduced development aid, and a retreat from multilateralism. It highlights the risk of increased trade protectionism and the potential for climate goals to be sidelined. The author advocates for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the creation of a continental climate finance fund, and a proactive African role in reforming global governance to mitigate these risks.

The document argues that the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process is uniquely suited to support peacebuilding in fragile states because its long-term, holistic, and participatory nature aligns with the timelines and goals of conflict recovery. It highlights that climate risks and conflict often share drivers, such as poverty and weak governance, and that failure to adapt can exacerbate resource competition. The briefing provides examples of countries like Sudan, Burkina Faso, and Palestine that have integrated conflict dynamics into their NAPs, while noting ongoing challenges such as the lack of climate data in conflict zones and the exclusion of refugees from planning processes.

The report details how the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) integrates gender equality into climate change obligations through General Recommendations, joint statements, and State reporting. It highlights the Committee's focus on disaster risk reduction, the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and girls, and the necessity of women's active participation in climate policy. The document analyzes CEDAW's Concluding Observations from 2008 to 2019, noting a high volume of recommendations for Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries, primarily focusing on adaptation and procedural rights, while also issuing specific mitigation demands regarding fossil fuel extraction and fracking.

The report examines how different climate funds can be combined to achieve results that exceed the capacity of any single mechanism. It identifies several types of synergies, including the scaling up of pilots, continuity of action, and the blending of qualitatively different financial instruments (e.g., grants and loans). The analysis highlights that while convergence of funding is common, synergies are often hindered by administrative misalignments, such as diverging approval processes and time gaps between project phases. Key drivers for success include strong national coordination, the use of country investment plans, and the role of 'local champions' and Direct Access Entities. The report recommends strengthening country-driven investment planning, harmonizing fund procedures, and improving cross-fund information sharing to maximize the effectiveness of climate finance.

The report evaluates the integration of gender considerations in National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes, identifying significant progress in positioning women as stakeholders and using gender analysis for planning. However, it notes limited progress in establishing inclusive stakeholder participation platforms and gender-responsive institutional arrangements. The document advocates for increased investment in capacity building, vertical integration between national and sub-national levels, and gender-responsive adaptation financing to ensure equitable climate resilience.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia is seeking USD 727,553 over 24 months to address critical capacity gaps in climate finance engagement. The proposal focuses on strengthening the National Designated Authority (NDA), establishing a national framework for climate information services, and developing three bankable project concept notes. This follows previous readiness and National Adaptation Plan (NAPs) support, which were undermined by political transitions and staff turnover.

The 2019 Chile/Madrid Climate Change Conference, the longest in UNFCCC history, failed to reach a consensus on the operationalization of Article 6 regarding market and non-market mechanisms. While the conference achieved progress on the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage and the Lima Work Programme on Gender, it was marked by significant disconnects between scientific demands for ambition and the limitations of multilateral negotiations. Key unresolved issues, including long-term climate finance and common time frames for NDCs, were deferred to future sessions under Rule 16.

The document defines key terms related to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement, specifically in the context of the COP25 conference. It explains the roles of the Conference of the Parties (COP) and the CMA, the structure of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and the goals of the Paris Agreement, including temperature thresholds and net-zero emissions. Additionally, it details technical negotiation points such as the Paris Rulebook, Article 6 carbon markets, the prevention of double-counting, and the $100 billion climate finance target involving the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

The briefing identifies four key priorities for COP25: increasing national climate ambition (NDCs), finalizing rules for international carbon markets and common time frames, reviewing the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage, and advancing climate finance and capacity-building. It emphasizes the need for environmentally sound rules for carbon trading and the importance of integrating social equity into climate policy to ensure a just transition.

The document calls for COP-25 to prioritize human rights, gender equality, and increased national ambition in climate commitments, while warning against the use of carbon offsets and the marginalization of Global South participants due to the conference's relocation from Santiago to Madrid.

The document argues that climate action must be rights-based to be effective, urging COP-25 to ensure that Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Article 6 mechanisms include social and environmental safeguards. It specifically calls for the ratification of the Escazú Agreement, the establishment of a financial mechanism for loss and damage under the Warsaw International Mechanism, and the integration of gender-responsive approaches in the Lima Work Programme. The briefing also emphasizes the need for independent grievance mechanisms in the Sustainable Development Mechanism to remedy harms to local communities and indigenous peoples.

The World Resources Institute acknowledges the $9.7 billion in pledges to the Green Climate Fund's first replenishment as a positive step, noting that 11 countries at least doubled their previous contributions. However, the statement argues that significantly more finance is required to address the climate emergency, calling for contributions from the United States, Australia, wealthy oil-producing states, and other large emitters to support vulnerable countries.

WRI President & CEO Andrew Steer states that while the UN Climate Action Summit saw commitments from 67 countries to enhance climate plans and 66 working toward carbon neutrality, major economies fell short of necessary ambition. Progress was instead driven by the private sector and subnational actors, including 87 businesses committing to 1.5 degree C targets and over 100 cities aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050.