Venue: Cinnamon Life at the City of Dreams
Colombo, Sri Lanka
The Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) was established following the 2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Malta.
The operations of CCFAH are guided by a steering committee, which provides strategic and policy guidance. In line with its terms of reference, the steering committee meets at least once a year.
The 8th CCFAH Steering Committee Meeting will take place against a backdrop of intensifying climate impacts, growing financing needs, constrained development finance and heightened expectations for delivery under the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Commonwealth member countries continue to face structural barriers in accessing climate finance, including capacity limitations, complex funding architectures and increasing conditionalities.
Expected outcomes
The expected outcomes of the 8th CCFAH Steering Committee Meeting include:
- Clear strategic guidance and decisions to strengthen CCFAH’s delivery and impact;
- Agreed priorities and actions to enhance the sustainability of CCFAH;
- Strengthened alignment between CCFAH operations and the Commonwealth Secretariat Strategic Plan 2025–2030;
- Renewed commitment from Steering Committee members and partners to support CCFAH’s mandate; and
- An agreed roadmap for key activities and engagements leading into the next Steering Committee cycle.
Expected participants
Participants will include members of the CCFAH Steering Committee, comprising representatives of contributing and beneficiary member states, regional organisations, and the Commonwealth Secretariat. Senior officials from the Government of Sri Lanka, including the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Finance are expected to participate, particularly during the opening session.
The meeting is expected to include:
- An official opening session, open to invited guests and media; and
- Closed in-person Steering Committee sessions for detailed deliberations and decision-making.
Agenda
Co-Chairperson – Ms Gyaneswaree Callychurn, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration (RI) and International Trade (IT), Government of Mauritius
Co-Chairperson – Mr Suresh Yadav, Senior Director, Climate Change and Oceans Directorate, Commonwealth Secretariat
Discussions over the two days will centre around:
- Resource mobilisation for CCFAH operations and steering committee actions
- Updates on the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda in November, and COP31 preparations
- Partnership opportunities for climate action and leveraging private finance for accelerating the implementation of NDCs and wider national climate plans
The 8th Steering Committee meeting is closed.
For more information, contact: Aurelius Nkonde, Manager of the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub or Uzoamaka Nwamarah, Adviser and Head of Climate Change. For media-related queries, contact Suné Kitshoff, Senior Communications Officer.
