Today, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board adopted a unique and novel set of guidelines to improve the management of the Independent Redress Mechanism (IRM)’s cases. Thus, the GCF will provide a better response to people negatively affected by its projects and countries seeking reconsideration of funding proposals denied funding.

No other Financial Institution has such Guidelines for its Board. Once again, other Independent Accountability Mechanisms and the Boards of International Financial Institutions can emulate GCF’s innovation and commitment to climate justice. 

The Guidelines acknowledge that the IRM follows the principles of fairness, independence, equity and transparency. Accordingly, they state that “in the interests of ensuring the credibility of the Green Climate Fund and its reconsideration and grievance redress processes, it is critical for the Board to act in keeping with the same standards of fairness, equity, impartiality, transparency and justice in making any decisions on the Independent Redress Mechanism’s case findings and recommendations.”

Following this reasoning, the Guidelines promise that the Board will:

1. Expeditiously consider the IRM’s case reports, and decide on an outcome;
2. Base its decision on the IRM’s report;
3. Consider the report fairly, in an unbiased fashion with a view to providing redress, when appropriate;
4. Provide a summary of reasons given by Board members if and when it disagrees with the findings or recommendations of the IRM and to make them public; and
5. Include IRM case reports in the Board annual reports to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties.

The Green Climate Fund Board proceedings are public and live streamed. The guidelines will help increase the GCF’s institutional credibility and enhance due process in its grievance processes, promoting its accountability and transparency.

Issued by the Independent Redress Mechanism

Green Climate Fund