Education
GCF Regional Dialogue in Accra seeks to scale up climate investment across West, Central Africa – EnviroNews
– Advertisement –
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) kicked off its Regional Dialogue with West and Central Africa in Accra, Ghana, on September 29, 2026. Over 200 representatives from 25 countries gathered for four days of practical discussions on GCF programming, Readiness support, and access to climate finance.
Participants include GCF’s government focal points (National Designated Authorities), Ministries of Finance, Direct Access Entities and International Accredited Entities, Readiness Delivery Partners, private-sector partners, civil society organisations, and regional stakeholders.
Hosted by the Government of Ghana, the Dialogue was opened by Ghana’s Deputy Minister for Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, and GCF’s Director of the Africa Region, Catherine Koffman.
In his remarks, the Deputy Minister said the question was not whether Africa needs climate finance, but how to mobilise it faster, at scale, and on terms that advance rather than constrain its development.
“Our task, therefore, is to turn priorities into projects, projects into investable pipelines, and financing into measurable development outcomes. This is where institutions such as the Green Climate Fund become indispensable,” he said.
GCF’s Director of the Africa Region said the purpose of the Dialogue was not simply to review the successes of GCF investments, but to look at how to multiply them.
“This is the paradigm shift we seek to achieve— moving beyond financing projects to transforming systems, markets, and economies at the scale required by the climate challenge,” she said.
Over four days, sessions will explore financing structures, public-private partnerships, and investment opportunities in urban resilience, low-emission transport, food security, clean energy, and ecosystem services, with a dedicated private sector day.
Hands-on workshops will cover Readiness planning, funding proposal appraisal, and accreditation to strengthen the country ownership of climate action projects.
The Dialogue takes place at a pivotal moment, as GCF launches its third replenishment process (GCF-3) and countries across the region seek to scale up climate investment.
In West and Central Africa, GCF has committed $2.9 billion across 80 projects, attracting an additional U$5.7 billion in co-financing for a total portfolio of $8.6 billion. The region accounts for 37 per cent of GCF financing in Africa.
Private capital is central to the ambition of accelerating the uptake of climate solutions on the continent. Across Africa, private financing accounts for 41 per cent of GCF’s portfolio. More than half of that private sector portfolio is invested in Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States, markets where private capital would otherwise not flow.
The Dialogue is GCF’s first regional gathering in West and Central Africa since the GCF Board chose Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire in March 2026, to host its regional office for Central, North and West Africa. This is part of GCF’s broader effort to be closer to the countries it serves.
Countries represented in the Dialogue include: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Equatorial Guinea.
Others are Gabon, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, the Niger, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.