Opening New Doors for Climate Action
On July 1, 2026, at its 45th Board Meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) approved Helvetas as an Accredited Entity. As the world's largest dedicated international climate fund, the GCF supports developing countries in addressing climate change. For Helvetas, this accreditation is more than an institutional milestone: It opens new opportunities to support partner countries and communities in turning climate ambitions into concrete action.
Across the countries where Helvetas works, climate change is already affecting lives and livelihoods and impacting already stressed economies. Communities are exposed to more unpredictable hydrometeorological patterns, including frequent floods and prolonged droughts. Ecosystems that provide water, food and income are under growing pressure. Many countries have ambitious climate plans but lack financial resources and technical capacities to implement them at scale.
“There’s often no time for development because we’re responding to one emergency after another. Climate finance could be transformational in helping communities with early preparedness and improving local capacities – while introducing and strengthening sustainable pathways for climate resilient development,” says Dr. Arjumand Nizami, Helvetas’ Country Director in Pakistan who has overseen the program since 2012 and witnessed the aftermath of numerous devastating floods.
The GCF was established under the UN climate framework and the Paris Agreement to support developing countries in moving towards low-emission and climate-resilient development. For Helvetas, accreditation means that we can now develop and manage GCF projects directly. More importantly, it builds on Helvetas’ good practices to work together with governments, local institutions, private sector actors and communities in identifying and developing project designs. This helps ensure that climate investments are aligned with national priorities and grounded in local realities for locally led climate actions.
GCF accreditation also strengthens Helvetas’ ability to connect local priorities with global climate finance and to support partner countries in implementing their climate commitments. As an Accredited Entity, we will continue to mobilize strong partnerships, build local capacities, and help create systems that continue to deliver impact long after individual projects have ended.
Ultimately, climate finance is not about funding projects alone. It is about creating the conditions for lasting transformation — so that communities are better prepared for climate change, and local institutions can lead the transition towards a more resilient future.
