At COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, six ministers from LoCAL-implementing countries today witnessed Hon Alioune Ndoye become the latest minister to sign a now 25-country declaration calling for “simplified” and “consistent” access to climate finance and the establishment of a consolidated funding modality for the UNCDF managed Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility.

The Ministerial Declaration, which was drafted by LoCAL implementing countries in May and first launched at Climate Week NYC and on the side-lines of the UN General Assembly in September, has now been presented at the world’s largest climate conference, COP28.

"LoCAL is a mechanism, that gave our people who are most affected by climate change the opportunities to make the changes that they need to adapt," said Prof Wilson K Tarpeh, Exec Director of Liberia’s Environmental Protection Agency and one of the signatories of the declaration.

The declaration, drafted by some of the world’s most vulnerable nations to the impacts of climate change adds momentum to ministers’ repeated calls for increased adaptation finance for African nations, Small Island Developing Sates (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries. Many speakers highlighted the fact that while their countries are feeling some of the most acute impacts of climate change, they, as non-industrialised nations, have contributed the least to the carbon emissions driving the crisis.

While the opening days of COP28 were notable for some significant commitments of funding for adaptation and a new loss and damage fund, countries say that the process of getting funds to communities remains slow and bureaucratic.

LoCAL offers an internationally recognized country-based mechanism to increase local government access to climate finance for adaptation, also available as ISO 14093:22. The ISO cements LoCAL’s position as an internationally recognized and standardized approach to climate finance delivery for action and results at the local level.

The LoCAL Ministerial Declaration is also signed by co-Chairs of the LoCAL Board:

- Madeleine Diouf Sarr, Head of the Climate Change Division in Senegal's Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and current Chair of the LDC Group.
- Agnes Mary Molande, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative of the Republic of Malawi to the United Nations

Find out more about LoCAL here

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