The opening of the Marketplace set the tone for the day, bringing together senior UNFCCC leadership, the SBI Chair, and the Chair of the African Group of Negotiators.

Key messages from opening speakers:

Ms. Noura Hamladji, Deputy Executive Secretary, UNFCCC

Ms. Hamladji opened the Marketplace by emphasizing that the session marked a shift from preparation to delivery. She highlighted the unprecedented unity of purpose, with three Regional Economic Communities—EAC, ECOWAS, and SADC—presenting six cross-border programmes developed through 18 months of consultations with governments, funds, and partners. She underlined that the format was deliberately practical, designed to generate time-bound roadmaps with milestones, clarity on no-objection letters, technical assessments, and mapped financing pathways. She also stressed the importance of embedding just transition and social safeguards from the outset, framing the Marketplace as a waypoint to build trust between investors and developers and to turn consensus into coordinated action.

Ms. Julia Gardiner, Chair of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI)

Ms. Gardiner highlighted the importance of better data and transparency as the foundation for credible pipelines of finance. She pointed to Biennial Transparency Reports and the Standing Committee on Finance’s assessments as tools that provide both country-level and global perspectives, reducing uncertainty for investors. She framed information as a trust-builder, lowering transaction costs and enabling proposals to move more efficiently through funding windows. She also called for mapping complementary roles across donors, MDBs, DFIs, funds, and private investors to ensure predictable multi-year support. Finally, she also reiterated the need for early attention to social safeguards and just transition indicators, noting that fairness and inclusion strengthen both investment quality and implementation.

Mr. Richard Muyungi, Chair of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN)

Mr. Grant Kirkman, Team Lead, Country & Private Sector Engagement, UNFCCC

Pitching session – Regional summaries (EAC, ECOWAS, Southern Africa/DBSA)

East African Community (EAC) — Main presenters/REC

Speakers: Simon W. Kiarie (EAC Secretariat) and Amos C. Ndoto (Lake Victoria Basin Commission). ^PPT

Priorities & programmes pitched:

1. Transboundary Ecosystem Management (Lake Victoria Basin): scaling a completed Adaptation Fund pilot into a full multi-country GCF concept led by LVBC/UNEP, targeting seven Partner States and four outcomes (ecosystem management; climate information & early warning; resilient livelihoods; institutional capacity). The concept aims to benefit ~350,000 people directly and 30+ million indirectly across the EAC.
    
2. Agriculture & Food Security (post-harvest, trade, SME finance): early-stage regional programme to improve post-harvest productivity and intra-regional trade, with an open ask for technical and financing partners.

Next steps: submit the Lake Victoria Basin GCF concept (September 2025), secure co-financing and No-Objection Letters, and co-design the agriculture programme with interested partners.

Key comments from partners/the floor:

South Sudan encouraged swift submission and alignment with existing national projects; GIZ noted scope to extend transboundary work (including coastal/blue economy) and explore additional landscapes. UNIDO committed technical support and co-creation with EAC and member States, with readiness to refine the concept and help on delivery arrangements and fit-for-purpose funding options, drawing on its private-sector and MSME focus. EADB signalled intent to support EAC programmes and to advance its role as a regional climate-finance hub, while working to secure GCF accreditation and learn from partners’ processes.

ECOWAS — Main presenter/REC

Speakers: Raoul Kouamé (ECOWAS Commission); Moubarak Moukaila (West African Development Bank)^PPT

Priorities & programmes pitched:

1. Climate-Smart Agriculture & Food Security: a regional programme to scale CSA adoption (investment strategy, digital advisory, input/finance access), with ~70% GCF and ~30% co-finance anticipated; builds on an ECOWAS CSA pilot and the WAXA facility channelled through regional banks.
    
2. Hydromet / Early Warning for All initiative: regional backbone for observation, data, forecasting and service delivery, including PPP models for fee-based services and upgrades across NMHS and regional centres. the West African Development Bank shared lessons from an approved early-warning SAP project for Togo (collaborative design, blended instruments, faster cycle times) – calling upon countries to act with speed.

Next steps: finalise concept notes, mobilise co-financing, and submit through regional accredited entities (e.g., EBID/BOAD) in coordination with NDAs.

Key comments from partners/the floor: Nigeria voiced full support and called for partner co-investment.

