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IMPROVING ACCESS TO THE GREEN CLIMATE FUND: HOW THE FUND CAN BETTER SUPPORT DEVELOPING COUNTRY INSTITUTIONS
The paper examines the GCF's 'direct access' modality, which allows developing country institutions to receive funding without international intermediaries. While 62 such entities were accredited by November 2020, 42 (67%) had not yet received project approval. The authors analyze four support mechanisms—the Readiness Programme, Project Preparation Facility (PPF), Simplified Approval Process (SAP), and Enhancing Direct Access pilot—finding that high costs, complex application processes, and restrictive funding rules create significant bottlenecks. The paper recommends automating 'kick-off' funding upon accreditation, streamlining the SAP, and allowing preparatory funds to cover internal staff time.
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Document type: Research paper
Análisis de las decisiones de la Convención en Diversidad Biológica: una herramienta para su uso a nivel nacional
This report by Friends of the Earth International categorizes 233 CBD decisions into five programmatic approaches: Community Forest Management (MCB), Biodiversity, Rights, Financialization (false solutions), and Governance. It provides a detailed analysis of key 'Principles and Declarations' and other relevant decisions to help indigenous peoples and local communities hold governments accountable for their international biodiversity commitments.
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Document type: Report
Enhancing Climate Information and Knowledge Services for resilience in 5 island countries of the Pacific Ocean
The proposal seeks USD 47.4 million to upgrade National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) from WMO Category 1 to Category 2 across five Pacific island nations. The programme focuses on strengthening observation networks, establishing ocean information services, improving community preparedness through 'last-mile' communication, and introducing Forecast-based Financing (FbF).
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Document type: Report
Climate Change and Human Rights
The document examines the intersection of climate change and human rights, detailing how environmental degradation threatens rights to life, food, health, water, and housing. It outlines the obligations of states to respect, protect, and fulfil these rights, and the responsibilities of businesses to reduce emissions and provide remedies. The handbook specifically focuses on the role of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), presenting case studies of their work in monitoring impacts, handling complaints, providing policy advice, and engaging in international mechanisms like the UNFCCC and the Universal Periodic Review. It highlights that nearly half of Paris Principles-compliant NHRIs have engaged in climate change work, using tools ranging from digital mapping to formal inquiries into 'carbon majors'.
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Document type: Guide
Independent Evaluation of the Green Climate Fund’s Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) and the Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS)
The GCF's interim ESS and ESMS are deemed 'not fit for purpose' as they rely on IFC standards that focus on risk mitigation ('do no harm') rather than the GCF's mandate to generate positive climate and social value ('do good'). The evaluation identifies critical gaps in human rights, gender equity, and stakeholder engagement. Operationally, the accreditation process is criticized as a 'desk review exercise' that fails to verify actual implementation capacity, particularly for direct access entities (DAEs). Monitoring is severely limited, relying on AE self-reporting via annual performance reports (APRs) without an operationalized monitoring and accountability framework (MAF). Additionally, the REDD+ pilot programme is found to be inconsistent with the Warsaw Framework for REDD+ due to additional safeguard requirements and a binary 'pass/fail' assessment approach.
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Document type: Report
New Zealand’s Covid response: acting hard and early
New Zealand successfully pursued an elimination strategy for Covid-19, declaring itself 'Covid Free' on June 8, 2020, by shifting from mitigation to a stringent suppression approach in late March. This success is attributed to the decisive leadership and communication of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, reliance on expert scientific evidence, a centrally managed political structure, and high levels of public trust and social solidarity. The government prioritized health over economic interests, supporting this with wage packages and welfare to maintain compliance. The response also addressed historical distrust among Māori and sought to prevent the stigmatization of infected individuals.
