The anti-corruption group Transparency International on August 22 urged the board of the Green Climate Fund to give citizens a much bigger voice at its meetings if the group wants to follow through on its stated goal to be ‘transparent and accountable’ in its efforts to guard the planet against the effects of climate change.
Crucial decisions about how best to manage up to US $ 100 billion per year to help developing countries adapt to the effects of climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions could be made at the Green Climate Fund’s inaugural board meeting in Geneva.
“We need a balance between the urgency to achieve results and the due diligence required to protect climate money and ensure its effectiveness,” said Lisa Ann Elges, Head of Climate Governance Integrity Programme at Transparency International.
Civil society observers to the Green Climate Fund can contribute important knowledge, expertise and impartiality to help shape policies that are strong and tailored to people’s needs.
The current proposal would allow just two civil society observers to actively participate in board meetings – one from the developed world and one from the developing world – while the rest of civil society would have to monitor the process from the sidelines. This presents a great challenge to achieving meaningful engagement.
Transparency must also be pursued more proactively. One way would be for the board to webcast its meetings, seek as much as possible to hold open, transparent meeting discussions, and create channels for people to contribute more meaningfully to the fund’s activities by exchanging information, knowledge and ideas.
Click here for all of the recommendations made by Transparency International to the Board of Green Climate Fund.
About Transparency International
Transparency International is the global civil society organization leading the fight against corruption. Through more than 90 chapters worldwide and an international secretariat in Berlin, they raise awareness of the damaging effects of corruption and work with partners in government, business and civil society to develop and implement effective measures to tackle it. Their Climate Governance Integrity Programme is aimed at helping ensure that climate financing decisions and actions are conducted with sufficient transparency, accountability and integrity to prevent corruption from undermining effective adaptation and mitigation. For more information, visit www.transparency.org.
Source: Transparency International.
