Understanding Green Climate Fund Support for Adaptation Planning: An analysis of GCF readiness proposals on adaptation planning

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) was adopted by governments as the financial mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The GCF was designed with thematic funding windows that include resources for readiness and preparatory activities, with a dedicated funding window for developing countries to request up to USD 3 million for formulating national adaptation plans and related national adaptation planning activities. Since 2016, the GCF has approved 113 NAP Readiness proposals from 102 countries for adaptation planning.

This briefing note examines the approved proposals as of August 31, 2024, and their respective budgets for which the information is publicly available to:

  • understand how countries have used the USD 3 million available from the GCF for adaptation planning, focusing on contributions to the four GCF outcomes aimed at strengthening adaptation planning, as well as the role these programs have played in building knowledge and capacities at the national level (i.e., through engaging national consultants and training);
  • identify remaining gaps and opportunities for financing adaptation and accelerating the implementation of national adaptation priorities by 2030 in line with the call from the first global stocktake for countries to have “national adaptation plans, policies and planning processes by 2025” and to “have progressed in implementing them by 2030.”; and
  • provide recommendations on how funds can be used more strategically to help developing countries transition from planning to implementing their identified adaptation priorities.

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Publisher: International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)