The Governors’ Climate & Forests

Organizational profile: The Governors’ Climate & Forests (GCF) Task Force is a subnational collaboration of 38 states and provinces working to protect tropical forests, reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and promote realistic pathways to forest-maintaining rural development. Their mission is to empower a coalition of subnational jurisdictions and their partners to implement innovative jurisdiction-wide programs for sustainable low emissions development built upon improved forest governance, novel technical and financial mechanisms, enhanced opportunities for local communities and indigenous peoples, and ongoing leadership in national, regional, and international climate policy forums. GCF works by facilitating political engagement and leadership by GCF Task Force Governors and their high-level appointees in subnational, national, and international processes for reducing deforestation and promoting low-emissions development; enabling civil servants and their civil society partners to be effective advocates for reducing deforestation and promoting sustainable development within their jurisdictions and beyond by enhancing the capacity of state and provincial governments to address drivers of deforestation ; and assisting GCF Task Force states and provinces in securing both public and private funding for jurisdictional strategies and low-emissions development programs.

Funding Window A provides grants of up to US$400,000 per member jurisdiction to support efforts to establish (and strengthen) the capabilities, processes, and partnerships needed to generate, implement, and adapt strategies to reduce deforestation at scale and promote low emissions development, given the particular circumstances in the jurisdiction. The purpose of funding under Window B is to support strategic jurisdictional initiatives to achieve transformations that reduce deforestation in forested landscapes.

Financing Instrument: Grants

Project scale: Funding Window A provides grants of up to US$400,000. Funding under Window B will support individual proposals over $US500,000.

Recipient countries regions/country groups: Global

Recipient categories: Governments, NGOs/NPOs, Businesses, Universities

Eligibility Criteria: GCF jurisdictions participating in funding Window A should demonstrate a desire to develop jurisdictional strategies and investment plans that: (i) build on existing jurisdictional planning efforts; (ii) think creatively about what the real issues and key opportunities are; (iii) identify priority actions towards improved land and forest use; and (iv) strengthen planning and implementation capacity.

In order to submit a proposal for funding under Window B, a jurisdiction must satisfy the following criteria:
Jurisdictional Commitment and Contribution
a. The Governor of each jurisdiction must submit a letter re-affirming his/her support for the goals of the Rio Branco Declaration and any subsequent declaration of commitments adopted by the GCF Task Force.
b. Each jurisdiction must actively participate in the GCF Task Force network, for instance through high-level (Secretary or Governor) representation at GCF Task Force Annual Meetings, regional meetings and processes, and other high-level events, such as the COP or Oslo Tropical Forest Forum.
c. Each jurisdiction must ensure that its information in the GCF Task Force Knowledge Database is complete and up-to-date.
d. The jurisdiction must have a strong track record of partnering with civil society, the private sector, and/or international organizations in delivering results at the jurisdictional level, such as Window A, FCPF, or other REDD+ or low-emissions development processes.

Window A Performance
a. Each jurisdiction must demonstrate how the jurisdictional strategy and/or investment plan developed under Window A has been embedded in the overarching legal and institutional framework of the jurisdiction, including measures taken to ensure durability across changes in political leadership and administration.
b. Jurisdictions must demonstrate the application or implementation of Window A products, outputs and deliverables.
c. Funding must have been delivered to the jurisdiction’s partner in accordance with the timeline and results framework specified in the Window A proposal.
d. Funds received must have been executed in accordance with the agreed budget and timeline in the Window A proposal.
e. Each jurisdiction must have established and maintained a robust multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder process to support the development of its jurisdictional strategy and/or investment plan under Window A.
f. Civil servants within the jurisdiction must demonstrate engagement with and ownership of the development of the jurisdictional strategy and/or investment plan under Window A.
g. The particular intervention(s) that are the focus of the Window B funding proposal must draw upon and fit within the jurisdictional strategy and/or investment plan developed under Window A.

Application guidelines: There are two primary steps for participating in funding Window A i) conducting a preliminary self-assessment to establish a baseline; and ii) engaging with stakeholders. These steps must be carried out by jurisdictions and their partners in preparing a proposal under Window A.

The proposal template for Window B funding can be found at https://www.gcftf.org/window-b-innovation-funding.