Southern Africa (DBSA) — Main presenters/partners

Speakers: Harold Mogale and Ms. Mookho Mathaba (DBSA) ^PPT

Priorities & programmes pitched:

1. Southern & Rest of Africa Mini-Grids Programme: regional programme to deploy modular solar PV–battery hybrid mini-grids for rural electrification and productive use, delivered through private, PPP and community models, and financed via a TA/project-prep window plus an investment window using blended instruments. The concept note is being prepared for submission to the GCF with NDAs engagement underway; open to explore co-financing partners.
    
2. SADC HYCOS IV (Regional Hydro-Climate Observation): An advanced-preparation regional programme to strengthen hydro-climatic observation and multi-hazard early warning across 13 SADC countries, backed by GCF Project Preparation Facility support since 2023. The indicative envelope includes ~USD 100 million in GCF grants/recoverable grants and ~USD 220 million in private investment, with DBSA as Accredited Entity and the SADC Secretariat as project owner; partners include GWP-SA, with a proposed blended co-investment platform using instruments such as hybrid equity and guarantees. Proposal development is progressing toward full submission. 
    
3. Miombo Restoration Alliance: A multicounty restoration programme across targeting ~USD 500 million, structured as USD 30–60 million country projects, with DBSA co-financing up to USD 100 million. The design integrates Article 6 carbon removals, with Trafigura as a long-term offtaker and Microsoft identified for the Zambia sub-project via Trafigura; IFC leading the Zambia track with World Bank/IFC social grant support. Feasibility studies are completed for Zambia, Mozambique and Tanzania; fundraising and term sheets are in progress, DBSA internal approvals were secured in July 2025, and due diligence is planned for Q3–Q4 2025 toward a Zambia financial close in 2026.

Next steps: Secure endorsements from NDAs/ministries, finalise financing structures and prepare submissions to the climate funds.

Moderator: German Velásquez NBF Strategic Advisor

Moderator’s recap of key messages (Marketplace pitches & discussion).

Scaling access to funds. Access can be expanded by replicating proven approaches across the Adaptation Fund, GEF, and GCF with clear complementarity and coherence. Strong single-country models should be adapted into regional programmes where they add values.

Value of the regional approach. Regional programmes address shared, cross-border challenges—such as transboundary ecosystem management and post-harvest productivity—more efficiently than isolated projects. Alignment with global initiatives, including Early Warning for All, further strengthens uptake and complementarity.

Progress to date. Readiness programmes have effectively generated investment ideas, with regional readiness emerging as an innovation. Several regions have worked with development and investment banks to structure adaptation at scale, enabling South–South learning, and some countries have accessed finance at speed and scale. The DBSA–SADC example—regional endorsements, inception workshops, and bilateral government engagement—offers a workable model to mature pipelines.

Country ownership & institutional roles: Strengthening the track records of local accredited entities and elevating the RECs’ convening role were highlighted as practical ways to accelerate access, with country ownership remaining the anchor of programme design and delivery.

Partnerships and support needs: Partners are willing to co-create and co-invest, but the scale of needs requires expanded technical assistance, capacity building and joint investment—especially in high-demand sectors like energy.

Closing remarks — Ms. Sophie de Coninck, Director, Means of Implementation Division, UNFCCC setting out immediate follow-up and the path beyond the current NBF phase

Key remarks

Mandated follow-up and COP reporting. The secretariat will track developments and report progress and early results at the next formal opportunity under the Long-term Finance agenda item, underscoring that this remains mandated work.

Phase closure, mandate continues. The Marketplace marked the close of the formal support provided by the UNFCCC secretariat under the NBF project for the three African activities with the RECs. It is not the end of the mandate: building on lessons from NBF, a new phase is being prepared to help countries assess needs and translate them into action through sustained, demand-led capacity-building and access to finance, linked to national development processes and scalable, systemic solutions.

Collaboration will continue with climate funds, UN agencies, and bilateral, regional, and other multilateral channels.

Clear next steps for proponents and partners. Programme leads should consolidate Marketplace discussions into an action plan; development and financing partners are encouraged to indicate and guide countries on immediate support opportunities.

Ownership of delivery. The impetus now lies with countries, RECs and partners to carry programmes forward through their own processes.