Regional Training Workshop on Green Climate Fund (GCF) Concept Note Development (Central Asia)

9-12 June 2026 | Almaty, Kazakh

Climate and development professionals from five Central Asian countries gathered in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from 9 - 12 June 2026 to participate in the “Regional Training Workshop on Green Climate Fund (GCF) Concept Note Development (Central Asia)”. The four-day workshop brought together 24 participants from National Designated Authorities (NDAs), Accredited Entities (AEs), government agencies, development banks, and technical experts across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, reinforcing regional efforts to mobilize climate finance and strengthen climate action.

The workshop was organized by the Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT RRC.AP) in partnership with the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC), with financial support from the Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MoEJ). The workshop was designed to strengthen countries' capacities to prepare high-quality GCF concept notes, particularly under the Simplified Approval Process (SAP). The programme focused on the new concept note template, GCF policies and investment criteria, and the online submission process to enhance readiness for climate finance access.

The opening session featured welcome remarks by Dr. Guilberto Borongan, Director of AIT RRC.AP, followed by keynote addresses from Dr. Batyr Mammedov, Executive Director of CAREC; Ms. Zhanel Mauken, Senior Expert of the Climate Policy Department, Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan; and Mr. Taiki Kohno, Assistant Director, Climate Change Adaptation Office, Global Environment Bureau, Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MoEJ).

Throughout the training, participants deepened their understanding of the GCF funding architecture and strengthened their skills in project design and development. Using a highly interactive and hands-on approach, the programme combined expert presentations, group discussions, country team exercises, peer learning, and practical drafting sessions.

Over four thematic days, participants worked through key elements of concept note preparation, including GCF funding modalities, problem and objective analysis, theory of change development, logical framework formulation, and hands-on drafting of concept notes. Discussions also focused on strengthening NDA coordination functions, enhancing country programming and project pipeline development, improving the quality of concept notes, and improving countries' readiness for future GCF proposal development.

The training concluded with country teams presenting draft concept notes developed through the knowledge and practical skills gained during the four-day programme. Participants also completed a post-training evaluation and the representatives from AIT RRC.AP, CAREC, and MoEJ congratulated the participants on their successful completion of the workshop and emphasized the importance of continuing regional collaboration in advancing climate finance readiness. Participants subsequently shared their key reflections and lessons learned from the training. The workshop officially closed with a certificate-awarding ceremony, marking the successful completion of the training and another step toward strengthening project pipelines for climate finance in Central Asia.

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Reflection

“Our team will take the foundational draft materials developed during this workshop and refine them into a high-quality GCF Concept Note. I will also share these new templates and logical framework tools with my colleagues to strengthen our organization's pipeline for future climate finance applications.” -Mr. Aidar Yessembayev, Kazakhstan

This training will directly support our future work in several ways. First, we will continue consulting with international experts to develop Uzbekistan's GCF Country Programme, update our National Adaptation Plans, and provide technical support to candidate local authorities and banks in obtaining accreditation. Second, we now have the practical skills to develop high-quality concept notes using the appropriate template, logical framework, and supporting documentation. Finally, the regional coordination and information exchange with other Central Asian countries will enable us to align our climate finance mobilization efforts more effectively. -Mr. Elbek Shomuratov, Uzbekistan