At the G20 Summit in September 2023, Canada raised the urgent need for collective action to address a warming planet, preserve global biodiversity, and support global economic development.
At the Summit, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the following initiatives to help drive climate action and sustainable development, to build responsible and resilient supply chains and grow local economies for a more inclusive and gender equal world.
Supporting collective climate action
Catalytic Climate Finance Facility
Project implemented by Convergence Blended Finance Inc. in partnership with the Climate Policy Initiative
Funding: $7 million
The Catalytic Climate Finance Facility is designed as a multi-donor vehicle that aims to raise US$100 million over 15 years. With the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Facility aims to support between 30 and 40 blended climate finance solutions, with 14 to 20 solutions supported through Canada’s funding. This initiative is designed to increase the available pipeline of climate finance projects in developing countries and mobilize private capital into climate action, to help address the impacts of climate change on economically disadvantaged groups, particularly women and girls.
Inclusive development of the green tara value chain in Bolivia
Project implemented by SOCODEVI
Funding: $7.7 million
This project aims to sustainably develop the green tara value chain – which includes textile and health products– with a climate-smart agro-environmental approach, while promoting gender equality, adaptation to climate change, and food security. It aims to increase the incomes of vulnerable Indigenous rural populations, including Indigenous women.
Partnering for Climate projects (P4C)
As part of Canada’s objective to leverage the climate action expertise and commitment of organizations in Canada, $315 million of our $5.3 billion climate commitment from 2021 to 2026 has been allocated to Partnering for Climate (P4C) projects. This is funding projects from civil society, Indigenous Peoples and other organizations in Canada that will support climate change adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa and other parts of the world.
In September 2023, the Government of Canada confirmed funding for the following P4C projects:
- Women Pro-Forests
Project implemented by: Union des producteurs agricoles - Développement international (UPA-DI)
Funding: $16 million (2023-2026)
This project aims to improve the adaptation to climate change of women and their families in the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea, through the adoption of nature-based solutions. It also seeks to sustainably improve the economic opportunities of beneficiaries though climate-smart nature-based agroforestry solutions,, and through the inclusive and equitable governance of forest biodiversity. - Gender Transformative Climate Adaptation
Project implemented by Canadian Lutheran World Relief
Funding: Up to $16.3 million (2023-2026)
This project seeks to reduce vulnerability to climate change and enhance the well-being of communities and their surrounding ecosystems in the transnational catchment area of the Logone Chari river system between N’djamena and Lake Chad in Cameroon and Chad. The project will improve low carbon, climate resilient economies in the region through the adoption of nature-based solutions. The project will use a gender-transformative approach to support women in leadership roles and reduce their time burdens. - Knowledge, Rights and Leadership: Actions by and for Women to Adapt to Climate Change
Project implemented by Paul Gérin-Lajoie Foundation
Funding: Up to $9.9 million (2023-2026)
This project aims to use gender-transformative methods and nature-based solutions to improve women’s adaptation to climate change in agriculture and forestry. The project will advance forest biodiversity conservation and restoration in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s North Kivu (Walikale) and South Kivu (Kabare, Kalehe and Mwenga). The project will also seek to improve households’ living conditions and food security status.. - Zanzibar Women’s Leadership in Adaptation Project (ZanzADAPT)
Project implemented by Community Forests International
Funding: Up to $5.8 million (2023-2026)
This project aims to enhance nature-based climate adaptation in vulnerable coastal communities, fostering biodiversity and conserving coastal and marine ecosystems through mangrove conservation, nature-positive land use, and climate-adaptive agroforestry. The project will help increase women’s influence and leadership in nature-based climate adaptation enterprises and governance structures in Zanzibar. - Ecosystem Solutions for Sustainable Adaptation (ESSA)
Project implemented by Cégep de la Gaspésie et des îles (CGÎ)
Funding: $15 million (2023-2026)
This project aims to contribute to climate change adaptation in communities in or near three protected areas in West Africa: The National Park of Arguin Bank (Mauritania), Niumi and Jokadu Park (Gambia), and the Protected Marine Area of Ufoyaal Kassa-Bandial (Senegal). The project will scale up the implementation of nature-based solutions already tested in the region for greater climate change adaptation.
Advancing economic empowerment, health and gender equality
Beans for Women for Empowerment (Beans4Women)
Project implemented by International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)
Funding: $15 million (2023 to 2028)
This initiative aims to strengthen gender equality, agency in decision-making, and resource rights of women and girls active in the bean sector in three conflict-prone provinces in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The initiative aims to support food security by strengthening bean sector value chains and increasing the incomes of smallholder women, enabling them to make a living from their own land and helping promote food security for them and for their children.
Investing in Women in Nigeria
Project implemented by The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund
Funding: $15.7 million
This six-year project seeks to enhance the economic empowerment of women in agriculture value chains in the state of Kano in Nigeria by facilitating access to finance for women-owned enterprises operating in the agriculture value chains. It will also improve access to business development services to support the growth of agribusinesses, and address social norms through community-level and locally sensitive gender training, advocacy, and awareness campaigns. The project supports micro, start-up, and growth level women-owned businesses through matching funding and technical assistance, and works to reduce systemic gender barriers to women's economic empowerment at the grassroots level.
Strengthening School Canteens in Burkina Faso
Project implemented by The World Food Programme
Funding: $22 million, 2023 to 2028
This five-year project seeks to improve children’s nutrition, particularly for girls, in schools in seven northern regions of the country. The project will provide breakfast and lunch to children in 450 schools each year, half of which include displaced children. To increase local production capacities and individual skills, the project will provide financial and technical support to local producers, with a focus on women. The project brings together food security, education, and economic growth in recognition of the multifaceted barriers faced by women and girls affected by insecurity.