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The GCF Accreditation Panel recommends the World Health Organization (WHO) for accreditation under the 'medium' size category and 'medium risk (category B)' environmental and social risk category. The assessment finds that WHO meets basic fiduciary standards, project management standards, and gender policy requirements. While WHO's Environmental and Social Safeguards Framework (ESSF) is considered adequate, the panel noted a gap regarding the lack of an external evaluation of the ESSF, which is set as a condition for accreditation to be resolved within two years of the first funded activity. WHO's track record includes managing large-scale grants, such as a USD 192.92 million project for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and various climate-resilient health projects in the Pacific and Asia.

The document examines how the 2025 ICJ Advisory Opinion shifts climate adaptation from a voluntary domestic policy choice to a legally binding international obligation. It details the procedural and substantive obligations under the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement, the application of a 'due diligence' standard to assess state compliance, and the binding requirements for developed countries to provide adaptation finance and support. The brief also highlights the intersection of adaptation with international human rights law and other multilateral environmental agreements, recommending that states integrate these frameworks to ensure legal robustness and effective resilience.

Saint Lucia's second NAP progress report (2022–2024) documents the transition from planning to implementation across eight priority sectors. While five sectoral plans (water, agriculture, fisheries, resilient ecosystems, and health) are complete, three others (infrastructure, education, and tourism) are being finalized via GCF support. The report highlights achievements in water resource management, climate-resilient agriculture, and blue economy initiatives, while recommending a standardized, simplified monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system to address data gaps and staffing constraints.

The paper examines the disconnect between trade and climate policies, which hinders the distribution of adaptation technologies to the Global South. It defines adaptation technology through three pillars—hardware, software, and orgware—and emphasizes that these tools are highly site-specific. The author identifies three primary challenges: a shallow understanding of adaptation among trade policy-makers, trade barriers such as high tariffs, and siloed discussions between the WTO and UNFCCC. To resolve this, the document recommends involving trade experts in National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) processes, reducing trade barriers, leveraging regional agreements, and supporting South-South cooperation.

The document outlines seven working principles for civil society engagement in national adaptation plan (NAP) processes, co-produced by government and civil society representatives from 11 countries in Africa and the Caribbean. These principles—structured engagement, representation, formalized CSO collaboration, inclusion, enabling environment, open access to information, and transparency—aim to ensure that adaptation decision-making is inclusive, equitable, and informed by the lived experiences of marginalized groups. The principles are intended to apply across all NAP stages, including risk assessment, planning, implementation, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL).

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 document defines a climate change adaptation investment plan (CCAIP) as a set of investment-ready priority activities linked to specific financial sources. It outlines a structured approach to bridging the adaptation financing gap by diversifying funding across domestic, international, public, and private sources using instruments such as grants, bonds, and blended finance. The text emphasizes the necessity of political leadership, particularly from ministries of finance, and the integration of gender-responsive and socially inclusive (GESI) considerations to ensure equitable outcomes. It further distinguishes CCAIPs from broader NAP financing strategies, noting that while the latter identifies overall needs and gaps, the CCAIP focuses on narrow, time-bound, and actionable investment packages ready for immediate implementation.

The report identifies systemic constraints for women-led enterprises (WLEs) in Nepal, particularly in agriculture and forestry, where 70% of women are employed. A survey of 200 WLEs reveals that 65% have been affected by climate shocks, yet 88% rely on personal savings due to collateral gaps and misaligned financial products. While Nepal has a GESI-responsive climate policy framework, implementation gaps persist, with climate finance often remaining gender-neutral. The brief recommends tailored capacity building, the introduction of parametric insurance-linked credit, and the strengthening of women's enterprise associations to bridge the financing gap.

The African Climate Foundation and Dalberg developed the NDC Investment Planner (NIP) to address the gap between climate ambition and investment in Africa. While many African countries have submitted second and third-generation NDCs, only about 11% of the continent's annual climate-finance need is met. The NIP provides a three-stage process—Identify, Evaluate, and Select and Act—to move from broad policy frameworks to investable portfolios. It evaluates opportunities based on 'investment potential' and 'economic transformation potential' to help governments prioritise actions, refine analyses, and prepare projects for funding.

The report examines country platforms (CPs) as vehicles to integrate climate finance with national development goals in emerging economies. It argues that CPs must be country-led and grounded in macro-fiscal analysis to avoid debt vulnerabilities and ensure social inclusivity. Using the South African Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) as a primary example, the document outlines criteria for effectiveness—including whole-of-government approaches and credible project pipelines—and proposes a four-quadrant analytical framework to guide their design. It also highlights the role of philanthropy in funding early-stage technical work and the necessity of overcoming structural path dependencies to achieve genuine economic diversification.

