African Development Bank Unveils CAW Technical Assist Facility to Support Climate-Vulnerable Regions

The African Development Bank Group has launched a new funding call, in a move to address Africa’s climate finance gap by supporting the development of climate projects across 37 low-income African countries.

Launched at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, the Climate Action Window (CAW) Technical Assistance Facility, plans to support African projects aligned with the Paris Agreement, the international climate change treaty.

Established by the African Development Fund (ADF), the CAW will operate with an initial allocation of $56million, to mobilise public and private sector resources for adaptation (75 per cent), mitigation (15 per cent), and technical assistance (10 per cent) projects, and improve low-income African countries’ capacity to attract climate finance.

Kevin Kariuki, VP of power, energy, and climate change at the African Development Bank Group, said: “The CAW provides a veritable channel for countries to meet their global climate commitments.

“This facility will ensure that projects in Africa’s most climate-vulnerable regions are well positioned to attract significant funding, creating a win-win scenario where countries can achieve climate targets, while advancing sustainable development.”

Backed by funding commitments from the UK, Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland, the new Facility will accept proposals from governments, regional organisations, NGOs, and UN agencies in ADF countries via its online portal until 5 February 2025. Awards will range from $260,000 to $1.3million per project.

“I would like to thank the African Development Bank and its partners, as these funds will finance the resilience of our people,” added Assahoré Konan Jacques, Cote d’Ivoire’s Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development. “Specific activities have been identified and targeted, and I call on the African Development Bank to learn from the challenges other funds have faced, ensuring that CAW succeeds where others have struggled.”

Supporting Africa’s most climate-vulnerable countries

“For countries like Chad, climate vulnerability is not just a term,” explained Fatima Haram Acyl, Chad’s Minister for Economy and Planning. “Our people face floods, droughts, and immense losses, and we need real, fast-acting solutions. The CAW presents an opportunity to deliver transformative projects that strengthen our communities’ resilience.”

The launch of the facility will enable the African Development Bank to increase the reach of the Climate Action Window efforts. CAW represents the largest pipeline of adaptation projects in Africa, with 80 projects valued at $800million already identified, and 41 projects funded.

During its short operational span, CAW has mobilised additional co-financing and secured partnerships with key climate funds, such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Global Environment Facility (GEF), as well as the Adaptation Fund.

“Our partnership with the African Development Bank has proven the efficacy of co-financing,” Euan Low, regional lead for Southern and Eastern Africa at GCF also added. “With $800million in co-financing, we are leveraging $1.6billion to ensure that Africa’s most vulnerable populations have access to critical adaptation resources.”