GCF and UNICEF strengthen partnership to scale climate action

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) and UNICEF have signed an Accreditation Master Agreement, paving the way for new opportunities to scale climate action that reaches children and vulnerable communities on the frontlines of climate change.

The agreement establishes the legal and operational framework for UNICEF to work with GCF as an Accredited Entity, enabling the development and implementation of climate projects that integrate resilience into essential services such as water, sanitation, health, education and social protection. The agreement reflects a shared commitment to ensuring climate finance delivers tangible benefits where climate impacts are being felt most acutely.

Through this partnership, GCF and UNICEF will combine their strengths to accelerate climate action at scale. GCF brings its ability to mobilise and deliver climate finance at scale, while UNICEF contributes extensive country‑level presence, operational expertise and data‑driven insights, particularly in fragile and hard‑to‑reach contexts. Together, this positions the two institutions to strengthen adaptation programming and support climate‑resilient development outcomes aligned with country priorities.

Amer Baig, acting GCF Chief Investment Officer, said:

“This agreement is about reaching the last mile. UNICEF’s presence and expertise in some of the most vulnerable and hard‑to‑reach contexts will help GCF turn climate finance into tangible results for people on the ground. Our focus now is to build and deliver a strategic pipeline for impact over the medium to long term.”

Kitty van der Heijden, UNICEF’s Deputy Executive Director, said:

“This is a transformational partnership that will help us reach children in the most vulnerable and hard‑to‑reach contexts. It builds on our ongoing cooperation to ensure that climate finance and programming are more child-sensitive, evidence driven and responsive to the realities children and young people face every day, from extreme heat and flooding to impacts on health, nutrition, education, water and protection.”

The Accreditation Master Agreement underscores GCF’s broader approach to partnerships as a cornerstone of effective climate finance delivery. By working with accredited partners that bring strong sectoral expertise and local reach, GCF can accelerate implementation, enhance impact and ensure climate investments respond directly to the needs of developing countries.