Climate change is the most prominent threat the world is facing, and it is having a severe impact on all aspects of life on this planet. In an effort to respond to climate change challenges, the international community created the Green Climate Fund under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Fund is essentially a financial mechanism to assist developing countries to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change. The objective of the Fund is to support projects, programmes, policies and other activities in developing countries. The Green Climate Fund is recognized as core to international efforts to increase access to climate finance.

Like all countries, the State of Palestine will be hit hard by climate change. Indeed, signs of the impact are already evident, well defined, and clearly observed. In an attempt to respond to the consequences of climate change, leaders in the State of Palestine have been among the first in the world to sign and ratify the Paris Agreement. The Palestinian Environment Quality Authority, in its capacity as a National Focal Point for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, has led, facilitated and coordinated national efforts to respond to the challenges of climate change.

The Environment Quality Authority has coordinated preparation of this Green Climate Fund National Country Programme. This has been done with guidance and support from the Fund. The main objective is to communicate and share with the Fund’s Secretariat the most pressing climate issues facing the State of Palestine. Building on our Nationally Determined Contributions and our national Communication and Adaptation reports, we prepared this Country Programme document with the aim of scaling up national adaptation and mitigation projects.

This Country Programme is focused on large-scale projects and those that fall under a range of Green Climate Fund support mechanisms, namely: the Simplified Approval Process; the National Adaptation Plans Support process; and the Green Climate Fund Readiness Support process.

The Israeli occupation amplifies the impact of climate change, and the State of Palestine continues to move forward in its struggle to end to the occupation and seek full independence of our state. The task of tackling climate change is ever more daunting under foreign occupation.

We strongly appreciate the support that has been given to the State of Palestine by the international community. This support has come in the form of capacity building, technology development and transfer, and finance. Climate finance is a new and additional source of funds, but it is not related to official development assistance. Consequently, it can help the State of Palestine respond to threats of climate change. Access to climate finance will also transform climate challenges into tangible investment opportunities that benefit Palestinian communities.