Small states, Least Developed Countries and other vulnerable counties face acute impacts of climate change in a disproportional way. As much as climate finance is being made available to developing countries through a number of international initiatives, most of these countries have limited capacity to access these funds.
The Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) helps countries to unlock the available climate finance. Through this initiative, small and vulnerable member states are assisted to bid for and gain increased access to climate finance.
The process is achieved through supporting the development of grant proposals and project pipelines; building human and institutional capacity; providing technical advisory services; and facilitating cross-Commonwealth cooperation and sharing of experiences and expertise by Commonwealth National Climate Finance Advisers who are deployed and embedded in relevant government ministry departments.
More about how the CCFAH works
The Hub works on a ‘Hub-and-Spoke’ model. The Commonwealth climate finance experts act as national and regional advisers sharing knowledge with the central hub and with their regional counterparts, to create an interconnected network.
In addition to the hub headquarters based in Mauritius, there are currently Commonwealth national climate finance advisers deployed in 12 countries and 2 Regional Climate Finance Advisors, covering the African and Indo-Pacific region, based at the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and the International Solar Alliance (ISA) respectively.
Africa | Caribbean | Pacific |
Eswatini | Antigua and Barbuda | Fiji |
Mauritius (Central Hub) | Belize | Solomon Islands |
Namibia | Grenada | Tonga |
Seychelles | Saint Lucia | Vanuatu |
Zambia | ||
Regional Advisor: Africa Region, AUDA-NEPAD |
Regional Advisor: Indo-Pacific Region, International Solar Alliance |
The Hub helps countries translate their climate targets into action by helping them:
- Become self-sufficient through 'Human & Institutional Capacity Development' – Skilled technical advisers are deployed in-country to deliver human and institutional capacity for accreditation support, policy and climate finance readiness, as well as the development of project pipelines.
- Implement climate change projects through 'Technical Support' – Specialised short-term advisory services are identified and faciliated, to support with the preparation and implementation of climate change related projects.
- Share experiences with each other through 'Knowledge Management' – Knowledge and lessons learned from various activities of the Hub are shared to member countries via different tools and instruments.
Since becoming operational in 2016 CCFAH has secured:
Approved projects |
40 (15 adaptation, 5 mitigation and 20 cross-cutting) |
|
Climate finance mobilised for approved projects* |
US$48.8 million including US$3 million as co-financing |
|
Pipeline projects |
57 (30 adaptation, 16 mitigation and 11 cross-cutting) |
|
Climate finance in the pipeline* |
US$762 million in 11 countries |
|
Capacity building |
88 Training Initiatives |
1,900 individuals trained |
*As of March 2022
The Hub’s steering committee is responsible for governance and guiding strategy and policy. The steering committee makes sure that principles of transparency and accountability are upheld, and that the controls and risk management system are robust.
Read the steering committee terms of reference (PDF).
Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub
11th Floor Sterling House
9-11 Lislet Geoffroy Street
Port-Louis, Republic of Mauritius
Tel: (+230) 210 6208/6325/6551
Fax: (+230) 210 6548
The Hub services are open to all Commonwealth member countries. For more information or to request support from the Hub please contact:
- Unnikrishnan Nair, Head of Climate Change Section
- Uzoamaka Nwamarah, Adviser Climate Change Section
Country specific assistance from the CCFAH
The Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) has successfully supported the Government of Antigua and Barbuda in mobilising approximately US$26.3 million worth of climate finance. With 3 advisers being deployed to date, 37 capacity building initiatives have been organised involving approximately 536 government officials and stakeholders.
CCFAH continues to provide capacity building, policy support and proposal development to support NDC implementation including through concept note development on the just transition of the workforce and community-driven ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) actions as well as supporting the operationalisation of the Sustainable Island Resource Framework Fund (SIRF Fund).
The current Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser is Sasha Jattansingh.
The Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) has successfully supported the Government of Barbados in mobilising approximately US$1.6 million worth of climate finance. CCFAH had an adviser deployed in Barbados from August 2017 to September 2021, with 7 capacity building initiatives organised involving approximately 140 government officials and stakeholders.
The Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) has been supporting the Government of Belize since August 2020. As an institutional member of the NDC Partnership, under the Climate Action Enhancement Package (CAEP), the Secretariat through CCFAH, has successfully carried out a climate finance landscape study as well as development of a climate finance strategy for the country for 2021–2026.
A pipeline of projects valued at approximately US$10.9 million is currently at various stages of development led or supported by the CCFAH. The current Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser is Ranga Pallawala.
The Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) has supported the Government of Fiji through extensive human and institutional capacity strengthening initiatives including development a blueprint for the establishment of a Project Development Unit (PDU), use of Earth observation data to support climate finance proposals under the CommonSensing project and Climate Finance Writeshop Training using live concept notes to demonstrate the practical application of data and information from the CommonSensing Platform.
Feasibility studies for decarbonisation of public bus transport as well as use of blockchain for parametric insurance are also being conducted. The current Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser is Ms. Katherine Cooke.
The Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) is supporting the Government of Grenada and stakeholders engaged and responsible for implementing the defined climate policy and resilience strategy through the provision of technical support for the establishment of the policies and measures to address policy gaps, institutional strengthening and ultimately enhanced access to climate finance.
Under the NDC Partnership Action Fund (PAF), the Hub will be supporting the Government in development of a Resource Mobilisation Strategy (RMS) for the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) Implementation Plan. The current Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser is Philip Weech.
The Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) supported the Government of Guyana from January 2019 – March 2020, in enhancing the country’s ability to access climate finance by strengthening and supporting the establishment of institutional mechanisms and modalities to seek, receive and utilise international climate finance. This included provision of inputs to the country’s Climate Finance Strategy.
The Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) has successfully supported the Government of Jamaica from March 2017 – 2021, in mobilising approximately US$7.5 million worth of climate finance for 14 projects covering several areas including gender, agriculture, private sector and enhancing transparency frameworks.
Under the Climate Action Enhancement Package (CAEP), the CCFAH also supported the country in conducting a socio-economic and financial implications assessment of climate change (past and projected), through the development of climate expenditure analyses and modelling.
Under the NDC Partnership Climate Action Enhancement Package (CAEP) the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) supported Eswatini with conducting a Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Review (CPEIR) as well as the development of a strategy to enhance private sector engagement in the country’s NDC implementation.
A pipeline of projects valued at approximately US$24.7 million is currently at various stages of development led or supported by the CCFAH. The current Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser is Dr. Samuel Ogallah.
The Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) first opened its door in Mauritius in September 2016. As the central Hub it receives and manages requests for capacity and technical assistance to secure climate finance. In 2017 the Hub began deploying experts to ministries of finance and environment to help developing countries access the billions of dollars pledged for effective climate action.
Serving both as the host and a beneficiary country of the technical assistance provided by CCFAH, approximately US$3.5 million worth of climate finance has successfully been mobilised through this support.
The Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) has successfully supported the Government of Namibia in securing approximately US$1.3 million worth of climate finance. Moreover, approximately 245 Government officials and stakeholders have been beneficiaries of capacity building initiatives supported by CCFAH.
The current Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser is Carol Mwape based at the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism.
The Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) has successfully supported the mobilisation of approximately US$4.7 million worth of climate finance for projects across various sectors including around climate governance, agriculture, gender and infrastructure.
Ruth Phillips-Itty is the current Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser based at the Department of Sustainable Development.
As of September 2020, the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) has been providing technical assistance to the Government of Seychelles aimed at developing a pipeline of bankable projects for funding, support enhancing coordination of climate finance mobilisation efforts as well as strengthening capacities within Government departments and related agencies.
In addition to a project pipeline valued at approximately US$2.9 million, nearly 50 Government officials and stakeholders have been beneficiaries of training initiatives led or supported by CCFAH.
Kai Kim Chiang is the current Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser.
As of February 2021, the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) has been providing technical assistance to the Government of Solomon Islands, with the country also being a beneficiary under the CommonSensing project.
CCFAH contribution has involved supporting a review of the Climate Change policy, Climate Finance Writeshop Trainings, assistance of the National Transport Fund with accreditation to the GCF, and development of a project proposal pipeline.
Dr. Michael Ha’apio is the current Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser
The Government of Tonga, with the support of the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH), has successfully mobilised approximately US$3.5 million worth of climate finance with a project pipeline valued at approximately US$47.6 million.
In addition to provision of support towards operationalising the Tonga Climate Change Trust Fund, approximately 338 Government officials and stakeholders have been beneficiaries of training initiatives led or supported by CCFAH.
Martin Barriteau is the current Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser.
Vanuatu is a beneficiary country of the technical assistance provided by the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH), including under the CommonSensing project.
CCFAH contributions include around Climate Finance Writeshop Trainings held in December 2021 as well as provision of inputs to the Vanuatu Climate Finance Roadmap.
Diana Hinge Salili is the current Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser.
The Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) provision of technical assistance to the Government of Zambia from July 2020, has included development of a project pipeline worth approximately US$58 million.
Zambia was also a beneficiary of CCFAH services under the NDC Partnership Climate Action Enhancement Package (CAEP) which included conducting a climate finance mapping along with the development of a baseline report on monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of climate finance for the country’s NDC implementation.
Dr. Othniel Yila is the current Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser.
Resources
With thanks to the Government of Australia, United Kingdom and Mauritius for their generous support to the operations of the Climate Finance Access Hub.
Contact us
Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub
11th Floor Sterling House
9-11 Lislet Geoffroy Street
Port-Louis
Republic of Mauritius
Tel: (+230) 210 6208/6325/6551
Fax: (+230) 210 6548
The Hub services are open to all Commonwealth member countries.
For more information or to request support from the Hub please contact:
- Unnikrishnan Nair, Head of Climate Change Section
- Uzoamaka Nwamarah, Adviser Climate Change Section