Climate finance in Tunisia

February 14, 2023

Within the Voices for Just Climate Action program (VCA) framework, Hivos is hosting the first national workshop on “Climate Finance” in Tunisia. The workshop will take place on February 16, 2023 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Hammamet, Tunisia. A multi-stakeholder dialogue will be conducted to get meaningful feedback on climate finance mapping and strengthen collaboration between the different climate actors in Tunisia, including VCA partners.

A soon-to-be published study conducted by Hivos within the VCA program framework assessed the current state of climate finance in Tunisia. It identified potential areas for improving access to climate finance for local climate solutions that benefit the most marginalized communities who are on the frontline of fighting climate change.

Despite many good words and intentions, most climate finance flows still lack transparency.

Global vision and local impact

The climate crisis is hitting home in ever more unprecedented ways. Power resides with those who decide where resources will flow to tackle this crisis and adapt to its impacts. Despite many good words and intentions, most climate finance flows still lack transparency. They are decided by bilateral or multilateral agencies and flow through international intermediary organizations, such as the World Bank, that are far removed from local expertise and needs. This is why only an estimated 10% reaches context-specific solutions at the local level that are effective and owned by those whose lives they affect.

However, there are some mechanisms that try to build local capacity and allow local communities (including priority rightsholders) decide where to channel money so it can be of most use to them. Those mechanisms need to be improved to become even more responsive and reach the lowest community levels.

Climate finance in Tunisia

The study found that Tunisia has made significant progress in recent years in terms of climate finance. The country has established several climate finance initiatives, including the Tunisian Climate Change Fund, the Tunisian Green Fund, and the Tunisian Climate Change Investment Fund. These initiatives have enabled the country to increase its investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and other climate-related projects.

However, the study also identified a number of areas where Tunisia could improve its climate finance efforts. For example, the study found that the country’s climate finance initiatives are not well-coordinated and that there is a lack of clarity regarding the roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders. Additionally, it found that the country’s climate finance initiatives are not well-targeted and that there is a need for more effective monitoring and evaluation of climate finance projects. At present, no available platform can provide clear and accessible information about the climate finance allocated funds.

Therefore, to increase access to climate finance, Tunisia needs to strengthen its capacity to access and manage funding. This includes developing a clear strategy for accessing climate finance and improving the country’s capacity to manage and implement climate finance projects. Additionally, Tunisia needs to focus on building partnerships with international donors and organizations to increase access to climate finance.

Overall, the results and recommendations of the climate finance study of Tunisia will be of great importance to the country’s efforts to reduce its emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change. By implementing the study’s recommendations, Tunisia can ensure that its climate finance initiatives are well coordinated, well targeted, and effectively monitored and evaluated. This will help the country to make the most of its climate finance investments and to ensure that its efforts to reduce emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change are successful.

VCA climate finance advocacy

Advocating to direct climate financial flows toward local climate solutions is one of the key components of the VCA program. The VCA consortium supports national and local stakeholders to access climate finance through several mechanisms, including capacity building, joint global advocacy with international climate finance instruments, and supporting local CSOs by providing technical assistance.