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The document argues that a 'social mandate'—broad public support and legitimacy—is essential for the successful implementation of climate adaptation policies. It recommends that NAP teams leverage the Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) framework, which includes education, training, public awareness, public participation, public access to information, and international cooperation. The briefing emphasizes values-led engagement, the use of trusted messengers, and audience segmentation to drive sustainable behavior change. It also provides evidence-based principles for visual communication to avoid stereotypes and connect with audiences emotionally. Case studies from Saint Lucia, Fiji, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Ghana illustrate various approaches, including the use of radio for rural outreach and visual storytelling by women to influence national policy.

The GCF is implementing a four-pillar operational framework to enhance coordination with other climate funds. Key achievements include the establishment of a joint steering committee for the Long-Term Vision (LTV) with the GEF, the fast-track reaccreditation of nine entities with the AF, and the development of a joint GCF-GEF pavilion for COP 26 and COP 27. The report details specific funding proposals and readiness grants that demonstrate national programming coherence, as well as ongoing technical dialogues to harmonize results indicators and impact measurement methodologies across funds.

The report finds that human rights are not systematically referenced in the reviewed NAPs, with few countries using them to guide the planning or implementation process. While some plans, notably Fiji's, demonstrate a strong commitment to human rights-based approaches, most others only make indirect or superficial references to rights. The authors argue for the development of detailed guidance to integrate social, political, administrative, and legal entry points into the NAP process to better protect vulnerable groups.

The document argues that treating climate mitigation and adaptation in siloes is inefficient and can lead to counterproductive outcomes. It proposes an integrated approach that aligns the planning cycles of both, starting with cross-referencing GHG emission and vulnerability assessments and moving toward joint objectives and integrated climate narratives. The brief highlights nature-based solutions (NbS) as a key instrument for achieving these synergies and provides case studies from Grenada and Haiti to illustrate the benefits of integrated climate action.

The report evaluates sustainable cooling policy progress in the 'Critical 9' countries, finding that while energy efficiency policies exist, they are inconsistently implemented and often fail to cover off-grid devices or reflect best-in-class technology. It highlights a significant gap in integrating cooling demand into national electrification planning and financial incentives, while noting varying levels of adoption of National Cooling Action Plans (NCAPs) and the Kigali Amendment.

The proposal seeks to address barriers to climate action in the Caribbean, including outdated policy frameworks and limited access to climate science. It aims to revise the Regional Framework's Implementation Plan, update the CARIWIG data portal, support the revision of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and develop four bankable project concept notes for the Green Climate Fund.

The report examines the necessity of involving civil society organizations (CSOs) in climate action to support Caribbean governments facing disproportionate climate risks. It is part of a project funded by the Green Climate Fund's Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme, implemented across seven CARICOM Member States to enhance CSO access and readiness for climate finance.

The report examines how gender norms and power dynamics influence vulnerability and adaptive capacity in the ocean economy of SIDS and coastal LDCs. It highlights the undervalued roles of women in small-scale fisheries and tourism and analyzes how climate change, market shifts, and COVID-19 disproportionately affect women due to socio-economic structures. The document advocates for the systematic collection of sex-disaggregated data, the implementation of gender-transformative policies, and the alignment of international finance, such as Official Development Assistance (ODA) and climate risk insurance, with gender equality goals to enhance overall community resilience.

The National Cooling Action Plan (NCAP) for Grenada identifies that buildings and the refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) sector are major contributors to national greenhouse gas emissions. The report presents emission pathways and mitigation potentials, noting that an enhanced ambition scenario based on international best practices could reduce building sector emissions by 62% by 2050 compared to a low ambition scenario.

The GCF's Independent Evaluation Unit (IEU) assessed four pilot RFP programmes: Enhanced Direct Access (EDA), Micro-, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSME), Mobilizing Funds at Scale (MFS), and REDD+ Results-based Payments (REDD+). The assessment concludes that while the RFPs are relevant to the GCF mandate and country needs, they have not been used effectively as a modality. Key failures include a lack of incentives for proponents, an inability to attract new accredited entities, and a project cycle that remains as complex and lengthy as the regular Proposal Appraisal Process (PAP). The REDD+ RFP was the most successful due to its tailored process and specialized expertise. The IEU recommends establishing the RFP as a formal institutional modality with standardized processes, transparent topic selection based on portfolio gap analysis, and incentives such as simplified accreditation.

The document examines the potential for "debt-for-climate" swaps as a mechanism to provide budgetary relief to developing countries while funding climate mitigation and adaptation. It argues that while these swaps are not a universal solution and must supplement general macroeconomic stabilisation, they offer mutual benefits for debtors and creditors. The authors propose a selection framework based on economic need, emissions potential, climate ambition, and governance capacity. Applying these criteria, the paper identifies several Small Island Developing States (SIDS)—including Dominica, Granada, Samoa, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Tonga—as well as Bhutan and Rwanda, as promising candidates for such initiatives. However, the authors note a trade-off: while these countries are highly suitable, their low emissions mean the global impact on emissions would be smaller compared to including larger emerging economies.