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Document type: Research paper
Costing Methodology for Fiji’s National Adaptation Plan
The NAP Costing Methodology (NAP-CM) is a pragmatic framework designed for Fiji's Ministry of Economy to produce rapid, comparable cost estimates for climate adaptation measures. It primarily employs a bottom-up engineering cost approach, adding individual activity costs to determine the total cost of a measure. The methodology is divided into two phases: Phase 1 focuses on rapid evaluation using a simple Excel tool, while Phase 2 allows for optional, advanced economic analyses such as cost-benefit analysis (CBA) for high-investment projects. The tool incorporates both 'calculated cost' and 'aggregate cost' approaches, handles discounting using a default rate of 5.75%, and includes mechanisms for sensitivity analysis and uncertainty adjustments. The methodology was tested through pilots in the agriculture and human settlements sectors, emphasizing the need for policy decisions to define the specific activities that constitute each general NAP measure.
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Document type: Guide
Independent Evaluation of the Green Climate Fund’s Environmental And Social Safeguards (ESS) and the Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS)
The evaluation concludes that the GCF's interim ESS standards, based on IFC Performance Standards, are not fit-for-purpose as they focus on risk mitigation ('do no harm') rather than generating positive environmental and social outcomes ('do good'). Key gaps were identified in human rights, gender equity, and the monitoring of co-benefits. The report finds that the accreditation process is largely a desk review that fails to verify institutional capacity, and the Project Preparation Facility (PPF) suffers from excessive processing times. Monitoring is heavily reliant on AE self-reporting via Annual Performance Reports (APRs) due to the non-operationalization of the Monitoring and Accountability Framework (MAF). Additionally, the REDD+ pilot programme was found to be inconsistent with the Warsaw Framework for REDD+ (WFR) by imposing additional safeguard requirements and a binary pass/fail assessment.
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Document type: Report
Toward Risk-Aware and Climate-resilienT communities (TRACT) - Strengthening climate services and impact-based multi-hazard early warning in Maldives
The TRACT project aims to shift the Maldives from phenomenon-based weather reporting to impact-based forecasting. It proposes modernising the Maldives Meteorological Service (MMS), expanding hydrometeorological observation networks, and implementing community-based disaster risk reduction (CBDRR) to protect a population where 42% live within 100m of the coastline. The project seeks USD 19 million from the Green Climate Fund to address critical gaps in data collection, institutional coordination, and 'last mile' communication of early warnings.
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Document type: Report
Women’s Rights Obligations of States in the Context of Climate Change
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.
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Document type: Report
Children’s Rights Obligations of States in the Context of Climate Change
The report details how the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) integrates climate change into its monitoring of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child (ICRC). It analyzes the CRC's use of General Comments, State reporting procedures, and the communications procedure to hold States accountable for protecting children from climate harms. Key findings highlight a growing trend of climate-related recommendations, particularly for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and a strong emphasis on children's procedural rights to participation and education. The document also notes a landmark 2019 Joint Statement by five human rights treaty bodies asserting that failure to prevent foreseeable climate-related human rights harm could constitute a violation of State obligations.
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Document type: Report
The Role of Domestic Budgets in Financing Climate Change Adaptation
The document argues that domestic budgets are often the largest source of adaptation finance in developing countries but are systematically under-utilised due to technical, institutional, and political barriers. It introduces 'climate budgeting' as a set of interventions across the budget cycle—from preparation and approval to execution and oversight—to prioritise adaptation. Through case studies in the Philippines, Afghanistan, India, and Bangladesh, the paper demonstrates how tools like climate budget tagging and climate change impact appraisal (CCIA) can increase the volume and quality of adaptation spending. It concludes with recommendations for governments to mainstream adaptation into routine public financial management and for international funders to use domestic budgets as a delivery modality for climate finance.
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Document type: Research paper
Pacific Region Report to the Board of Directors
The report describes a complex media environment in the Pacific Small Island Developing States, where traditional radio remains vital for reaching remote areas, but mobile phone and ICT penetration is rapidly increasing. It identifies significant barriers to communication, including geographic isolation, infrastructure instability, and gender disparities. To address these, the report proposes that WACC focus on network development through the Pacific Conference of Churches, support youth-led 'artivism', and follow up on Global Media Monitoring Project findings, specifically linking communications to regional priorities like climate change.
