Ministers from Least Developed Countries and the LDC Chair of the world’s leading body for tackling climate change, the UNFCCC, today called for the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility to be used to channel much needed and long-overdue climate finance to the most vulnerable countries for locally led adaptation.

The Gambia, Jamaica, Malawi and Niger personally made their declarations alongside a pre-recorded statement from Sonam P Wangdi Hon. Secretary of the National Environment Commission at the Royal Government of Bhutan, Chair of the LDC Group to the UNFCCC and Co-Chair of the LoCAL Board, during a special session at New York Climate Week and on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, titled: “Launch of a LDC and SIDS led Ministerial Declaration for Raising Ambition on Local Adaptation”.

“We have been consistently raising our voice that the finance must be predictable, sustainable, adequate and more importantly, accessible in line with the needs and priorities of the developing countries, in particular, the LDCs,” said Mr Wangdi, explaining that there are 46 LDCs worldwide – each facing different needs and difficulties in adapting to climate change making it imperative that a flexible and proven means of finance delivery is used.

“I’m very pleased to inform you that the LoCAL Facility has emerged as the perfect finance mechanism for the LDCs. With 22 LDCs being part of LoCAL, it is proving to be the most appropriate platform for flow of finance for locally led adaptation for the LDCs, particularly as a country-based recognised mechanism that support direct access,” he added.

Mr Wangdi’s words answer the call from donors for more adaptation finance solutions, made earlier this week in New York. There, representatives from several EU Member States, including Sweden a long-standing supporter of LoCAL, called for a solution to drive international finance to vulnerable communities for adaptation.

LoCAL launched over 10 years ago with pilot projects in Mr Wangdi’s home country of Bhutan, and also in Cambodia. Since then, some 27 countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Pacific are implementing or designing their LoCAL interventions. LoCAL countries include 22 LDCs as well as Small Island Development States and developing nations – regions of the planet that are struggling the most with the impacts of climate change yet have the least resources and most limited capacity to adapt.

LoCAL was instrumental in the accreditation of Cambodia’s National Committee for sub-National Democratic Development Secretariat, NCDD-S, as the world’s first national body to be cleared for access to international climate finance from the Green Climate Fund. LoCAL is supporting national bodies from 12 countries in accessing finance from the GCF and Adaptation Fund, with more countries interested in following suit.

The UN Capital Development Fund designed the LoCAL Facility and continues to host operations providing technical support, capacity building and training. Ownership of LoCAL direction rests with the LoCAL Board, which is made up of participating countries with observers from partners and donor nations.

“As we approach COP26, increased efforts and enhanced ambition are needed to support developing countries and LDCs achieve their targets under the Paris Agreement and the Agenda 2030 for sustainable development, with a special focus on the local level, where climate action is most needed and needs to be accelerated,” said Hon Nancy Tembo, Minister for Forestry and Natural Resources in Malawi and a LoCAL Ministerial Ambassador.

“The launch of this LoCAL Ministerial Declaration represents a huge milestone for the LDCs and SIDS as it signals a call for collective action and political support to LoCAL countries so they are able to raise accelerated and ambitious subnational and local climate action and inform COP26 outcomes,” she added.