Events

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are essential to achieving global climate, biodiversity, and development goals, linking resilient livelihoods with restored ecosystems and delivering mitigation, adaptation, and nature-positive outcomes. For this reason, the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the Initiative for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT) brought together complementary perspectives grounded in longstanding investments in NbS. More

This event drew on the latest findings from the IPCC on the state of global warming, outlining where the world stands relative to the 1.5°C limit. Panelists presented findings on the current emissions gap: how far existing policies and pledges fall short of a 1.5°C-consistent pathway. More

Virginia Ziulu presented examples of geospatial analysis in climate and biodiversity evaluation, with Estelle Raimondo moderating. The session examined how spatial evidence can strengthen measurement, relevance, effectiveness, and accountability. More

Geeta Batra, Lauren Kelly, Rishabh Moudgill, Genta Konci, and Eileen Mairena Cunningham discussed evidence on Indigenous Peoples, biodiversity, and climate, with Carmen Nonay moderating. The session compared lessons from international evaluation functions and Indigenous organisations. It examined whether institutional commitments translate into direct access, decision-making power, and benefits for Indigenous communities. More

Geeta Batra, Lauren Kelly, Rishabh Moudgill, Genta Konci, and Eileen Mairena Cunningham discussed evidence on Indigenous Peoples, biodiversity, and climate, with Carmen Nonay moderating. More

Cofinancing is central to the GEF’s strategy for boosting project effectiveness and sustainability. Recent evaluation findings reveal both strengths and ongoing challenges in how cofinancing is mobilized and realized. More

Sustainably managing and protecting forests is critical to combat climate change. Land use change, particularly deforestation, contributes up to 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions. For this reason, the four largest multilateral climate funds (MCFs) – the Adaptation Fund (AF), Climate Investment Funds (CIF), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and Green Climate Fund (GCF) – have forestry-related programs and projects dedicated to adaptation and mitigation efforts and to support communities at the forefront of detrimental climate impacts. During this session, the evaluation units of the four climate funds shared lessons and recommendations from recently conducted forestry-related evaluations as a way of exploring how to maximize the impact of climate finance in forestry programs. More

Florent Bédécarrats, Ingrid Dallmann, Holimalala Randriamanampisoa and Melvin Wong discussed how satellite observations, combined with counterfactual methods, can assess whether protected areas reduce deforestation and wildfire across sites and portfolios. Because satellite data cannot capture household welfare or local experience, the session argued for combining it with household surveys, operational records, and governance data — respectively offering broad comparability, specificity, and insight into institutions and implementation. More

Kouessi Maximin Kodjo and Massiel Jiménez presented an evaluation of IFAD support to Small Island Developing States, with Mona Saleh Fetouh moderating. The evaluation covered 30 financed operations in 18 island states across four regions. It also examined policy engagement, knowledge management, and partnerships. A reconstructed theory of change linked multidimensional vulnerability with multidimensional resilience. The mixed-method design combined portfolio analysis with six country case studies. Artificial-intelligence-assisted document extraction was checked by evaluation analysts. More

This session discussed how evidence from evaluations shapes climate action in practice. More