What is Green Climate Fund
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a critical player in the global fight against climate change.
Established in 2010 under the UNFCCC, the GCF channels financial resources to developing countries for climate mitigation and adaptation efforts.
Projects and programs funded by the GCF are proposed and driven by developing countries themselves, aligning with their national priorities and needs.
The GCF offers grants, concessional loans, guarantees, and equity instruments to
cater to diverse project needs and leverage additional funding from public and private sources.
GCF's primary objective is to assist developing countries in achieving their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) - national climate action plans under the Paris Agreement.
The fund prioritizes projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, build resilience to climate impacts, and promote sustainable development.
Why Afghanistan not included in COP
The Taliban’s takeover of government institutions has meant that Afghanistan is unable to access key U.N. climate funds, including the Green Climate Fund
Afghanistan is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change.
But the country was absent from the COP-28 climate summit in Dubai.
It has been left out of U.N. talks since the Taliban took over Kabul in 2021..
The GCF had approved nearly $18 million for a sustainable energy project in Afghanistan before the Taliban’s takeover.
That project has now been “put on hold to allow for a full review of current and emerging risks”, GCF spokesperson Stephanie Speck said.
Other proposals that the previous Afghan government had been working on sought more than $750 million.
This includes projects to improve irrigation and deploy rooftop solar panels in Kabul.
They, too, have been postponed, according to a NEPA document.
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