The Future of Climate Finance; African Civil society calls on GCF to align itself with the 8 principles of Locally Led Adaptation

2^nd – 5^th February 2022; Sally, Senegal: With very unclear definition up to date, the landscape of climate finance both continentally and globally have been marred by suspicion and thus remains undetermined.

The need for clear definition of climate finance has remained an agenda item, among others for the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance.Civil Society Organizations and the private sector meeting in Senegal welcomed some decisions of the 26^th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change held last November, some of which included the advice to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) meant to explore direct access of the GCF facility by CSOs at the local level. However, they also expressed their dissatisfaction with the outcomes of the negotiations on climate finance with key concerns on amongst others being; the deadlock in financing loss and damage, indecisiveness in long term finance commitment, commitment by philanthropists and the private sector outside the UNFCCC.  

As such, while advancing the capacity of the African CSOs in the administration of GCF on one hand and on the other preparing the continent’s CSOs’ readiness to access the GCF facility, PACJA, in partnership with the ENDA Energy, Care International and GermanWatch organized a one week capacity enhancement session for the Green Climate Fund Trainer of Trainers in the coastal town of Sally, Senegal.

The meeting also aimed at helping the CSOs dissect the main issues raised around the GCF and their engagement with the Fund based on an evaluation of their needs that were based on a survey shared with the CSOs from across Africa, as well as on partners’ experiences with the GCF, from the first and second phases of the advancing Civil societies role in the administration of GCF project.

However, the meeting went beyond the learning of the basic information about the GCF. Participants were able to critically look at both the GCF projects and policies, and climate finance. They were further able to looked into how they could ensure the efficient use of GCF funds, promote transparency and accountability, and in so doing, ensure that GCF-funded activities contribute to the transformational changes needed in Africa.

Furthermore, the ToT also addressed in depth the different roles that CSOs can play in GCF processes at the national and international levels as advocates for change in a manner that is respectful of human rights, ensuring gender inclusiveness, and addresses the needs of communities and developing countries. Amongst the five modules offered to the CSOs during the training included;

• The climate finance architecture – An introduction to climate finance, its definition, channels and instruments; the global climate final
• Introduction to the GCF – The GCF’s structure and a look at GCF access modalities, its project cycle and its investment criteria and result areas.
• Project design and assessment – An introduction to topics of climate rationale and the most relevant policies to consider during project preparation/review, including investment policies, gender policy, environmental and social safeguards, and country drivenness, with discussion on how these policies have been implemented.
• Monitoring and Evaluation – An introduction to GCF policy concerning monitoring and evaluation (M&E), as well as the rationale and principles of participatory M&E and the role CSOs can play, as well as case studies.
• CSO engagement: advocacy and lobbying – The roles of CSOs as both advocates at the national and international levels, as well as drivers and implementers of GCF-funded activities

Speaking during the one week ToTs session, the organizers; Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, Enda Energies, Care International and GermanWatch noted that while the African continent remains a region of special needs and circumstances with the most glaring impacts of climate change, developed countries continued to receive climate finance at the expense of the continent.

Accordingly, the four organizations called on the Green Climate Fund to be more aligned with the principles of locally-led adaptation principles with keen focus on transparency and accountability especially in projects approval processes, gender financing, public participation during the drafting of concepts and adaptation financing.

Similarly, the African CSOs called on the other sources of climate finance including the adaptation fund, Global Environment Facility, Private Sector mobilized climate funds among others to be more inclined at addressing the drivers of vulnerability, building response capacity, managing climate risk and confronting climate crisis.

During the one week in Senegal, 30 civil society organizations were trained with expectation to replicate the same in their countries.