Developing countries are increasingly facing 'compound shocks'—simultaneous or sequential disruptive events like pandemics, economic crises, and climate-driven disasters—which deplete budgets and cause cascading system failures. The authors argue that the current disaster risk finance architecture over-incentivizes ex post relief over ex ante preparedness. To address this, they propose that the World Bank's IDA offer softer financing terms (higher grant components) to countries that commit to specific resilience investments in data collection, regulatory reform, budgetary frameworks, and early warning systems. Additionally, they recommend introducing automatic 'disaster clauses' in IDA debt to defer payments following major shocks, similar to models used by Grenada and Barbados. Finally, the document proposes transforming the Global Risk Financing Facility (GRiF) into a Financial Intermediary Fund (FIF) to increase its operational independence, broaden its donor base beyond Germany and the United Kingdom, and better support regional risk pools and risk measurement capacity.

The report finds that while health is a priority in National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), SRHR is largely overlooked in overarching documents, creating a gap between sector-specific health planning and national climate strategy. It argues that realizing SRHR is a foundation for climate resilience and recommends integrating SRHR into vulnerability assessments, gender analyses, and monitoring systems.

The report analyzes 19 general NAP documents, five health-sector NAPs, and five Green Climate Fund proposals to assess the integration of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in climate adaptation planning. It finds that while health is universally prioritized, specific SRHR issues are rarely addressed in general NAPs and often disconnected from sector-specific health plans. The document argues that SRHR is a fundamental basis for climate resilience, as its denial limits women's agency and participation in climate action. It provides eight recommendations to better integrate SRHR through gender-responsive vulnerability assessments, inter-agency collaboration, and systemic health sector adaptation.

The report analyzes 19 National Adaptation Plan (NAP) documents, sectoral health plans, and Green Climate Fund proposals to assess the integration of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). It finds that while health is universally prioritized as a sector for adaptation, specific SRHR issues are rarely addressed. The document argues that climate change negatively impacts SRHR and that the denial of these rights increases climate vulnerability. It recommends using existing gender and health guidelines, incorporating SRHR into vulnerability assessments, and fostering collaboration between government bodies responsible for climate, gender, and health to ensure inclusive and rights-based adaptation strategies.

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has established a four-year work programme (2020-2023) to scale up climate finance for its Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs). The strategy focuses on three main areas: public sector investment in water security, renewable energy, and resilient infrastructure; leveraging the private sector through financial sector transformation; and enhancing institutional capacity through GCF Readiness support. The pipeline includes regional programmes for financial transformation, Integrated Utilities Services (IUS) for energy, and water security, alongside single-country projects in The Bahamas, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Grenada. The CDB emphasizes the need for concessional financing to address high public debt levels exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NAP Global Network's 2020-2021 report highlights a shift toward short-term technical assistance via its Country Support Hub and a focus on transitioning from adaptation planning to implementation. Key achievements include supporting 20 countries with their first Adaptation Communications (ADCOMs), facilitating peer learning on gender-responsive action and conflict-sensitive planning, and developing knowledge products on climate and disaster risk finance and insurance (CDRFI). The Network's 2025 strategy emphasizes enhancing monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems and elevating underrepresented voices, particularly women, in adaptation decision-making.

The NAP Global Network provides demand-driven support to developing countries through long-term in-country programs and short-term technical inputs via its Country Support Hub. Over five years, the Network has helped countries like Colombia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Ghana, Kiribati, Peru, Saint Lucia, and South Africa achieve milestones including the adoption of NAP documents, the creation of sectoral adaptation strategies, and the establishment of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems. Key lessons emphasize that building trust-based relationships with government partners is essential and that a 'value chain' of technical assistance, peer learning, and knowledge resources accelerates the transition from planning to implementation.

The report analyzes the integration of climate and disaster risk finance and insurance (CDRFI) within National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes, finding that while insurance is widely mentioned—particularly for agriculture—there are significant opportunities to better utilize risk analytics, adaptive social protection, and diverse financial instruments to enhance climate resilience in developing countries.

The proposal addresses the vulnerability of the Caribbean agricultural sector to climate change and its historical lack of prioritization in climate finance. It aims to increase the sector's profile by improving the collection and analysis of agricultural data, strengthening institutional capacities for GCF programming, and developing a pipeline of bankable, low-emission, and climate-resilient projects. Key activities include regional scoping studies on NDCs, the creation of a knowledge management portal, and the development of occupational competency standards for youth in climate-smart agriculture.