Improving cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Green Climate Fund with the aim of building resilience to climate change in the future
AGENDA
Location: Chamber of Economy of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Date: 10 December 2024
Working language: Local
Introduction
In the coming years, the consequences of climate change, such as rising temperatures and
changes in precipitation patterns, are expected to have a significant impact on key sectors, including agriculture, energy,
transport, health and tourism, leading to relatively high adaptation and mitigation costs.
Given the above, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a Party to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC), is fully committed to advancing climate action and implementing
the Paris Agreement. Specifically, BiH submitted an updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)
(April 2021) with specific targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels
by 33.2% or by 36.8% with a higher level of ambition, by 2030 compared to 1990 emission levels, as
reference points. Additionally, the NDC sets a long-term target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions
by 61.7% (unconditional) or 65.6% (conditional) by 2050, compared to 1990 levels. In addition,
the NDC includes consideration of adaptation and resilience-building needs and priorities and emphasizes
the particular vulnerabilities of the agricultural sector.
Within enhanced climate action, Bosnia and Herzegovina will require financial support and other resources
to meet the targets defined in the NDCs, reduce BiH’s vulnerability to the consequences of climate change, while
at the same time maintaining economic growth with low carbon dioxide emissions. Therefore, the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and
Herzegovina, together with the entity governments, has taken decisive steps in cooperation with the Green Climate
Fund and other key sources of financing in order to access resources for financing urgent adaptation and mitigation measures.
On 22 September 2022, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) approved financing for the project “Strengthening
the capacity of Bosnia and Herzegovina for effective cooperation with the Green Climate Fund”, which is implemented by the
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as an accredited GCF agency for project preparation and implementation.
The project includes activities aimed at improving institutional capacities related to cooperation with the GCF, establishing
coordination mechanisms and approval procedures, creating a strategic framework for investment management, as well as a comprehensive system for monitoring financing in the area
of climate change.
Within this project, the identification of potential entities for Direct Access to GCF funds
(Direct Access Entities – DAE) in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the potential to undergo accreditation with the
Green Climate Fund is envisaged. Accreditation is necessary for submitting project/program proposals for
financing by the GCF, bearing in mind that only accredited entities are authorized to submit proposals
for access to GCF funds. In BiH, the Designated National Authority for cooperation with the GCF (NDA) – the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina in cooperation with the Coordination Mechanism Members
(CMM): (1) the Ministry for Spatial Planning, Construction and Ecology of the Republika Srpska, (2) the Federal
Ministry of Environment and Tourism and (3) the Government of the Brčko District Department for Spatial Planning and Property-Legal
Affairs, will carry out the assessment of DAE candidates for accreditation with the GCF. DAE candidates will be prioritized on
the basis of their institutional capacities and experience in developing, implementing and monitoring projects in
the area of climate change.
During the accreditation process, candidates must prove that they meet GCF criteria. GCF criteria for
accreditation are divided into: 1) Eligibility criteria – minimum requirements and 2) Selection criteria – strategic
alignment with GCF objectives, basic fiduciary standards, specialized fiduciary standards, environmental and social protection and gender equality.
Workshop objectives
The accreditation workshop has the general objective of presenting to stakeholders in Bosnia and Herzegovina the roles
of accredited entities, the benefits of accreditation, accreditation criteria and the accreditation process, in order to
identify potential candidates for accredited entities at the GCF and raise awareness regarding the
opportunities provided by accreditation.
Specific objectives of the workshop:
• Present the key roles of accredited entities and the benefits of accreditation
• Provide stakeholders with detailed information on the accreditation process and accreditation criteria
• Create a “long list” of potential candidates for DAE accreditation based on the expressed
interest of workshop participants
Participants:
• Government agencies and funds
• Development agencies
• Relevant ministries
• Private sector
• Civil society organizations
• FAO staff
