1. Why should I apply?
If your institution has a project, initiative, programme or other activity that has been implemented to successfully address climate change mitigation or adaptation while focusing on one of three areas outlined below, we would like to hear about it.

There are three calls for application in 2013, apply to the one which is most relevant to your activity, the calls are open as follows:

8 March – 26 April: Women for Results, recognizing the critical leadership and participation of women in addressing climate change;

12 April – 31 May: Financing for Climate-friendly Investment, recognizing successful financial innovations for adaptation and climate mitigation;

17 May – 28 June: Urban Poor, recognizing activities addressing climate change while improving the lives of the urban poor in developing countries.

Selected activities under each of the three calls will be recognised as Momentum for Change lighthouse activities, and showcased at a special event during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Warsaw, Poland in November, 2013. All other activities meeting the eligibility criteria will be included in Momentum for Change activity database.

2. What are the basic eligibility criteria?
Your activity must meet the eligibility criteria; each of the three calls has its own criteria which can be found on the respective Momentum for Change webpages:

Women for Results;

Financing for Climate-friendly Investment;

Urban Poor.

3. What happens after I register for log-in details to submit an application?
Upon receipt of your registration, you will receive an email with your log-in credentials. Please note that if registering after 17:00 CET or during the weekend, your request will be fulfilled during the next business day.

4. How do I know if my application has been submitted as final?
Upon submission of your application you will receive an email to your registered email address.

5. Does my activity have to be based in a developing country?
If you are submitting your application under the Urban Poor pillar, your activity has to be based in one of the countries listed on the Urban Poor webpage.

If you are submitting your application under the Women for Results or Financing for Climate-friendly Investment pillars, your activity may be based anywhere in the world.

6. Are Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI) activities allowed to apply?
Your activity must not be registered or have intentions to register as a CDM or JI activity for the next 2 years.

CDM and JI projects are excluded from the call for applications because these are regulated under the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol, the guidance of the Conference of the Parties serving as Meetings of the Parties of the Kyoto Protocol (CMP) and administrated by the CDM Executive Board and the JI Supervisory Committee. The UNFCCC secretariat is supporting the work of these regulatory bodies, including the assessment of projects' registration and issuance of certified emissions reductions requests. The inclusion of any CDM or JI project would carry an unacceptable risk that it could be perceived that the UNFCCC secretariat is providing insider information on a project under a market-based mechanism and/or favouring a project which is to be reviewed and certified by relevant bodies and independent auditors (CDM Executive Board) and Designated Operational Entities and not the UNFCCC secretariat.

Due to the above, activities which are registered with voluntary standards, such as, Gold Standard and Verified Carbon Standard are eligible to apply.

7. What are the lighthouse activities and how are they selected? 
Through a rigorous evaluation process, the Momentum for Change Advisory Panel will select a small number of activities from the total pool of submissions to become “lighthouse activities”.

Lighthouse activities are shining examples of successful mitigation and adaptation actions that serve to inspire and increase momentum for further action on climate change. The lighthouse activities are chosen on the basis of predefined selection criteria which, in addition to specific thematic criteria, emphasise innovative partnerships as a way to achieve long-lasting, transformational change and replicability and scalability.

8. If my activity is chosen as a lighthouse activity, what may I expect?
Two to three representatives from your activity will be invited to attend  the Momentum for Change events at the United Nations Climate Change conference in Warsaw, Poland in November and other Momentum for Change events. In addition, your activity will be highlighted through various media channels, providing you with a unique chance to gain international visibility and recognition for the activity.

9. When will I know if I have been chosen as a lighthouse activity?
The Momentum for Change Advisory Panel will select the winning activities in September 2013. The secretariat will inform the focal points of the activities thereafter.

10. Can I reapply in 2013 if I already applied in 2012?
If you applied for Momentum for Change in 2012, but were not selected as a lighthouse activity, you may reapply in 2013.

11. Do lighthouse activities receive a grant, funding or any other type of financial contribution?
No, lighthouse activities do not receive a grant, funding or any other type of financial contribution. However, a limited number of representatives of these acitivites will have their travel costs covered by the United Nations Climate Change secretariat to the United Nations Climate Change Conferences if they are from a developing country.

The main benefits to lighthouse activities consist of the recognition by the United Nations Climate Change secretariat, which will include showcasing at the United Nations Climate Change conferences, acknowledgement in Momentum for Change communication products and access to extensive networking opportunities.

12. How many applications can one person submit?
Each registered account can submit a maximum of five applications.