Climate change continues to be a global concern, a crisis that demands immediate and sustained action from governments, businesses, and individuals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate its impacts. While certain climate change effects stem from natural factors such as solar activity or volcanic eruptions, human activities have emerged as the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas.
Increasing global temperatures have the potential to detrimentally affect the environment, human health, economies, and global stability. The average temperature of the Earth’s surface is now about 1.1°C warmer than it was in the late 1800s. At the current rate, temperatures are expected to rise by 2.8°C by the end of the century. Experts agree that limiting global temperature rise to no more than 1.5°C would help us avoid the worst climate impacts and maintain a liveable climate.
To combat climate change, multiple global frameworks and agreements have been established. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international treaty that provides the foundation for annual climate negotiations at the Conference of the Parties (COP) and seeks to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations. The Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty signed by 194 Parties (193 States plus the European Union) at COP21 in 2015, aims to limit the increase in global average temperature to well below 2 degrees Celsius. Furthermore, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a call for action by all countries (poor, rich and middle income) to promote prosperity while protecting the planet.
A critical financial instrument born from these international efforts is the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Established in 2010 by the UNFCCC, the GCF is the world’s largest climate fund, designed to support developing countries in their efforts to address climate change by providing financial resources to both mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The GCF plays a crucial role in helping developing countries transition to a sustainable, low-carbon, and climate-resilient future, making it an essential part of global efforts to combat climate change and support vulnerable communities most affected by its impacts.
In Zimbabwe, GCF has two projects, totaling over $35 million in funding. As such, the GCF is financing a project titled “Building Climate Resilience of Vulnerable Agricultural Livelihoods in Southern Zimbabwe,” an initiative that aims to address climate impacts and build climate resilience and environmental sustainability for smallholder farmers in semi-arid regions of the country, including areas such as Manicaland, Masvingo, and Gwanda.
However, even such well-intentioned projects can yield unintended consequences that adversely affect individuals and communities. People can be improperly consulted during project preparation, displaced during implementation, or have their livelihoods disrupted if their economic opportunities are compromised.
To safeguard the interests of project-host communities, the Green Climate Fund established the Independent Redress Mechanism (IRM). This mechanism functions as an independent grievance redress platform that addresses concerns raised by people who believe they have been, or may be, negatively affected by projects financed by the GCF. Its mandate is to provide affected individuals and communities with access to fair, transparent, and effective recourse, thereby reinforcing accountability and bolstering the overall success of GCF projects.
The IRM operates under several core functions to provide comprehensive redress and advance accountability. It addresses complaints from individuals who feel negatively impacted, aiming to offer them a fair and transparent process. Beyond handling individual grievances, the IRM works with GCF partner institutions to help them build their own capacity for effective grievance handling. It also seeks to increase public awareness about its work and share lessons learned from its experiences.
Furthermore, based on insights from its cases and international best practices, the IRM provides systemic advice to the GCF to improve its policies, procedures, and overall performance. An additional critical function involves managing requests for reconsideration from developing countries concerning Board decisions that have resulted in the denial of funding for a project or programme. Through these multifaceted roles, the Independent Redress Mechanism ensures that the pursuit of global climate action remains just, accountable, and responsive to the needs of the very communities it is designed to serve.