Publications & documents
Publications
The Green Climate Fund issues a range of publications for our direct and indirect stakeholders on a diversity of issues – for the general public to industry experts. Stay in tune with our mission and activities around the planet with the issues that speak to you.
Bhutan for life: at a glance
July 2020
GCF joined the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Royal Government of Bhutan and other partners to create the Bhutan for Life project, which was approved in 2017. At the heart of this conservation effort is an innovative financial structure to permanently protect Bhutan’s network of Protected Areas. This case study for FP050: Bhutan for Life provides an overview of the project, expected results and impacts, as well as GCF's unique and innovative role.
GCF Programming Manual: an introduction to the Green Climate Fund project cycle and project development tools for full-size projects
July 2020
The GCF Programming Manual provides an overview of the GCF project/programme approval process, as adopted by the Board, to its stakeholders, including national designated authorities and accredited entities. It also offers guidance on how to prepare and submit a funding proposal that meets GCF investment criteria. The Programming Manual aims to make project origination, development, appraisal, approval and implementation processes more transparent and predictable, as well as to simplify the...
GCF means business: How the world’s largest climate fund works with the financial sector to drive global change
June 2020
Climate change offers businesses an unprecedented chance to capitalise on new growth and investment opportunities that can protect the planet as well. GCF employs part of its funds to help mobilise financial flows from the private sector to compelling and profitable climate-smart investment opportunities. GCF's private sector support promotes private sector climate action in developing countries by de-risking the delivery of capital flows for low-carbon and climate-resilient development.
GCF handbook: Decisions, policies and frameworks (updated May 2020)
May 2020
The purpose of the “GCF Handbook” is to make it easier for users to more easily navigate the GCF’s decisions and policies. To facilitate this, each primary Board decision and related policy framework has been given a descriptive title, and placed within one of ten issue oriented chapters. There, the decisions and related frameworks have been further divided by sub-issue with the most recent action on any topic listed first. The decisions and related frameworks that are particularly policy rich...
Report on the progress of the Green Climate Fund during its initial resource mobilization period (January 2015 through March 2020)
April 2020
The Green Climate Fund is a unique institution. It is the manifestation of a joint global commitment to fight climate change and a crucial element of the Paris Agreement. Over the past five years, it has developed from an idea of solidarity between developed and developing countries to a crucial force in countering climate change and its effects. Over the past five years, GCF has committed over USD 5.6 billion of its own investment to support 129 projects in 108 countries and delivered more...
Synergies between climate finance mechanisms
April 2020
Collaboration between climate finance funds can enhance countries' resources and results. A report jointly commissioned by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) shows that country-driven coordination and collaboration between funds in blending finance can lead to better development outcomes, enhanced efficiency, and increased financing in developing countries. The study, "Synergies Between Climate Finance Mechanisms," is the result of a multilevel analysis of...
Readiness and Preparatory Support guidebook: A practical guide on how to prepare readiness proposals for the Green Climate Fund
March 2020
GCF provides capacity building and technical assistance support to developing countries to enhance access to climate finance through the Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme. The Readiness Programme is mandated by the Governing Instrument of GCF to provide resources for strengthening institutional capacities, governance mechanisms, and planning and programming frameworks to identify and implement a transformational long-term climate action agenda for developing countries. This guidebook...
Simplified Approval Process (SAP) funding proposal preparation guidelines: A practical manual for the preparation of SAP proposals
December 2019
These guidelines have been developed to support GCF accredited entities (AEs) in the preparation of funding proposals under the simplified approval process (SAP) pilot scheme. This document provides general clarifications on the indicative content expected in a SAP funding proposal submitted to GCF. More specific guidelines on the type of activities by sector will be developed separately by the Secretariat. This document refers to policies approved by the GCF Board in relation to the...
The Green Climate Fund’s Private Sector Facility
October 2019
GCF has a Private Sector Facility (PSF), with the primary mission to engage both the local and global private sector to support climate change mitigation and adaptation projects in developing countries. This brochure provides an overview of the PSF.
Raising ambition. Empowering action: Report on the progress of the Green Climate Fund during its initial resource mobilization period (January 2015 to July 2019)
October 2019
Since approving its first projects in 2015, GCF has grown and delivered. In these first four and a half years of operation, GCF has become the world’s largest dedicated climate fund, equally committed to supporting countries in adapting to climate change and to driving the transformation to low-emission economies. This report covers the results of the work of the GCF and its partners, showing how our resources are already transforming lives and driving a paradigm shift. With this solid track...
Achieving the Paris Agreement: How GCF raises climate ambition and empowers action
October 2019
The goal of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) is to promote a paradigm shift in developing countries towards low-emission, climate-resilient development pathways. GCF supports the implementation and ambition cycle of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by mobilising the necessary resources and building and investment environment that can help developing countries identify, design and implement transformational climate interventions.
Raising ambition. Empowering action.
August 2019
The investment decisions we make now and over the next few years will determine the world we and our children will live in. The next decade is crucial in achieving the necessary transition towards a low-emissions, climate-resilient global economy that is the foundation for a safe planet. In only four years, GCF has allocated over USD 5 billion of the USD 7 billion received from contributors. As a result, its Board launched the first GCF replenishment in October 2018. An ambitious and...
SAP Technical Guidelines: Energy Efficiency for Industry and Appliances
August 2019
This publication provides technical guidance for the preparation of SAP proposals. Energy efficiency (EE) is the process of reducing the energy consumption of infrastructure, facilities, machines, devices, products, services, business processes, activities and transport. It can be thought of as the first fuel of a sustainable world and as such it has a key role in ensuring cost-effective energy transitions.
SAP Technical Guidelines: Renewable Energy
August 2019
This publication provides technical guidance for the preparation of SAP proposals. Renewable energy (RE) is produced using natural resources that are constantly replaced within the human timescale. Just as there are many natural sources of energy, there are many technologies that can help to harness RE sources. Solar photovoltaic (PV) is the most well- known, wind power is the most widespread and hydropower is one of the oldest. Other RE technologies harness geothermal energy, solid waste or...
Accelerating REDD+ implementation
June 2019
REDD+ is vital for global efforts to combat climate change. The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015 and entering into force in 2020, treats forests as an integral part of the climate solution, and highlights REDD+ as key intervention to achieve the new ambitious global target. The UNFCCC specifically recognized the GCF as a key funding avenue for channeling REDD+ RBPs.1 The GCF began offering such payments in 2017, and funding activities that are necessary to achieve REDD+ results since it...
SAP Technical Guidelines: Forests and Land Use
June 2019
This publication provides technical guidance for the preparation of SAP proposals. The thematic area of forest and land use encompasses forests and other multiple land-cover types where forests are a prominent component of the landscape. This can range from natural forests, where ecosystems are not directly impacted by human activities (e.g. primary forests) to more intensively transformed landscapes – such as secondary growth forests, degraded forest landscapes, agroforestry systems and trees...
SAP Technical Guidelines: Cities and Climate Change
June 2019
Traditionally, cities are defined as large human settlements, with no one standardized definition applied internationally. Frequently, national governments have criteria they use to define urban areas. These criteria can vary to include aspects such as administrative boundaries, living conditions or population density. Another approach is what is termed “urban agglomeration”, which considers the extent of an urban area, or sometimes, that of a built-up area, to identify a city’s boundaries.
SAP Technical Guidelines: Transport
May 2019
The publication provides technical guidance for the preparation of SAP proposals. Although there is no one standard definition of the transport sector, it can be described as including all kinds of transportation, such as road, rail and maritime transport, and aviation.