Inclusive Climate Finance for Communities in the Asia Pacific (ICCAP)

Despite growing political commitment to inclusive green finance, it is still not reaching the most climate-vulnerable communities. The main beneficiaries of ICCAP will be those in marginalized, rural communities, and the most affected groups within these communities, namely women, the poor, young people, and Indigenous Peoples. Private sector financial service providers (FSPs) and public sector actors will work in partnership to build viable models and systems to serve these vulnerable groups.

Hands holding seedling in dirt, Lincoln, US — Photo: Noah Buscher / Unsplash.

ICCAP targets a triple bottom-line, yielding economic, social, and environmental benefits. These services will enable households to diversify revenue streams or invest in assets that provide greater resistance to climate impacts, for example: climate-resistant seeds, water-saving drip irrigation or homes that are fit-for-purpose.

Through a gender-inclusive focus, the programme will further catalyze women’s economic empowerment within these contexts, which is well evidenced to benefit adaptation, as well as growth from local to national scales.

ICCAP aims to scale up private sector financial flows from international financial markets across these countries to strengthen their climate resilience, achieve low-carbon and sustainable growth, while being inclusive and socially just.

The programme will develop and scale-up evidence-based green financial products directed mostly towards rural smallholders and vulnerable communities. The selection of products will be based on country contexts, as well as on each country’s climate commitments – that is, their nationally determined contributions (NDCs). This will be complemented by a regional financing scheme for Asia-Pacific countries aimed at mobilizing private funds through financial markets.

This programme will be carried out by consortium collaboration. SEI is a lead coordinator and will work with the following partners: