Belmopan, October 21st, 2020 – Belize, through the Ministry of Economic Development and Petroleum, the National Designated Authority to the Green Climate Fund, has received support through grant funding from the Green Climate Fund to boost the capacities of the country to access international finance for investments in climate change projects.

As such, the National (Virtual) Structured Dialogue (19th- 21st of October 2020) is being convened in order to update the country’s pipeline of projects. This update, with input from key national stakeholders is the first step in the process of updating Belize’s Country Programme for Engagement with the GCF. The country programme is a tool that will be utilized to enable Belize’s national capacities to effectively and efficiently access, manage, disburse and monitor climate financing to address adaptation, mitigation and cross cutting priorities.

In addition, the GCF also facilitates the opportunity for the private sector and civil society organizations to better access climate finance through readiness support projects. Therefore, two projects were launched that will enhance the capacity for Belize’s private sector and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to access GCF resources. These projects are being implemented through the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) in collaboration with national counterparts such as the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and the Association of Protected Areas Management Organizations (APAMO).

NOTES
The two projects mentioned include:
• Readiness Support for Strengthening of Belize Private Sector Access to Climate Finance – CDB & BCCI

• Enhancing Caribbean Civil Society’s Access and Readiness for Climate Finance – CANARI & APAMO

About Ministry of Economic Development and Petroleum (MEDP):
The Ministry of Economic Development and Petroleum in Belize formulates and recommends national
development policies, strategies and programmes to promote macroeconomic stability, sustainable socioeconomic development and the reduction of poverty. https://med.gov.bz/

About the Green Climate Fund:
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a global fund created to support the efforts of developing countries to respond to the challenge of climate change. GCF helps developing countries limit or reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to climate change. It seeks to promote a paradigm shift to low-emission and climate-resilient development, taking into account the needs of nations that are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts.
It was set up by the 194 countries who are parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2010, as part of the Convention’s financial mechanism. It aims to deliver equal amounts of funding to mitigation and adaptation, while being guided by the Convention’s principles and provisions.

About CANARI:
The Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) is a regional technical non-profit organisation which has been working in the islands of the Caribbean for over 30 years. Our mission is to promote and facilitate stakeholder participation and stewardship of natural resources in the Caribbean. Our work focuses on Biodiversity and Ecosystems, Equity, Participatory Governance and Resilience. See here for more information on CANARI: http://www.canari.org/