Finance for Health and Climate Change
Overview
Streamlining financial resources for health and climate change
The ability for countries to engage in climate change adaptation and mitigation actions is highly dependent on their financial capacity. Unfortunately, countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change are often also the least able to finance the actions necessary to address these impacts. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has established a financial mechanism to facilitate climate finance initiatives (which services also the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement) and various funds have therefore been established to help countries with limited financial capacity to prepare and cope with the impacts of climate change.
WHO provides technical guidance and support to countries to access international funds that allow for the implementation of health-relevant adaptation and mitigation actions.
The Green Climate Fund
At the 16th session of the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP) in 2010, Parties established the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to assist in mobilizing funding for low-emission and climate-resilient development. The GCF was designated as an operating entity of the financial mechanism accountable to the COP in 2011, and remains involved in decision-making regarding policies, programme priorities and eligibility criteria for funding. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been approved as a Green Climate Fund (GCF) Readiness Delivery Partner, enabling WHO to support countries in accessing GCF Readiness funds, undertaking adaptation planning and developing strategic frameworks to build their programming with the GCF. For more information about submitting a GCF Readiness proposal for health with WHO as the delivery partner please see the Q&As below.
If you are interested in developing a GCF readiness proposal on climate change and health, we would be happy to support you. We have a range of resources available to support the process, including an annotated proposal template and examples of approved proposals. Please email GCF@who.int or contact your regional WHO office for more information.
The Global Environment Facility
The Global Environment Facility (GEF), established in 1992, is an international partnership with a large network of 183 countries, international institutions, private sector, and civil society organizations. It serves as an operating entity of the financial mechanism of the Convention to provide financial resources to developing country Parties.
Parties also founded the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) and the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), which are both managed by the GEF. The SCCF was established to finance initiatives relating to adaptation; technology transfer and capacity building; energy, transport, industry, agriculture, forestry and waste management; and economic diversification. The LDCF was established to support least developed countries in preparing and implementing national adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs).
The Adaptation Fund
The Adaptation Fund (AF), established under the Kyoto Protocol in 2001, finances concrete adaptation projects and programmes in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. The AF is managed by the Adaptation Fund Board.
The World Health Organization is an approved Accredited Implementing Entity of the AF, enabling WHO to support countries in accessing Adaptation Fund grants, undertaking adaptation planning and developing strategic frameworks to build their programming with the AF.
Further information on the AF proposal materials, including templates used to apply for funding, are available on the following link: https://www.adaptation-fund.org/apply-funding/project-funding/project-proposal-materials/
If you are interested in developing an AF proposal on climate change and health, we would be happy to support you. Please send a message to adaptation.fund@who.int for more information.
Questions and answers:
Questions and Answers: WHO as a GCF Readiness Partner
To provide further guidance in accessing GCF financing for health-related readiness activities with WHO as the Delivery Partner, we answer some of the most common questions we have received regarding the readiness process for the health sector.
Webinars
In partnership with the Green Climate Fund (GCF), WHO has conducted several global and regional webinars provide guidance to countries in the preparation of readiness and project proposals to the GCF. Please find below presentations and recordings from these webinars.
