Virtual Stakeholder Consultation on the topic of the development of the GCF’s ESS - Stage 1: scoping

The mission of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) is to promote the paradigm shift towards low-emission and climate-resilient development pathways by providing support to developing countries to limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to the impacts of climate change, taking into account the needs of those developing countries particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. In fulfilling its mission and managing the resources committed to it, GCF is dedicated to maintaining the highest integrity standards in the conduct of its operations, including with regards to environmental and social safeguards (ESS). The GCF currently applies the International Finance Corporation’s Environmental and Social Performance Standards as its interim ESS.

The development of the GCF’s ESS will aim to establish a framework to support GCF in carrying out its mandate of promoting a paradigm shift towards low emission and climate-resilient development pathways in a sustainable manner that effectively and equitably manages environmental and social risks and impacts and improves the outcomes of all its activities. The ESS will enable GCF to achieve the commitments set forth in its Environmental and Social Policy as well as other relevant policies such as the Indigenous Peoples Policy, Updated Gender Policy, and Information Disclosure Policy, among others. The ESS will guide the AEs, executing entities (EEs), countries, and other stakeholders in identifying, avoiding, mitigating, and managing environmental and social risks and impacts following the fit-for-purpose approach, with due consideration to adequate and meaningful stakeholder engagement, grievance redress, and information disclosure.

A Call for Public Inputs was disseminated for the first stage of the development of the GCF’s ESS (focused on scoping) on 2 November 2021. As part of this stage, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Secretariat is organizing a virtual Stakeholder Consultation, to be held on 25 November 2021 at 21:00-22:30 hrs. KST / 12:00-13:30 hrs. GMT / 7:00-8:30 hrs. EST. This consultation event is an integral part of the development of the GCF’s ESS and will provide a platform for discussion on the scoping of the ESS. Registration is by invitation.