The NAP Global Network's 2025 report details its efforts to move developing countries from adaptation planning to implementation. Key achievements include supporting 18 countries in this transition, delivering 24 short-term technical assistance requests via the Country Support Hub, and managing 13 long-term In-Country Support Programs. The Network emphasizes the importance of monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL), gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), and the integration of nature-based solutions. A new strategic plan to 2030 prioritizes Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), with a focus on accountability, civil society engagement, and the alignment of adaptation planning with peacebuilding and the Global Goal on Adaptation.

The document defines the education sector's role in climate adaptation, identifying its vulnerability and its potential to build community resilience. It details the components of a climate-resilient education system, focusing on resilient infrastructure, integrated teaching and learning, and school safety and continuity management.

The document outlines the benefits of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process for the education sector, specifically how it elevates priorities in national decision-making and strengthens the case for financing. It details the relevance of four NAP stages—Impact, Vulnerability, and Risk Assessment (IVRA); Planning; Implementation; and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)—and provides ten specific actions for education ministries to ensure climate risks to schools, students, and teachers are addressed.

Palau is developing its first stand-alone national adaptation plan (NAP), expected in 2026, to address critical vulnerabilities including sea level rise, coastal erosion, and saltwater intrusion. The process, led by the Office of Climate Change (OCC) and supported by the Green Climate Fund, employs a "whole-of-society approach" across 10 priority sectors. Adaptation strategies combine high-tech monitoring—such as LiDAR and drones—with traditional ecological knowledge and community-led initiatives. Key actions include nature-based coastal protection via mangrove conservation and reforestation, the use of climate-resilient taro varieties in agriculture, and community-organized sea wall repairs in Melekeok State. The framework emphasizes that durable resilience must be rooted in local stewardship and the intergenerational transmission of environmental knowledge.

The evaluation of Viet Nam's National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2021-2025 reveals that while a robust institutional and legal framework has been established, implementation remains uneven across sectors and regions. Approximately 20% of the 142 priority tasks have been completed, with 74% continuing into an updated NAP. Significant progress was made in state management, agriculture, and disaster risk monitoring, but critical gaps persist in gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), private sector financing, and the widespread deployment of scientific research. The report emphasizes the need for better intersectoral coordination and dedicated funding to ensure sustainable climate resilience.

The Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) is an international framework designed to set measurable targets and indicators for climate adaptation. While an overarching framework was agreed upon in 2023, approximately 100 draft indicators are set for negotiation at COP30 in Belém to move beyond vague pledges toward quantifiable progress. Adaptation remains critically underfinanced, with developing countries' annual needs estimated between USD 310 and 365 billion, far exceeding current flows. Despite this gap, research indicates high returns on investment, with some estimates suggesting every dollar spent on resilience can generate over ten dollars in benefits over a decade.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) reports a portfolio of USD 19.3 billion since 2015, having reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 96 million tonnes of CO2e and reached 249 million people through adaptation projects. To address the escalating climate crisis, the GCF has launched the '50by30' vision, aiming for a USD 50 billion portfolio by 2030, with annual programming targets rising to USD 15 billion by 2035. The Fund emphasizes a balanced approach, currently allocating 59% of its portfolio to adaptation and 41% to mitigation, with a strong focus on Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and African states. Key operational achievements include the Readiness Programme, which has provided 874 grants worth USD 752 million to 142 developing countries, and the 'Efficient GCF' programme, which reduced the median time from project approval to disbursement to 6 months in 2024.

Albania has transitioned from foundational planning to active implementation of its National Adaptation Plan, with completed measures rising from 15% in the first cycle to 50% by 2025. Significant progress was noted in local adaptation planning, where seven of eight municipalities integrated plans into budgets, and in the establishment of a monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) system. However, the report identifies critical gaps in domestic financing, fragmented data collection, and uneven inclusivity, particularly in the health sector. While international funding from the EU, World Bank, and GCF provides essential support for agriculture, energy, and urban resilience, a substantial financing gap remains across most sectors, with total estimated needs reaching approximately USD 9.8 billion.

The report finds that while 98% of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) mention education, there is a significant gap in systemic integration. Only 40% include the education sector in impact and vulnerability assessments, and only 11% consulted Ministries of Education during the design process. While curriculum changes are common priorities (71%), school infrastructure (34%) and educational continuity (26%) are frequently overlooked. Furthermore, only 27% of NAPs provide cost estimates for education-related adaptation measures, hindering the transition from planning to implementation.

The report finds that while 98% of analyzed National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) mention education, there is a significant gap in substantive integration. Only 40% include the education sector in risk and vulnerability assessments, and only 27% provide cost estimates for education-related measures. The analysis highlights a lack of systemic involvement from education ministries during the design phase, with only 11% being consulted, despite the sector's critical role in building community resilience and protecting millions of students from climate-driven disruptions.