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Document type: Report
Adapting Pacific Island Tuna Fisheries to Climate Change
The project aims to address the decline of coral reef fish and the climate-driven redistribution of tuna in the Pacific. It proposes a two-pronged approach: scaling up nearshore fish aggregating devices (FADs) to improve food security for coastal communities and establishing an early warning system (EWS) to help governments maintain industrial tuna revenues. The project targets eight countries and requests USD 116.5 million in grant funding from the Green Climate Fund.
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Document type: Report
Enhancing resilience of agriculture and food security in the Pacific Island Countries through managing climate induced transboundary plant, animal pests and invasive exotic aquatic species threats
The document outlines a USD 41.7 million programme designed to protect agriculture and fisheries in Fiji, Samoa, and the Solomon Islands from biosecurity threats exacerbated by climate change. It proposes three main outcomes: implementing climate-adapted farming systems, strengthening national and regional early warning systems, and enhancing the enabling environment through better data and policy coordination. The programme aims to benefit over 1.6 million people by reducing vulnerability to pests like the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle and Taro Leaf Blight, which have historically caused severe economic losses in the region.
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Document type: Report
States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change
The document analyzes how the CEDAW monitors the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (ICEDAW) to address climate change. It highlights that in 2018, the Committee made climate-related recommendations to 75% of reviewed states, focusing heavily on adaptation (44%) and procedural rights (37%), while mitigation received significantly less attention (7%). The briefing details specific state obligations across four areas: mitigation, adaptation, procedural rights, and international cooperation, emphasizing the role of General Recommendation 37 (GR37) in framing disaster risk reduction with a gender perspective.
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Document type: Briefing
Approach and scope for providing support to adaptation activities – Addendum I: The GCF’s approach to adaptation: analysis and implications for the Fund
The report assesses the GCF's adaptation portfolio, finding it generally aligned with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) but lacking in areas like human health. It identifies a critical need for standardized guidelines on 'climate rationale' to distinguish adaptation from general development and recommends a flexible three-tier costing approach (total, incremental, and beyond incremental cost). The study also highlights the under-utilization of diverse accredited entities and the limited role of the private sector in adaptation projects.
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Document type: Report
Strengthened Weather and Climate Services for Resilient Development for Pacific Islands
The proposal seeks USD 10 million in GCF grants to improve the capacity of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in 14 Pacific Island Countries. The project focuses on four components: improving governance and enabling environments, strengthening air and marine navigation services, enhancing climate prediction tools (specifically the PICASO software), and project governance. It aims to address critical gaps in human and technological resources, lack of user feedback on forecasts, and insufficient observation sites, aligning with the Pacific Islands Meteorological Strategy 2017-2026.
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Document type: Report
Report on the activities of the Independent Redress Mechanism
The Independent Redress Mechanism (IRM) report for the first three quarters of 2017 details the establishment of its unit, including the recruitment of three full-time staff and membership in the Independent Accountability Mechanism Network (IAMnet). The IRM has developed draft updated terms of reference and is working on procedures and guidelines, a case management system, and a Memorandum of Cooperation for accredited entities. It has provided feedback on GCF safeguard policies and reported that no complaints or requests for reconsideration of funding decisions were received during the period. As of 31 August 2017, the IRM had spent 39% of its approved start-up budget, totaling 385,212 USD.
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Document type: Report
Report of the fifteenth meeting of the Board, 13-15 December 2016
The GCF Board approved eight funding proposals totaling USD 387.5 million and accredited seven new entities. Key administrative outcomes include the approval of a USD 43.4 million budget for 2017 and the establishment of work plans for the Independent Redress Mechanism and Independent Integrity Units. The Board also discussed the Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme, allocating up to an additional USD 50 million to it.
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Document type: Report