AFCIA: the Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator

13 April 2022. Grants to local innovators to accelerate local climate action

UNDP and Adaptation Innovation Marketplace partners, with support from Adaptation Fund and European Union, announced @ the Gobeshona Global Conference (27 March - 1 April 2022) US$2.2 million in grants to local innovators to accelerate 22 local climate action across 19 countries. (‘Gobeshona’ was launched in June 2014 as a knowledge platform for people and institutes doing research on climate change in Bangladesh to share their findings, ideas and to address the quality of related research produced in Bangladesh.  Members of the Steering Committee include: BRAC, IUB ICCCAD, IIED, Practical Action, World Fish, Waste Concern, Islamic Relief Bangladesh, BRAC University, WaterAid, Centre for Climate Justice, ULAB CSD, NSU, DUET, BCAS, Shahjalal University, VSO, RAJUK, Wageningen UR, Christian Aid, Khan Foundation, icddr,b, and Government of Bangladesh.)

 The second call for proposals opens in June 2022. (3rd call for proposals → Q3 2022).

The first round of funding through the AFCIA window will enhance local climate action and accelerate the delivery of targets outlined in the Paris Agreement and SDGs. Winning proposals varied from advanced aquaculture in India and expanding the production of climate resilient acai berries in Brazil to the reintroduction of ancient climate-resilient construction techniques in the Sahel and the creation of “blue jobs” in Micronesia.

• The initiative empowers local actors and contributes to the principles for locally led adaptation action, which have been endorsed by UNDP and partners around the world.
• The new funding proposals will benefit from the technical support and know-how of the Adaptation Innovation Marketplace.
• The AIM partners – the International Centre for Climate Change and Development, the Least Developed Countries Universities Consortium on Climate Change, the Global Resilience Partnership, the Climate-Knowledge Innovation Community, and UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) – provide technical support to the Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator. 
• This year, the partners of AIM will further collaborate on knowledge sharing and South-South Coordination for the 22 local partners awarded grants in the first round of AFCIA grant giving.

Background information on AFCIA

• 
  The Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator, or AFCIA, aims to foster innovation in climate change adaptation in developing countries. The programme targets a broad range of potential finance recipients, including governments, non-governmental organizations, community groups, entrepreneurs, young innovators and other groups. It awards competitive grants of up to US$ 250,000 each.
• The Adaptation Fund (AF) has funded and established a US$ 10 million small grant aggregator programme to be implemented by UNDP and UNEP working in conjuntion with the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN).

Resources

• Adaptation Fund- UN Environment Special Financing Window in Support of Innovation for Adaptation -Project document
• Adaptation Fund-UNDP Innovation Small Grant Aggregator Platform (ISGAP)- Project document
• Video
• Brochure
• Recording of the launch event English / Español / Français

Background Adaptation Innovation Marketplace

29 March 2022. Gobeshona Global Conference. Session on “Locally Led Adaptation – Finance, Innovation and Scale”

Despite the potential of building local environmental and societal resilience, many locally-led activities struggle to access any type of finance. This, at time when they are best placed to respond to the urgent needs of our local communities to respond to climate change. The UNDP and its partners are at the forefront of funding these endeavours. The first part was a panel discussion focusing specifically on locally-led action through a moderated discussion between four UNDP-sponsored projects.

Related:

5 November 2022. Climate innovation and technology @ CGF - Green Climate Fund seminar

Speakers:

• Mareer Mohamed Husny vice chair UNFCCC Technology executive committee
• Dr. Rose Mwebaza Director of the Climate Technology Centre & Network (CTCN) 
• Dr. Javier Manzanares Deputy Director Green Climate Fund
• Mr. J. Cole, Managing Director of the light Smith group 
• Dr. Frank Reisberman, director general Global Green Growth Institute GGGI, Korea.
• Mr. Wuxan Han  Global Head of climate business in the Korean Development Bank. 
• Miss Ramallah Masu vice the director, manager for strategic affairs at the CRDP bank Tanzania

@14:41 Dr. Rose Mwebaza Director of the Climate Technology Centre & Network (CTCN) elaborates among others on the Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA)

• CTCN is one of the key institutions helping nations realize their commitments under the Paris Agreement by providing technology solutions and capacity building on a broad array of sectors, including agriculture, early warning systems, energy, urban planning, industry and waste management. The CTCN leverages the expertise of a global network of more than 500 civil society, finance, private sector, and research institutions to deliver tailored solutions at the request of developing countries. 93 countries are currently participating in this innovative mechanism. 
• Dr. Mwebaza served previously as Chief Natural Resources Officer at the African Development Bank. Prior to that, she held several leadership positions within the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

Scaling up climate action across 13 African countries.

4 April 2022. The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has signed an implementation agreement to scale up
climate action across 13 African countries.

The programme, implemented by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), will empower African national and local banks to direct funds to help farmers to cope with increasingly erratic climate effects while also reducing farming emissions.

The GCF Board meeting approved $114.4 million in new GCF investment to the Inclusive Green Financing Initiative (IGREENFIN I). This programme helps protect some of the world’s most vulnerable smallholder farmers from climate effects while also contributing to Africa’s Great Green Wall initiative to reverse land degradation.

The funding will also support a regional programme to enhance coordination, knowledge management and innovation in Great Green Wall (GGW) countries implemented in collaboration with the United Nations to Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Pan African Agency of the GGW.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) 2021 Annual Results Report.

Nearly USD 3 billion in GCF financing – an unprecedented level – was approved for 32 new climate projects around the world. The portfolio reached USD 10 billion in GCF resources, amounting to over USD 37 billion in co-financing.

Presentation by Dr. Rose Mwebaza Director of the Climate Technology Centre & Network (CTCN) at the 19th CTCN Advisory Board Meeting (28-30 March 2022)