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The GCF Secretariat provides a detailed response to an independent evaluation of its gender approach, agreeing with several recommendations to shift from a compliance-driven model to one focused on meaningful implementation and results. While the Secretariat accepts the need for stronger institutional coherence, improved budget tracking, and enhanced capacity building, it disputes certain factual assumptions in the evaluation—specifically the reference to a non-existent 2018 GESI Policy—and rejects the introduction of mandatory mid-term Gender Action Plan updates due to the burden they would place on Accredited Entities.

The GCF Accreditation Panel recommends the accreditation of PT Indonesia Infrastructure Finance (PT IIF) as a national direct access entity in Indonesia for medium-sized projects (loans and guarantees) and small-sized projects (equity), with a capacity to manage high-risk (Category A/I-1) environmental and social projects. While PT IIF demonstrated strong fiduciary capacities in on-lending and blending, as well as robust environmental and social safeguards, the Panel identified gaps in public procurement disclosure, the operationalization of its grievance redress mechanism on its website, and the lack of a formal monitoring and evaluation policy. Consequently, accreditation is recommended subject to the applicant meeting these specific conditions before submitting its first funding proposal.

Vietnam is seeking results-based payments for 14,040,000 tCO2e of net emission reductions and removals from 2014, totaling an expected payment of 71,955,000 USD. The funds will finance a six-year project (2027-2033) targeting the North West and North East agro-ecological regions, specifically six provinces: Phu Tho, Son La, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, and Tuyen Quang. The project focuses on four outcomes: strengthening institutional systems, improving land and forest management, enhancing forest value for local socio-economics, and project management. It aims to benefit 9.24 million people and protect 3.79 million hectares of terrestrial forest, with an ex-ante mitigation impact of 17.29 million tCO2e.

The programme aims to transition smallholder farmers in Tonga, Vanuatu, and Samoa to Climate Resilient and Regenerative Agriculture (CRRA) to combat food insecurity caused by erratic rainfall, rising temperatures, and intense cyclones. With a total budget of 43,690,709 USD, the initiative focuses on three priority systems: mixed horticulture in Tonga, kava intercropping in Vanuatu, and taro intercropping in Samoa. The strategy employs a 'learning by doing' approach using 90 'Learning Farms' to provide evidence of financial viability, which will then be scaled to 12,510 farmers. Key components include a Farmer Support Programme (FSP) to cover upfront costs, the creation of national CRRA Working Groups for policy reform, and the development of digital agricultural apps and monitoring systems to track soil health and productivity. The project expects to restore 20,730 hectares of land and provide direct adaptation benefits to 50,654 individuals by 2031.

The report identifies systemic gender barriers in the agricultural sectors of Tonga, Vanuatu, and Samoa, where patriarchal norms limit women's access to land, credit, and decision-making. It outlines a Gender Action Plan to increase the visibility of female agricultural leaders and ensure that climate adaptation strategies address the disproportionate burdens faced by women, such as increased unpaid care work and higher vulnerability to gender-based violence during disasters.

The report assesses gender disparities in Jamaica's agricultural sector, specifically within six target parishes, to inform the ADAPT Jamaica project. It identifies structural barriers for women, youth, and persons with disabilities, including limited land tenure and credit access. The document proposes a Gender Action Plan featuring labour-saving technologies, gender-responsive budgeting, and a survivor-centric Grievance Redress Mechanism to mitigate risks of sexual exploitation and abuse.

The GCF Accreditation Panel recommends the accreditation of the Bank of Bhutan Limited (BoB) as a national direct access entity for 'small' projects with a 'medium risk (I-2)' environmental and social category. While BoB demonstrates strong institutional presence as Bhutan's largest commercial bank and a track record in green financing, the assessment identified gaps in internal audit quality assurance, public disclosure of procurement and investigation guidelines, and the operationalization of its grievance redress mechanism. The recommendation is subject to specific conditions to be met both before the issuance of the accreditation certificate and before the submission of the first funding proposal, including the development of a Gender Action Plan and the implementation of risk-based E&S screening tools.

The evaluation of Benin's National Adaptation Plan (NAP 2022–2030) for the period 2022 to mid-2025 reveals a global realization rate of 23.37% for the 415 tracked actions. Progress is highly uneven across sectors, with agriculture (45.23%), forestry (36.59%), and the coastline (30.76%) showing the most advancement, while tourism (4.25%) and urban infrastructure (9.09%) lag significantly. While 'hard' investments in drainage and reforestation and 'soft' capacity-building actions have yielded positive results, the report highlights critical gaps in intersectoral coordination, sustainable financing, and the operationalization of early warning systems. Key recommendations for 2026–2030 include harmonizing monitoring and evaluation, scaling up climate-resilient seeds and clean cooking solutions (LPG), and integrating gender-specific targets and indigenous knowledge into all adaptation activities.

The Dominica Community Resilience Enhancement Project (DOMCREP) is a 60-month initiative requesting USD 24.53 million in grants from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to enhance climate resilience in Dominica. The project focuses on eight highly vulnerable communities, targeting improvements in climate-smart agriculture, the upgrading of national and community-level Early Warning Systems (EWS), and the retrofitting of multi-purpose emergency shelters with independent solar power and water storage. Key components include a matching grant mechanism for farmers to adopt resilient technologies, the development of a climate resilience knowledge hub, and the updating of national policies to integrate resilience principles. The project is executed jointly by the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) and the Government of Dominica's Ministry of Finance, Economic Development, Climate Resilience, and Social Security.

The assessment finds that while Vietnam has a strong legal framework for gender equality, significant disparities persist in the forestry sector, where women are often excluded from decision-making and leadership. It recommends increasing female representation in project staff, developing gender-sensitive operational manuals, and establishing a national system for gender-disaggregated data in forestry.

