Canada and African Development Bank formalise climate fund
The Government of Canada and the African Development Bank have signed an agreement formalising the Canada-African Development Bank Climate Fund (CACF), a transformative special fund aimed at providing concessional loans to climate change related projects with a strong gender-responsive component.
The fund will be capitalised through a combination of a CAD 122.9 million ($104.8 million) repayable contribution, aimed at providing concessional loans for both sovereign and non-sovereign operations plus a CAD 10 million (about $7.9 million) grant contribution for complementary technical assistance. The African Development Bank will administer the fund.
Speaking at a virtual signing ceremony to conclude the agreement, held 17 March on the sidelines of the Canada-Africa Clean Growth Symposium, Canada’s minister of international development, the Hon. Karina Gould, said the investment, with its strong gender footprint, recognised “The critical role that women need to play in climate action, and supports their efforts to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change.
“Climate change is one of the most important challenges of our time … And, although we are all affected by it, we in Canada know that not everyone is affected equally … that means that vulnerable and marginalised people are bearing the brunt of this crisis.”
As a concessional facility, CACF resources will be deployed in innovative low-carbon technologies, renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable forestry, water management, and climate-resilience projects. The fund will finance climate change related projects in the African Development Bank’s regional member countries, including those that demonstrate a strong gender equality focus. The empowerment of women and girls will be an objective across all concessional financing of the CACF, aiming at direct, measurable gender equality outcomes.
“In building back Africa, climate resilience is very important … This is why I’m delighted and thrilled with the Canada-African Development Bank Climate Fund that we are launching today,” African Development Bank president Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina said in remarks after the announcement.
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