CFAN at COP29
Attribution: President.az
The Climate Finance Access Network at COP29 in Baku
Staff from the program coordinator team and CFAN advisors will attend the UN Climate Conference and host several events over the course of the first week. Details on these events can be found below.
CFAN Advisors in Baku
CFAN Advisors to Jamaica and The Pacific Community, Shalenie Madho and Kunal Singh, will be on the ground at COP29, representing CFAN’s Caribbean and Pacific cohorts. In addition to serving on their country delegations, they will speak and present at CFAN and partner events, sharing their insights from the frontlines of unlocking climate finance. Please reach out to Denali Hussin at [email protected] with any interview requests.
CFAN Staff on the Ground
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Laetitia de Marez
Senior Director
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Mahlet Eyassu Melkie
Senior Associate
CFAN Post-NCQG:
Scaling climate finance for resilience and economic opportunity in SIDS and LDCs
Thursday November 14, 11:30-12:30 Azerbaijan Time (GMT +4)
Canada Pavilion
Register
With the support of Canada, the US, and Australia, CFAN and its regional partners are advancing tailored solutions that unlock access to climate funds and leverage private investments. With a global project pipeline representing USD1.4 billion, there are currently 20 CFAN advisors active in the Pacific and Caribbean: this event will announce the expansion of the Network to Africa.
As negotiations on the NCQG enter their last stages, speakers from Canada, the US, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and CFAN advisors from the Caribbean and Pacific will share their perspectives on how to effectively roll out new commitments, and how CFAN can evolve in its crucial role as a key delivery mechanism of international climate finance.
Speakers:
- Hon. Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Canada (opening remarks)
- Ms. Laetitia De Marez, Senior Director, RMI (moderator)
- Ms. Giulia Christianson, Senior Advisor to the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate
- Mr. Tosi Mpanu-Mpanu, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Tourism, Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- H.E. Catherine Stewart, Canada’s Ambassador for Climate Change
- Mr. Kunal Singh, CFAN Advisor to SPC
- Ms. Shalenie Madho, CFAN Advisor to Jamaica
Solutions for Energy and Resilience: Project and Pipeline Development in the Pacific Region
November 14, 5-5:50 p.m. Azerbaijan Time (GMT +4)
Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion
Register
Navigating and accessing climate finance to unlock critical funding and mobilize investments at scale and at pace continues to be a major challenge for Pacific Islands. While most of the conversation on access considers the ‘supply side’, a major pain point for the Pacific remains the countries’ and Direct Access Entities’ ability to put forward high quality projects and build robust pipelines at national and regional levels. While countries are clear on their priorities and many concept notes have been formulated, a majority of projects still fail in the early stages of the project development process or stall for years, accentuating perceived risk by investors.
This panel discussion aims to emphasize possible practical solutions to project preparation, development and de-risking for the Pacific region. A reception will follow the event, commencing at 6:30pm in the Pacific Pavilion.
Speakers:
- Ms. Tagaloa Cooper, SPREP Director Climate Change Resilience Programme
- Dr. Colin Young, Executive Director, Caribbean Community Climate Change Center
- Ms Ije Okeke, Managing Director, RMI
- Ms Laetitia De Marez, Senior Director, RMI (Moderator)
- Others TBC
Financing for Resilience: Investing in People and Programmes
November 12, 9:30-10:30am Azerbaijan Time (GMT +4)
NDC Partnership Pavilion
This panel discussion will focus on the urgent need for increased investment in enhancing robust human capacity and embedded advisory support in resilience-building efforts at the national and regional level, particularly within Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries.
The Climate Finance Access Network’s experience in the Pacific has shown that strategically investing in human capital can significantly improve success rates of mitigation and adaptation funding proposals and influence a country’s absorptive capacity. By embedding capacity within national systems, countries like The Bahamas and Jamaica benefit through improved access to finance windows, which enables vulnerable nations to better withstand future climate shocks. This event will draw learnings from experiences in augmenting and deploying additional capacity in Caribbean governments and regional organizations, also highlighting the need for additional financing not just in terms of programmatic capital, but in terms of people, for the survival of nations on the frontlines of a changing climate.
Speakers
- Hon. Carlos James, Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Sustainable Development and Culture, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Dr. Donneil Cain, Senior Project Development Specialist, Caribbean Community Climate Change Center
- Ms. Laetitia De Marez, Senior Director, RMI
- Ms. Shalenie Madho, CFAN Advisor to Jamaica
- Others TBC
