ADB Strengthens Response to Climate Change.
The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (BAD) decided to amend the Africa Climate Change Fund Multi-Donor Agreement (CCAF), to broaden its scope and increase its responsiveness.
“Modifications to the Africa Climate Change Fund, approved by the Governing Board, will enable the AfDB to support the parties' growing ambitions as expressed in the Glasgow Climate Pact”.
“As well as the ongoing negotiations, within the scope of the Paris Agreement and the Conventions on Biological Diversity and Combating Desertification”.
Said, Al Hamndou Dorsouma, Acting Director of the Department of Climate Change and Green Growth of the African Development Bank, at the end of the Board meeting.
Modifications to the CCAF
The modifications broaden and strengthen the Fund's objectives as well as its beneficiaries. In addition to African governments, non-governmental organizations, local communities, financial funds, research institutes and regional institutions, as well as private companies, are now eligible for grants from the Fund.
Grants can be awarded to private sector operators when projects are exemplary or when, for example, activities are innovative, semi-commercial and require significant development work.
Other relevant intervention areas include preparing for climate finance, mainstreaming climate change and green growth.
As well as the preparation and financing of adaptation and mitigation projects and programs in the context of NDC's, capacity building and institutional development, preparation of low-carbon and climate-resilient strategies and policies, and analytical work related to climate finance and green growth.
The Fund can also be used for initiatives arising from commitments under the Paris Agreement, the Glasgow Climate Pact or others resulting from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Including the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, with regard to climate adaptation and mitigation.
The Fund's governance structure, including the thresholds for approving grant applications, has been modified.
All these changes will allow the Fund to support the Bank in the implementation of its policy, strategy and action plan on climate change and green growth, reflecting the increased focus on climate finance and the commitments made at COP26.
the CCAF
The Africa Climate Change Fund was created in April 2014 to help African countries build resilience to the negative impacts of climate change and transition to sustainable, low-carbon growth.
Initially conceived as a bilateral trust fund with an initial untied contribution of €4,725 million from Germany for an initial period of three years, it was to be converted into a multi-donor trust fund once at least one new donor is willing to join.
In May 2017, the Fund was converted into a multi-donor trust fund for a period of 5 years, which expired in May 2022 before being renewed for a further 5 years until May 2027, with contributions from Italy, Flanders (Belgium ), Canada, Quebec and the Global Center for Adaptation (GCA).
Hosted and managed by the Bank, the Fund complements the Bank's other trust funds. Its scope is designed to be broad enough to cover various types of activities related to low-carbon, climate-resilient growth.
Conclusion
In its seven years of existence, the Africa Climate Change Fund has mobilized US$26 million from its donors and implemented 26 projects, seven of which were completed and one was cancelled.
The Fund carried out three calls for proposals and supported projects in at least 16 African countries: Benin, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal , Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
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Picture: © 2021 Elmar Gubisch