The report assesses gender-specific vulnerabilities and capacities in Cambodia to ensure the LGCC-3 project effectively supports women and marginalized groups. It identifies deep-seated patriarchal norms, limited land rights, and financial exclusion as key drivers of women's disproportionate susceptibility to climate change. The document proposes a Gender Action Plan (GAP) that includes gender-specific investment criteria for performance-based climate-resilient grants (PBCRG), mandatory gender-responsive safeguards, and a survivor-centric grievance redress mechanism to prevent sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH).

The Gender Action Plan for the BEACON INDIA programme aims to integrate gender-transformative initiatives into the climate innovation ecosystem in India. Central to this is the 'Gender Inclusion Track,' which provides customized capacity building, mentorship, and pre-incubation services for women entrepreneurs, including those from vulnerable rural communities. The plan establishes specific targets for women-led ventures, such as aiming for 15-20% of incubated startups to be women-led and 10-15% of those receiving early-stage funding. To ensure implementation, the programme employs a dual oversight structure consisting of a Gender Oversight Team of external experts and a dedicated female Senior staff member as the Gender Focal Point within the Project Management Unit. The plan also emphasizes the prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (SEAH), targeting 100% orientation for all startups.

The author critiques the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda for its failure to move beyond rhetorical commitments to substantive protection and inclusion. While acknowledging its role in elevating conflict-related sexual violence, the paper argues that the agenda's focus on penetrative rape has occluded other gender-based harms, such as obstetric and structural violence. It further highlights the marginalization of women in formal peace negotiations and the failure to account for colonial causality. The author proposes a shift toward 'everyday peace'—focusing on the long-term, grassroots conditions of survival and tolerance—to ensure a more inclusive and sustainable peace that addresses the needs of all women, particularly those from marginalized ethnic and racial backgrounds.

The New Juaben South Municipal Assembly (NJSMA) Adaptation Plan (2024–2030) outlines a strategic framework to mitigate climate risks in Ghana's Eastern Region. Following a vulnerability assessment, the plan prioritizes interventions across eight sectors, with agriculture and water resources identified as the most vulnerable. Key strategies include promoting climate-smart agriculture (e.g., aquaculture and animal husbandry), protecting water catchments through afforestation, and improving urban drainage to reduce flooding. The plan emphasizes gender-responsive actions, such as creating social support groups and promoting palm kernel processing for women. Implementation is led by the Municipal Planning Coordination Unit (MPCU) and supported by a multi-stakeholder governance framework and a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) system.

The project sought to create an enabling environment and design parametric insurance products for coastal communities in Fiji and Papua New Guinea to mitigate climate-related shocks. While it successfully produced technical research, guidance documents, and increased financial literacy among a small number of participants, it failed to deploy a viable insurance product or meet its ambitious beneficiary targets. Success was higher in Fiji, where institutional interest was stronger, whereas political instability and a lack of community readiness led to the cessation of activities in Papua New Guinea. The project is rated as 'Satisfactory' overall, noted for high cost-efficiency relative to its US$ 1 million budget, but hampered by unrealistic targets and insufficient in-country funding.

The Gender Action Plan (GAP) for the 'Climate-resilient landscapes for sustainable livelihoods in northern Ghana' project aims to address the differential impacts of climate change on women, youth, and people with disabilities. The plan targets 691,125 direct beneficiaries (359,385 women) and 2,861,674 indirect beneficiaries (1,459,474 women). Key interventions include gender-sensitive early warning systems, the establishment of women-led cooperatives and knowledge hubs, and improved access to financial services through tailored products and literacy training. The project will be managed by a Project Management Unit (PMU) with a dedicated ESS/Gender Specialist, with a total GAP budget of US$468,157.

The Gender Action Plan (GAP) for the IUS programme in Barbados, Belize, and Jamaica aims to support a 'Just Transition' by integrating gender-responsive financing and services. The plan includes foundational activities such as developing Codes of Conduct and GBV checklists, as well as targeted interventions like free energy audits for 300 low-income customers and the creation of Indigenous Peoples Plans for Belize and Jamaica. With a total budget of USD 1,476,000, the GAP focuses on capacity building for utilities and technical service providers (TSPs), policy reform, and the deployment of inclusive energy products to benefit marginalised groups, including women, persons with disabilities, and the LGBTQIA community.

The assessment examines the adoption of solar water heaters, rooftop solar PV, efficient cooling/HVAC, and LED lighting across three Caribbean nations. It finds that while there is demand for these technologies, significant economic, institutional, and social barriers—particularly gender-blind policies and limited access to finance—hinder a 'Just Transition'. The report recommends capacity building for government stakeholders, gender-sensitive financial tools, and inclusive engagement strategies to ensure vulnerable populations benefit from the energy transition.

The report identifies significant gender disparities in the Maldives that affect climate resilience, noting that women face higher economic vulnerability due to lower labour force participation (48.4%) and a disproportionate burden of unpaid care work. While the Maldives has a Gender Equality Act (2016), key environmental and disaster laws remain 'gender blind'. The assessment highlights gaps in EWS reach, particularly for the elderly, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and the 25% migrant population who face language barriers. It recommends integrating Protection, Gender and Inclusion (PGI) into disaster management, expanding EWS messaging into multiple languages, and leveraging Women's Development Committees (WDCs) for local implementation.

The report assesses gender dynamics in water access and climate resilience across four Pacific Island Countries (PICs). It finds that women and girls bear the primary burden of water collection and management but are systematically excluded from decision-making and governance. Climate change exacerbates these inequalities through droughts and saltwater intrusion. The assessment recommends increasing women's leadership in water committees, investing in gender-sensitive infrastructure, and improving the collection of sex-disaggregated data to inform policy.