Programme

Following a presentation by the leaders of the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities of their vision of a new climate finance mechanism that can reach indigenous peoples and local communities more directly, panelists will discuss how to use existing funds and relevant policies to enhance their contribution to that vision.

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Speakers will discuss concrete initiatives in which the private sector is deploying innovative financial solutions, building on relevant experiences from the GEF portfolio, and delivering environmental and social benefits.

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This event will highlight the demands of countries in terms of biodiversity, climate change and desertification financing, particularly developing countries. It will explain strategies in place to meet demands i) by managing the risks and impacts of their operations, ii) by allocating their financings to biodiversity/climate/desertification positive projects and iii) by supporting their clients.

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At this kickoff event, high level representatives outline their ambitions and expectations about how the actions of the three conventions, and all stakeholders, create incredible opportunities to build a truly resilient path forward to restore the balance for people and nature.

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The event will bring together global leaders from governments to discuss the role of public finance in catalysing additional finance vital to drive a paradigm shift that fosters inclusive, sustainable, and resilient economies in the context of COVID-19. Of importance is the role of public finance in unlocking investment opportunities in unproven markets and unproven technologies to foster pick-up and accelerate deal flow in developing countries.

The event will showcase how GCF supports Direct Access Entities (DAEs) through its Readiness Programme and Project Preparation Facility (PPF). Representatives from the academe and DAEs will provide insights on GCF engagement with DAEs. Furthermore, the session will highlight practices and processes involved in the preparation and implementation of GCF projects financed through the regular GCF proposal and approval process, as well as the Simplified Approval Process (SAP), and under the GCF Enhancing Direct Access (EDA) request for proposal.

The event will discuss how programmes and activities by major development partners can be leveraged to support ASEAN developing member countries to catalyse financing for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as part of their COVID-19 recovery efforts. The event will also announce support for an ASEAN Green Recovery Platform, through the ADB-managed ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility.

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This event will describe the upcoming GEF-8 strategy and the ongoing GEF-8 replenishment process from two different perspectives: (i) a developed country who is a strong contributor to the GEF and who will help to fund the GEF-8 strategy, and (ii) a developing country who receives and programs GEF funds and who is an integral partner in the operationalization of the GEF-8 strategy.

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How can countries reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050? How do we move from global- to local-level net-zero targets, and what are the challenges and opportunities that this process comes along with? This event will explore these questions and present examples of ongoing experiences with science and policy experts and high-level country representatives.

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This event will demonstrate opportunities to maintain momentum on ambitious action on nature between COP26 to COP15, including by joining forces across the three high level coalitions. This panel discussion will be moderated by Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, CEO and Chairperson of the GEF.

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Investments in nature-based solutions are typically done through integrated approaches, with programs and projects that cut across several of the GEF focal areas, and generate multiple global environmental benefits. This session aims to demonstrate how shared GEF and private sector priorities of net zero emissions, climate adaptation, and nature positive approaches can be applied in the GEF Portfolio.

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The development of a green hydrogen economy will be crucial to achieve ambitious 2030 emissions reductions targets, especially in hard to abate sectors. This side-event will bring together high-level public authorities in a challenging and open dialogue on the green hydrogen economy, and an international exchange of best practices from the financing perspective.

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The event will provide an opportunity to exchange views on how GCF can increase and leverage its catalytic financing from the private sector by engaging key stakeholders and experts in climate finance.

While there are many forms of agriculture that support healthy people and a healthy planet, food systems globally are also a key contributor to environmental degradation. This session will explore leading initiatives and approaches that can deliver a systemic transformation of the global food system.

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Buildings play a critical role in the transition to a net-zero future, as they are responsible for about 40% of the global energy consumption and about one-third of global GHG emissions. This event will present successful examples from the private and the public sector on innovative programs to reduce the overall costs of mitigating carbon emissions in the built environment while advancing social development.

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The event will provide insights into investment models, new opportunities and challenges in meeting the financing needs for the energy transition in developing countries. It will highlight the role of climate finance in catalysing innovation and making blended finance mechanisms work for developing countries to accelerate the transition to low emission, climate-resilient pathways.

The Independent Evaluation Unit (IEU) will present key findings and takeaways of its independent evaluation of the GCF’s Adaptation Portfolio and Approach. The role of adaptation is also of interest to the IEU’s partner institutions in evaluation community, such as the Independent Evaluation Department (IED) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), ICRAF World Agroforestry, Technical Evaluation Reference Group of the Adaptation Fund (AF-TERG) and German Institute for Development Evaluation (DEval). In this event they will also share insights and lessons learned in the context of their own work.

This session will look at the role of climate innovation and technology in achieving net-zero targets and the goals of the Paris Agreement. It will tackle how GCF, with its public and private sector partners, is working to foster innovative climate technologies through its incubator and accelerator programme.

The event aims to highlight the importance of youth action in the implementation of the Rio Conventions, increased synergies among them, interconnected challenges and common solutions. Representatives of youth constituencies working under the Rio Conventions, and collaborating partners, will discuss these issues and invite the audience to share their experiences.

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The event will present specific action plans that will help operationalise and advance the long-term vision (LTV) of GCF and GEF, building on the ongoing collaboration and opportunities identified by the two secretariats.

The NBI Global Resource Centre aims to demonstrate that nature-based infrastructure can provide valuable ecosystem services and adaptation benefits. The event will feature results of forest rehabilitation in Indonesia and tree planting in Ethiopia followed by a moderated discussion.

