The Green Climate Fund (GCF), the world’s biggest dedicated climate financing institution, has announced a record-setting investment of $1.2 billion for 17 new climate projects across Asia and Africa. Unveiled on July 4, 2025, the funding includes $227 million to help build green bond markets in 10 countries, $200 million to expand renewable energy efforts in India, and $150 million to support food security and resilience in East Africa, benefiting an estimated 18 million people. With these new commitments, the GCF’s total project investment portfolio rises to $18 billion across 133 countries, supported by nearly $30 billion in global pledges.
Alongside this financial expansion, the GCF is working to speed up how quickly funds are accessed by streamlining partner approvals. One key improvement is reducing the approval timeline for local access agencies from 30 months to less than 9 months, helping get climate funds to communities faster. This comes at a critical time, as international development aid is shrinking—falling 17% in 2025 after a 9% drop in 2024, due in large part to cuts in U.S. funding. The GCF’s strategy aims to fill that gap by boosting both the scale and speed of climate investments worldwide. More