09:00–09:20
(20 minutes) 

Opening of the Forum

Welcoming remarks.

Overview of the SCF Forum objectives and expected outcomes.

Welcoming remarks

09:20–09:50
(30 minutes)

Session 1: Scene-setting and framing the issues (plenary)

Scene-setting presenters (2)

• A science-based overview of water systems and the ocean, highlighting their interconnections as well as distinct characteristics, challenges, needs and gaps, within the context of climate change.  
• National perspective on the importance of water systems and the ocean in the context of climate change and the economy, including their role in livelihoods, food security and sustainable development drawing on experience and insights from designing and implementing national climate plans.

Session 2: Climate finance for water systems and the ocean – trends and gaps (plenary) 

Panellists (3)

• An overview of the current climate finance landscape for water systems and the ocean, including recent trends in finance flows, available data and evidence, needs and gaps and key challenges.
• Insights from an international climate fund on scaling climate finance for water systems and the ocean, including emerging priorities, challenges and opportunities.
• Perspectives from bilateral cooperation on access, partnerships and implementation for climate actions in water systems and the ocean.

11:00–13:00 
(120 minutes)

Session 3: Barriers affecting the flow of climate finance to water systems and the ocean — structural and systemic barriers

This session will assess the structural and systemic factors that constrain the scaling up of climate finance for water systems and the ocean. It will explore barriers across different levels of the finance landscape, including fiscal space and debt constraints, low financial returns and risk perceptions for adaptation-focused interventions, complexities associated with transboundary water resource management and challenges in translating policy priorities into project pipelines and finance-ready investments.

Format: Rotating “Focus Lab” modality

Under this modality, participants will engage in three parallel focus labs, with discussion leaders rotating across the groups through three 30-minute rounds to enable cumulative and interactive exchanges on all topics. The session will begin with brief ice-breaker introductions, and buffer time between rounds will facilitate transitions across the labs. Participants will be assigned to a focus lab with a view to ensuring balanced and interactive discussions across the groups, while also having the opportunity to engage with each discussion topic over the course of the session. Reflections and key takeaways can be shared during the closing wrap-up session of the day.

Focus Lab 1: Macro-fiscal and financial system constraints

Focus Lab 2: Policy priorities and implementation

Focus Lab 3: Investment and market barriers

14:30–16:30
(120 minutes)

Session 4: Enabling environments: governance and institutional systems for scaling climate finance

The session will explore how enabling environments at global, regional, national and subnational levels can create the institutional and governance systems necessary for scaling climate finance for water systems and the ocean. This session aims to examine how water systems and the ocean can be embedded within planning and policy frameworks, including nationally determined contributions and national adaptation plans, and how institutional arrangements, regional and national coordination mechanisms and capacity-building efforts can influence the coherence and impact of climate finance flows.

Format: Rotating “Focus Lab” modality

Focus Lab 1: Global and regional enabling environments

Focus Lab 2: National governance and planning systems

Focus Lab 3: Subnational and local  implementation systems

16:45–17:30
(45 minutes)

Day 1 Wrap-up: Reflection and interactive dialogue (plenary)

This session will provide an opportunity to reflect on key messages and insights emerging from the discussions held during Day 1.

09:00–09:45
(45 minutes)

Opening of Day 2: From barriers to delivery (panel discussion)

Panellists (3 presenters)

• Practical insights from project development and preparation processes in translating priorities into implementable and finance-ready initiatives for water systems and the ocean in the context of climate action.
• Perspectives from global partnerships, coalitions and alliances supporting implementation across different contexts and stakeholders.
• Experiences with delivery models and financial mechanism for strengthening access to and delivery of financing climate action in water systems and the ocean.

Q&A

09:45–11:30
(105 Minutes)

Session 5: Financial instruments and approaches for scaling climate finance for water systems and the ocean

The session will discuss a range of available financial instruments and innovative approaches, particularly public and private sources, blended and concessional finance that can support the scaling up of climate finance for water systems and the ocean.

Format: “Action Group” modality

Action Group A: Climate action for water systems – Financial sources and instruments

Action Group B: Climate action for the Ocean – Financial sources and instruments

11:45–13:30 
(105 minutes)

Session 6: Solutions to address barriers for the provision and mobilization of finance and investments

Building on the structural and systemic barriers identified during Day 1 and the instruments discussed in Session 5, this session will explore how financial solutions, stakeholder engagement, partnership approaches and enabling conditions can be combined to respond to specific constraints affecting the provision and mobilization of climate finance for water systems and the ocean. Discussions will aim to identify common lessons and practical considerations for improving the effectiveness and scalability of financing approaches across different contexts, including through collaboration among relevant public, private and community stakeholders.

Format: “Action Group” modality

Action Group A: Climate action for water systems - Matching solutions to barriers

Action Group B: Climate action for the Ocean - Matching solutions to barriers

Discussions will explore practical solutions and available support for addressing implementation, institutional and investment barriers affecting climate finance for the ocean. Discussions may also consider the role of partnerships, stakeholder engagement and coordination mechanisms in supporting the mobilization and delivery of finance. The Action Group will identify what makes solutions effective and what considerations are most relevant for accelerating implementation.

Session 7: Delivery and access: reaching local actors and communities

Assess how climate finance for water systems and the ocean is delivered to, or not effectively reaching, local actors responsible for implementation, including cities, subnational governments, and frontline communities. The session will consider practical experiences and emerging models that improve the delivery, accessibility, inclusiveness and effectiveness of climate finance at the local level.

Action Group A: Climate action for water systems – Delivery and access to climate finance at the local level

The climate action for water systems action group will identify institutional, financing and delivery approaches that support locally led implementation, including through sub-national and community-level delivery models and instruments, and direct access modalities.

Action Group B: Climate action for the Ocean – Delivery and access to climate finance at the local level

The climate action for the ocean action group will identify institutional, financing and delivery approaches that support locally led implementation, including through sub-national and community-level delivery models and instruments, and direct access modalities.

Session 8: Key Takeaways and recommendations (plenary)

This session will provide an opportunity for participants to reflect on the key messages and recommendations emerging from the two days of Forum discussions for consideration by the Standing Committee on Finance. Through an interactive exchange, participants will consider cross‑cutting insights, practical opportunities for advancing action and issues that may warrant further consideration and action by the COP.  

Closing remarks