GCF B.38 unpacked | Analysing operational risk within GCF project development

Join our webinar and learn from our panellists

GCF stakeholders often experience obstacles in the project development process – how can we overcome them?

We are excited to extend an invitation to our latest GCF unpacked webinar. In this session, we will analyse the operational risks present within the Green Climate Fund (GCF) project development process and discuss how GCF stakeholders can overcome or avoid them entirely.

This webinar will be hosted by Dr Grant Ballard-Tremeer, who will be joined by:

• Senior consultant at E Co., William Lynam
• Project Development Specialist at CCCCC, Ryan Zuniga
• Active Private Sector Observer to the Board at the GCF, Miles Austin
• Head of Policy and Markets at Ecosecurities and Active Private Sector Observer at the GCF, Pedro Carvalho

Together, we'll be discussing the most risk-prone activities within the GCF proposal development process, the aspects of risk mitigation that are critical to success, and potential improvements to this process that could be made.

We’ll be drawing from the findings from our upcoming GCF insight report, GCF insight #25 - Project development: overcoming operational risks. This report brings together the insights of E Co. experts and external GCF stakeholders to illuminate what the GCF project development process is really like for those who utilise it.

Here are the details you need:

• Date: 11 April 2024
• Time: 12PM UK Time
• Duration: One hour

The key takeaways you’ll receive

Climate change mitigation and adaptation projects are crucial for our planet's sustainability, demanding substantial financial support. According to the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) report of 2023, these projects necessitate an estimated USD 8.1 to 9 trillion in annual funding until 2030. However, operational risks encountered during the development and design stages of GCF projects pose significant threats to both the project's likelihood of receiving funding and the quality of the eventual implementation. This, in turn, obstructs the essential flow of capital required for addressing climate challenges.

In acknowledgement of these challenges, our webinar will delve into the critical issue of operational risks within the development and design phase of climate projects. By thoroughly understanding and effectively mitigating risks, such as identifying co-financing, stakeholder engagement and misalignment, and political positioning, we can substantially enhance project success rates and bolster investor confidence.

Participate in the proceedings and have your thoughts heard

We believe your participation will contribute significantly to our collective efforts in advancing climate action and ensuring the success of sustainable projects. There are several opportunities to participate as we go along to ensure we make the most of this focused time. You can:

• Make all of your comments in our chat section, directed to the presenters or fellow participants, and we'll address them as we go along.
• Join our Q&A to gain answers to all of your important questions, hosted by our consultants.
• You also have the opportunity to understand the views of fellow participants in our polls - where answers will be shared anonymously and discussed with the live audience.

Our panellists

Dr Grant Ballard-Tremeer is the Founder and Visionary here at E Co. He has 24+ years of experience in creating markets for sustainable energy and climate change in developing nations and emerging economies. He founded E Co. in 2000 and has been working to identify opportunities and barriers from a technical and financial standpoint, and to identify framework conditions in terms of policy, regulatory, institutional conditions, and capacity and awareness of key stakeholders.

William Lynam is a Senior Consultant at E Co. He is a specialist with over 15 years of experience in agriculture, forestry, and other land use. He designs projects for several climate funds, including the GCF, particularly in adaptation or cross-cutting projects.

Ryan Zuniga is a Project Development at the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC), an organisation which supports "the people of the Caribbean as they address the impact of climate variability and change on all aspects of economic development".

Miles Austin is a newly-appointed Private Sector Observer for the GCF, who specialises in international and national finance and regulation.

Pedro Carvalho is the Head of Policy and Markets at Ecosecurities, a provider of environmental services that specialises in carbon markets and mitigation projects. Pedro is also an active PSO for the GCF.

Register your place today

Are you involved in climate finance, climate change, or development? If so, we invite you to join us for an enlightening session. We break down complex terminology to address the core issues, offering in-depth analysis from independent experts in climate finance and development. Simply enter your email at the top of the page to register. Feel free to share this event with any colleagues who might benefit from it.

About E Co.

For over 24 years, we’ve been supporting and guiding our clients to achieve low-carbon climate-resilient development. We do this through catalysing systemic transformation, by helping them establish strong foundations for impact. We add value by speaking the language of many (through our technical, financial, cultural and local understanding), working with agility to align with our clients, and at the interplay of finance and the wider context.

We assess contexts and baselines, design strategies and frameworks, develop policies, programmes and projects and unlock finance for public and private sector clients, seeking to deliver low-carbon climate-resilient and sustainable growth. Our services include:

• Market studies such as industry outlooks, stakeholder analysis, and market gap analysis;
• Strategy formulation including business case development, internal and external analysis, and strategy development;
• Design of projects and programmes for internal investment such as developing priority investment plans or external blended finance such as applications for GCF, GEF, and Adaptation Fund projects;
• Policy and legislation development to support sustainable transition with research, analysis, training, promotion, and impact assessment services;
• Fund support, including fund strategy and formation, raising capital, portfolio management services such as screening and eligibility criteria, proposal evaluation and investment appraisal.
• Training, including virtual and face-to-face training on climate finance supporting local ownership and skills building.
• Evaluation, including impact analysis, mid-term and final evaluations, outcome and process evaluations for projects, programmes and funds.

To learn more about what we do, head to our website at: www.ecoltdgroup.com

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