Policies & strategies
Policies and strategies
As part of its mandate, the GCF Board approves specific operational policies and guidelines, including for programming, project cycle, administration, and financial management. The Board also approves strategies, which guide the overall direction of Fund operations. Together, these strategies and policies establish the framework for implementation of the GCF’s Governing Instrument.
Governing Instrument
The Governing Instrument for the Green Climate Fund was approved by the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at its seventeenth session on 11 December 2011 in Durban, South Africa.
Strategic plan
The Board has adopted the GCF Strategic Plan, which sets out its long-term vision for the Fund, as well as its objectives, strategic priorities and operational priorities for the current programming period. The initial Strategic Plan was adopted in 2016 for the Initial Resource Mobilization period (2015-2019). The Strategic Plan was then updated in 2020 for the GCF first replenishment period (2020-2023).
Private sector strategy
Developing countries need USD 2–4 trillion annually to avert catastrophic climate change and mobilizing private capital at scale is critical to meeting this financing need. GCF, as the world’s largest multilateral climate fund and a hub of the climate finance architecture with over 200 accredited entities and delivery partners, is well positioned to make a substantial contribution to this effort. In line with GCF’s Governing Instrument and decision B.04/08, which decided that the Private Sector Facility will address barriers to private sector investment in adaptation and mitigation activities; the Board adopted at B.32 the Private Sector Strategy whose objective is to catalyze private climate finance in a manner fully aligned with a country-driven approach to meet developing countries’ needs and the objectives of the Updated Strategic Plan.
Policy map
GCF policy frameworks generally include a mix of top-level policies adopted by the Board to govern a specific subject matter, the related Board decisions which adopt the policies and may contain additional policy provisions, and other policy instruments (such as standards or guidelines) which further elaborate how policies should be operationalized. The main GCF policy frameworks, aligned with the Governing Instrument, are shown in the boxes below.

Clicking on the boxes will take you to the policies in each framework. Alternately, you can search across the entire suite of policies through the search function below.
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Title | Theme | Date |
---|---|---|
Re-accreditation process for Accredited Entities Adopted by decision B.24/13. Sets out the required standards, approach and process for the re-accreditation of AEs, including approach for upgrades in accreditation scope. |
Accreditation framework | 14 Nov 2019 |
Policy on prohibited practices Adopted by decision B.22/19. Establishes the specific conduct and activities which are prohibited, the obligations of Covered Individuals and Counterparties to uphold the highest standards of integrity, and the actions which the GCF may take when prohibited practices are alleged to have occurred in Fund-related Activities. |
Integrity policies | 08 Jul 2019 |
Policy on ethics and conflicts of interest for active observers of the Green Climate Fund Adopted by decision B.23/08 (a). Sets out the ethics and conflicts of interest policies for the active observers of the GCF. |
Administrative policies, Observers | 08 Jul 2019 |
Compliance risk policy (Component VIII) Adopted by decision B.23/14. The compliance risk policy provides a framework to deal with compliance risks. |
Risk management framework | 08 Jul 2019 |
Standards for the implementation of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism policy Adopted by decision B.23/15 (a). These AML/CFT Standards set the minimum and mandatory benchmarks to prevent, detect, and investigate money laundering and financing of terrorism, and to control and manage related risk. |
Integrity policies | 08 Jul 2019 |
Investment criteria indicators Adopted by decision B.22/15 (a). Adopts for a pilot period of one year investment criteria indicators to guide stakeholders in project development and approval and enhance consistency and transparency. |
Investment framework | 28 Feb 2019 |
Policy on restructuring and cancellation Adopted by decision B.22/14. Sets out the mechanism for decision-making in respect of an approved funding proposal in situations of failure to fulfil conditions, extension of time, waiver of conditions, change to FPs. |
Project approval process | 28 Feb 2019 |
Procedures and guidelines of the Independent Redress Mechanism Adopted by decision B.22/22. Introduces the Independent Redress Mechanism (IRM) and its key functions and objectives; addresses requests to the IRM for reconsideration of funding decisions by the GCF Board; addresses grievances and complaints to the IRM by those affected or who may be affected by GCF projects or programmes; and contains general provisions applicable to the IRM. |
Terms of reference | 28 Feb 2019 |
Policy on the protection of whistleblowers and witnesses Adopted by decision B.BM-2018/21. Sets out the general principles, protections and remedies for whistleblowers and witnesses, procedural safeguards, monitoring and reporting guidelines. |
Integrity policies | 21 Dec 2018 |
Terms of reference of the Performance Oversight Committee of the Executive Director and Heads of Independent Units Adopted by decision B.21/13. Adopts the terms of reference of the Performance Oversight Committee of the Executive Director and Heads of Independent Units. |
Terms of reference | 20 Oct 2018 |