The Caribbean island nation of Antigua and Barbuda is one of the first countries to complete their roadmap for engagement with the GCF. Its Country Programme sets forward an ambitious pipeline of over USD 245 million in projects for potential GCF funding to help meet its low-emission and climate-resilient sustainable development targets.

• Amount: USD 300,000
• Duration: 12 months (Ended April 2017)
• Focus area: Strengthening NDA and developing a country programme
• NDA: Dept. of Environment
• Result: Completion of country programme, improved national coordination

Kick-starting implementation

From the outset, Antigua and Barbuda has had a clear strategy of engagement with the GCF—deploy the Fund’s Readiness Programme to kick-start needed technical capacity, systems and processes to support the delivery of its climate agenda.

Since rolling out its Readiness grant activities in mid-March 2016, the Department of Environment (Antigua and Barbuda’s National Designated Authority to GCF) has used the initial tranche of GCF resources to spearhead key steps in developing its country programme and putting tools and systems in place for coordinated action.

In the 12 months of implementation, the NDA has:

• Held two inter-ministerial consultations to develop and validate the country programme and no objection procedure;
• Recruited a policy adviser to consolidate national climate-related policies and plans to ensure overall alignment with GCF’s investment approach;
• Procured a financial expert to build accounting and auditing skills of staff in the Department of Environment to better understand and meet GCF’s fiduciary standards;
• Hired a consultant specialized in Knowledge Information Management System (KIMS) development to boost knowledge retention and data management;
• Contracted a web developer to establish an online knowledge portal, allowing for greater transparency and access to information; and
• Finalized three internal policy guides on operations, financial and accounting and environmental and social safeguards.

Linking Readiness to the bigger picture

The NDA has also used its Readiness resources to prepare and submit its application to become a GCF direct access entity and to coordinate with other countries in the Eastern Caribbean on a project proposal for Enhanced Direct Access.

In the next round of Readiness grant activities, the NDA will focus on preparing its project pipeline and advancing accreditation to the Fund. In parallel, it will expand outreach and communications to build country ownership of its GCF agenda, while continuing to strengthen the NDA’s institutional capacities and compliance with the Fund’s policy and operational requirements.

“Changes to the current systems of governance and economic management allow Antigua and Barbuda to adapt to the impacts of climate change such that the economy and the people can: withstand a category 5 hurricane; one meter of sea level rise; and a drought lasting over three years, while the core economy is still functioning at a capacity similar to that if climate change were not occurring.”