Climate funds can help governments to integrate and mainstream climate risks into national social protection policies and programs. Such support, argue the authors, is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic approach for building resilience, reducing poverty, and ensuring that the most vulnerable communities are not left behind in the face of climate change.
The authors analyzed 146 projects funded by the six climate funds in 2022 and found that only 13 projects (8.9%) were social protection-related projects, making up just 9.25% of total funding from the six funds that year. The projects were not linked to strengthening or leveraging the national social protection system but applied through cash and in-kind transfers and labor market policies.