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This event will allow interested stakeholders and participants to hear about the learnings from the relevant evaluations done by the Independent Evaluation Unit (IEU) and its partners in the evaluation community, such as Evaluation Department (EvD) of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Independent Evaluation Department (IED) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), German Institute for Development Evaluation (DEval) and Climate Markets and Investment Association (CMIA) on the topic of private sector investment and engagement for climate priorities.

This high-level side event will provide an opportunity for country leaders and key actors to discuss how the Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) can further enhance climate ambition, especially as countries craft their long-term strategies and their subsequent round of NDCs.

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This event will showcase blended finance as a tool to secure global net-zero and protect the last strongholds of marine biodiversity. The speakers will illustrate how blended finance is necessary to scale adaptation interventions for vulnerable communities and natural habitats.

This event will highlight the progress towards supporting countries in the Amazon to scale up climate ambitions and commitments by moving towards a sustainable bioeconomy in the Amazon basin. It will also discuss the opportunities, challenges, and achievements of investing in the bioeconomy of the region and highlight the role of GCF in supporting partners to catalyse innovation and leverage finance mechanisms to accelerate the transition towards climate-resilient pathways in the Amazon.

This event will highlight the importance and value of undertaking ecosystem restoration using ecological principles to realize multiple benefits, including Sustainable Development Goals and goals under the Rio Conventions.

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This side-event will articulate a One Health approach that leverages interconnections between biodiversity, climate change, and desertification. Panelists will share views on how these synergies can be mutually-reinforcing and support the achievement of health and well-being for all.

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Support from the GEF-managed Least Developed Countries Fund is highly relevant to countries’ broader development policies, plans, and programs. This session will showcase how LDCF support has improved climate adaptation and livelihoods by highlighting voices from the ground.

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At this event, governments, indigenous peoples, civil society, the GEF and GCF will discuss their participation in an initiative conserving the largest forests of Mesoamerica, share their vision for the region, and how they can help transform Mesoamerica into a region that meets its climate commitments and sets an example for the world.

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This event will look at the progress towards supporting developing countries in the planning and implementation of climate adaptation action in line with their contributions under the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It will illustrate how GCF finance plays a catalytic role in supporting countries in the climate transition from Readiness to Adaptation Planning to transformational programmes.

This event will share the innovative models of ten winning project concepts for catalyzing private investment in adaptation. Emerging trends and impact potential for transformative climate adaptation impact will be discussed, drawing from learning gained through the first set of winners of this Challenge Program that were announced at UNFCCC COP25.

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This event will showcase information, knowledge, and promising practices by environment sector leaders on advancing gender-responsive climate policy, planning, and implementation.

Green and Climate-Resilient Agriculture employs agricultural practices, technologies and innovations that enhance productivity in a sustainable manner, increase resilience and food security, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure higher incomes for small-scale producers. It will require action on the ground, in collaboration with FAO Members and partners to best support countries while maximizing synergies and minimizing trade-offs. This event is organized by FAO in collaboration with the Governments of China and the USA, the GEF and GCF (tbc). Under the wider 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, the event aim is to promote green and climate-resilient solutions in agriculture to respond to the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation, hunger and poverty.

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The Independent Evaluation Unit (IEU) will share learnings from two evaluations looking specifically at the SIDS and LDCs’ experience of accessing the GCF resources for their climate priorities. And the Commonwealth Secretariat and Climate Investment Funds (CIF) will share their own learnings based on their experience with SIDS and LDCs and comment on the usefulness of the IEU’s evaluation findings.

The event will present practical cases of effective early-warning systems that lead to early action in SIDS. Public and private sector experts will discuss how to address the early-warning value chain: from upstream investments to people-centred, gender-sensitive early-warning solutions — from infrastructure to people. Countries and partners will also be invited to commit to scaled-up action and engagement.

Leaders from governments, international organizations, and indigenous communities will come together to discuss the urgent need to protect tropical forests and biodiversity and invest in more sustainable agriculture, to help mitigate climate change whilst also helping prevent future pandemics.

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For the transport sector to align with the Paris Agreement, all transport modes will need to be zero carbon by 2050. This panel will discuss the importance of a global switch to zero emissions vehicles to meet the Paris goals, introducing the new GEF Global Electric Mobility Program.

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Unsustainable agriculture practices lead to increased pressures on land and deforestation and are the primary drivers of biodiversity loss. This event will discuss how the Rio Conventions can build on the outcomes of the UN Food Systems Summit and work toward more sustainable food production and consumption.

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The Independent Evaluation Unit (IEU) will present key findings from its evaluation on the GCF’s RFP modality, SAP pilot scheme assessment and accreditation synthesis. And IEU partner organizations and representatives from civil society organizations – EBRD-EvD, AF-TERG, the Commonwealth Secretariat and Heinrich Boell Stiftung – will share their relevant experiences and insights.

This high level event aims to galvanize broad-based support for a forward-looking agenda to shape for equal cities via inclusive climate action and COVID-19 recovery, by convening a diverse set of stakeholders.

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The event will reflect on how adaptation projects may result in maladaptation from the integrity perspective, which either heightens the expected climate-related risks or creates a new set of unexpected risks. 

To send a question to the panel, visit iiugcf.org/question

Accountability at all levels is crucial to provide access to climate finance in ways that are evidence-based and free of corruption, and that address any potential adverse impacts on communities. In this session, the three Independent Units of GCF will present their respective mandates and share illustrative examples of cases and outcomes.