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
In advance of the second Replenishment period the Board updated its Strategic Plan for 2024-2027 at B.36, setting out the major programming directions and operational and institutional priorities for GCF-2. GCF’s initial Strategic Plan was adopted in 2016 for the Initial Resource Mobilization period (2015-2019) and was then updated in 2020 for the GCF first replenishment period (2020-2023).
Private sector strategy
The Board adopted at B.32 the Private Sector Strategy, which sets out the four pillars through which the GCF aims to catalyze private climate finance in a country-driven manner to meet developing countries’ needs and the objectives of the Updated Strategic Plan.
Guidance on adaptation
The Board welcomed at B.33 the Guidance on adaptation which speaks to the GCF’s vision, strategic approach, and scope for supporting adaptation programming, and how the GCF aims to deliver this through its range of modalities that support adaptation activities.
Accreditation strategy
The Board adopted at B.34 the Accreditation Strategy, which clarifies the GCF operating model and guides the evolution of the GCF network of AEs in order to deliver on the GCF’s mandate, objectives and programming directions.
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.
Search policies
| Title | Theme | Date |
|---|---|---|
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Information disclosure policy Adopted by decision B.12/35 (a). Sets out the policy regarding the information that the Fund makes available to the public either as a routine matter or upon request. |
Administrative policies | 10 Mar 2016 |
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Additional policy guidance for the purpose of Accreditation Master Agreements Adopted by decision B.12/31. Provides additional guidance on liability, due diligence, confidentiality, grievance mechanism, time frame for funding approval. |
Accreditation framework | 10 Mar 2016 |
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Terms of reference of the Budget Committee Adopted by the decision B.12/37. Adopts the terms of reference of the Budget Committee. |
Terms of reference | 10 Mar 2016 |
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Monitoring and accountability framework for Accredited Entities Adopted by decision B.11/10. Defines the responsibilities of AEs in relation to their institutional and project-by-project relationship with the GCF, including reporting, risk-based monitoring, remedial measures, re-accreditation. Adopts the monitoring and accountability framework for AEs, including monitoring of GCF funded activities. |
Accreditation framework, Results, monitoring and evaluation | 05 Nov 2015 |
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Policy on ethics and conflicts of interest for the Executive Director of the Green Climate Fund Secretariat Adopted by decision B.10/13 (c). Sets out the ethics and conflicts of interest policies for the Executive Director. |
Administrative policies | 09 Jul 2015 |
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Policy on ethics and conflicts of interest for external members of the Green Climate Fund panels and groups Adopted by decision B.10/13 (a). Sets out the ethics and conflicts of interest policies for external members of the GCF panels and groups. |
Administrative policies | 09 Jul 2015 |
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Draft provisions for privileges and immunities Adopted by decision B.10/12 (a). Sets out the status, immunities, exemptions and priviledges of the Fund in the territory of [country]. |
Administrative policies | 09 Jul 2015 |
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Terms of reference for a pilot phase enhancing direct access to the Green Climate Fund Adopted by decision B.10/04. The objective of the pilot phase for enhancing direct access is to allow for an effective operationalisation of modalities with the potential to enhance access by sub-national, national and regional, public and private entities. |
09 Jul 2015 | |
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Administrative guidelines on the internal control framework and internal audit standards Adopted by decision B.BM-2015/06 (a). Adopts the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) framework as the internal control framework for the GCF. |
Risk management framework, Administrative policies | 27 Jun 2015 |
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Administrative guidelines on the budget and accounting system Adopted by decision B.BM-2015/05. These guidelines formulate and document procedures to implement policies; ensures that all financial transactions are recorded, define financial operating controls; includes implementation and compliance modalities and exemptions. |
Administrative policies | 15 Jun 2015 |