Moving beyond business as usual: shifting the Green Climate Fund (GCF) toward climate justice and true transformation

With the Green Climate Fund (GCF) approving its first eight project proposals worth USD 168 million just weeks before Paris, the GCF is signaling to COP21 and the world that it is “open for business” and ready to assume its role as the most important multilateral tool for climate action in developing countries and the main financing pillar toward fulfillment of the Copenhagen long-term finance pledge of USD 100 billion per year by 2020. 
This interactive discussion will look at the key policies and governing procedures – some of them not yet fully operationalized or fully lacking -- that are needed to ensure that the GCF is a truly transformative climate financing vehicle based on climate justice  Panelists will examine in particular how full country ownership can best be realized in GCF funding and what role civil society, grassroots organizations and communities play in the GCF policy-setting, decision-making and the overall GCF project cycle.  The debate will address the kind of private sector engagement best suited to affect a development and energy paradigm shift in recipient countries. Participants will also discuss monitoring and accountability and overall transparency of GCF-related decision-making and implementation, current challenges as well as opportunities to ensure that the GCF follows and sets new best practice standards for climate financing.  
The discussion will highlight steps to be taken short- and medium-term to support the delivery of GCF funding in a manner that is effective, efficient and equitable by ensuring broad community benefits and gender-responsiveness.  The debate will highlight in particular the role that civil society can and must play, especially community-based groups and developing country non-governmental organizations and networks. 

INVITED DISCUSSANTS:
•    Ousseynou Nakoulima, Country Programming Director, GCF Secretariat, 
•    Zaheer Fakir, Co-Chair of the GCF Board and GCF Board member from South Africa 
•    Arnaud Buisse, GCF Board member from France
•    Andrea Rodriguez, AIDA Mexico
•    CSO colleague TBD from Pan-African Network for Climate Justice, Jubilee South Asia Pacific Network on Debt and Development

Moderator:  Liane Schalatek, Heinrich Böll Stiftung North America 

Location: Climate Generations Area, Salle 6