Main Issue
Small Island Developing States face acute and interconnected climate risks affecting freshwater, food systems, health, infrastructure, settlements, coasts, ecosystems, and ocean-dependent livelihoods. These risks are intensified by small markets, geographic isolation, high infrastructure costs, limited fiscal space, and exposure to extreme weather and sea-level rise.
At the same time, many developing countries face barriers to accessing and applying the technologies, business models, and financial approaches needed for adaptation. Promising solutions can struggle to attract investment, reach vulnerable markets, or move from demonstration to wider use.
The Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) addresses these two gaps through dedicated support for non-LDC Small Island Developing States and targeted support for adaptation technology, innovation, and private-sector engagement.
What We Do
The Special Climate Change Fund was established in 2001 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It is managed by the Global Environment Facility, operates alongside the Least Developed Countries Fund, and serves the Paris Agreement.
The SCCF supports adaptation through two distinct but complementary funding windows.
SCCF Window A: Adaptation Support for Non-LDC Small Island Developing States
SCCF Window A provides grants for country-driven adaptation priorities in Small Island Developing States that cannot access the LDCF because they are not classified as Least Developed Countries.
Support can strengthen agriculture and food systems, water security, nature-based solutions and climate-resilient infrastructure, climate information and early-warning systems, resilient health systems, national institutions, and locally led action.
SCCF Window A projects are developed through GEF Agencies and national coordination processes. They work with governments, communities, civil society, executing entities, and other partners to translate national adaptation priorities into investment and action.
The initial GEF-9 access cap is $3 million for each eligible non-LDC SIDS, subject to resource availability and programming requirements. The GEF-9 Strategy on Climate Change Adaptation provides for the cap to increase to $5 million if sufficient resources are mobilized.
SCCF Window B: Technology Transfer, Innovation, and Private-Sector Engagement
SCCF Window B helps countries and partners develop, demonstrate, and expand adaptation solutions with potential for wider use and scale. It supports technology transfer, innovation, market development, private-sector engagement, and financial approaches that can overcome barriers and mobilize additional investment.
GEF-9 programming under SCCF Window B includes:
- The Challenge Program for Adaptation Innovation, which supports promising technologies, business models, partnerships, and delivery approaches with potential for wider application.
- The Non-Grant Instrument Program for Climate Adaptation, which can use financial instruments to address market barriers and catalyze investment in adaptation solutions.
- SCCF Window B is accessed through specific programs or calls rather than standing country allocations. Eligibility, applicant requirements, available finance, financial instruments, and deadlines vary by opportunity. Calls and programs should therefore always be clearly identified as open, upcoming, or closed.
Priorities for 2026–2030
Across its two windows, SCCF programming contributes to the three GEF-9 adaptation priorities:
- Agriculture and food systems: strengthening climate-resilient production, livelihoods, value chains, and services for farmers and communities.
- Water security and sustainable management: addressing scarcity, drought, flooding, changing rainfall, and competing water needs through stronger governance, services, infrastructure, and watershed management.
- Nature-based solutions and climate-resilient infrastructure: restoring and managing ecosystems, reducing exposure to hazards, and ensuring infrastructure is planned for future climate conditions.
The fund also supports country leadership, climate information and early-warning systems, resilient health systems, adaptive social protection, locally led adaptation, action in fragile and conflict-affected settings, and partnerships with development banks, other climate funds, research institutions, innovators, and the private sector.
Country ownership and stronger institutions
SCCF investments are grounded in national, sector, and local priorities. Projects work through and strengthen ministries, technical agencies, local authorities, civil society organizations, community institutions, businesses, and national executing entities.
For Small Island Developing States in particular, access to adaptation finance depends on institutional capacity as well as formal eligibility. Strengthening the organizations that coordinate priorities, manage partnerships, deliver investments, retain knowledge, and prepare future projects is therefore an important part of SCCF support.
The GEF-9 strategy introduces the Project/Program-based Implementation Approach Capacity Building Program, known as PrIA. The program will strengthen executing entities in Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States through practical support for project delivery, fiduciary and safeguards capacity, results management, climate-finance coordination, and peer learning. PrIA complements the role of GEF Agencies within the existing GEF partnership.
Results
As of August 2026, the SCCF has provided $457.8 million for 138 projects in 117 countries. Approved projects are expected to directly benefit 13.52 million people and bring 9.16 million hectares under more climate-resilient management.
The portfolio has supported agriculture, water management, disaster-risk reduction, infrastructure, climate information, natural-resource and coastal management, health, technology transfer, and adaptation-focused enterprises. Approved projects are expected to engage 1,340 private companies.
SCCF support has also helped demonstrate new technologies, financing models, insurance approaches, and partnerships that can strengthen adaptation and attract further investment.
All SCCF-supported projects and programs can be explored in the GEF project database.
Looking Ahead
The GEF-9 strategy strengthens the SCCF’s two distinctive roles: providing dedicated adaptation finance for non-LDC Small Island Developing States and creating space to test and scale technologies, innovations, private-sector approaches, and financial solutions for adaptation.
It places greater emphasis on integrated solutions, locally led action, stronger national institutions and executing entities, partnerships with development banks and other climate funds, and the mobilization of wider public and private finance.
The GEF-9 Strategy on Climate Change Adaptation sets out resource-mobilization scenarios of $200 million and $300 million for the SCCF during 2026–2030.
Predictable contributions are essential because the SCCF is a separate trust fund financed through voluntary contributions. It is managed by the GEF but is not capitalized through the regular GEF Trust Fund replenishment. The scale and timing of contributions will determine how many country priorities and innovation opportunities can move forward.
