The world, and developing countries in particular, urgently need more finance to address the climate crisis and its impacts. But more money alone won’t solve the problem. There must also be systems in place to ensure finance reaches the people and communities that need it most. Without effective mechanisms for transparency and accountability, there is also a heightened risk of corruption and mismanagement of resources earmarked for climate mitigation and adaptation efforts.

Globally, there is a lack of consistent data on where climate funds are flowing and who makes decisions on them. Fewer than 20 countries have climate budget tagging systems, and only a few have a clear definition for climate finance.

Moreover, while many countries have established public participation in climate-related decisions to an extent, too often these opportunities are late in the process or are not designed to be inclusive. They may also fail to close to the feedback loop with participants by showing how their input was considered in the final decision.

WRI, in partnership with Huairou Commission and SouthSouthNorth (SSN), launched the Green Accountability Platform to help address these issues. WRI received 132 proposals from civil society organizations (CSOs) in Bangladesh, Brazil, Cameroon, Mexico and Senegal focused on making climate finance and policymaking more transparent, inclusive and accountable. Five finalists were selected in each country (25 total) and $375,000 was awarded in each country.

“Green accountability” is about ensuring those who face the most risk from climate change have timely access to information, can influence decisions that impact them and make public authorities answer to them when commitments are not met.

The Green Accountability Platform provides strategic finance to CSOs to make climate finance governance for mitigation and adaptation more transparent, participatory and accountable. It offers grants, tools and shared learning and supports coalition building for civil society organizations working at the grassroots and national levels. The platform aims to improve the impact and equity of climate finance by supporting integration of community, citizen and CSO feedback into climate finance decision making. Learn more.

Following an open and competitive application process, WRI selected Twenty-five civil society organizations (CSOs) from Bangladesh, Brazil, Cameroon, Mexico and Senegal to receive Green Accountability funds to lead projects striving to make climate finance and policy making more transparent, inclusive and accountable. The recipient organizations are as follows:

BANGLADESH

  • Bangladesh Environment and Development Society (BEDS)
  • Dataful
  • WaterAid
  • WAVE Foundation
  • BRAZIL
  • Centro Brasil no Clima (CBC)
  • Fiquem Sabendo (FS)
  • Instituto de Estudos Socioeconômicos (INESC)
  • Instituto Fronteiras
  • The Onça D’água Association
  • CAMEROON
  • Action for Sustainable Development (ASD)
  • Le Cercle International pour la Promotion de la Création (CIPCRE)
  • COMINSUD
  • Service d'Appui aux Initiatives Locales de Développement (SAILD)
  • Women for a Change (Wfac)

MEXICO

  • Causa Natura Center
  • ENGENERA
  • Espacio de Encuentro de Culturas Originarias (EECO)
  • Grupo de Financiamiento Climático para América Latina y el Caribe (GFLAC)
  • Transparencia Mexicana

SENEGAL

  • Action Solidaire Internationale (ASI)
  • Association Diaoulé D'abord (A2D)
  • Budgit Foundation Senegal
  • Citoyens Actifs pour la Justice Sociale (CAJUST)
  • Espace de Co-production des Offres Populaires pour l'Environnement et le Développement en Afrique

"Green accountability means ensuring that those most at risk of the impacts of climate change have timely access to information, can influence decisions affecting them, and hold public authorities accountable when commitments fall short," said Jesse Worker, Senior Associate, WRI. “Indigenous Peoples, women’s groups, youth organizations, local authorities and other subnational and national officials will have greater capacity to understand climate finance sources and allocation decisions so that they can influence and monitor them.”

WRI received 132 proposals from civil society organizations (CSOs) and selected five in each selected country. By the end of 2025, the grant recipients will have implemented efforts to strengthen country networks advocating for green accountability, developed evidence-based advocacy plans and initiated dialogues with decision-makers that are likely to lead to more equitable, transparent and accountable climate action that benefits people and the planet.

“The support of the Green Accountability grant will allow us to continue our work with rural women in the country, strengthening their capacities in terms of public climate financing and financing for gender equality. We hope to contribute to the global fight to stop the climate crisis that primarily affects women and children,” said Beatriz Olivera, Executive Director, Engenera Mexico.

“The Green Accountability grant is a game-changer for Instituto Fronteiras. With our experience in REDD+ projects in the Amazon, this funding will enable us to enhance transparency and accountability in climate finance, ensuring that our efforts to protect the Amazon are both effective and equitable. This support will not only strengthen our advocacy but also foster greater collaboration with local communities and stakeholders, driving impactful climate action in this region,” said Charles Borges Rossi, Founder Instituto Fronteiras, Brazil.

“We aim to protect climate-vulnerable communities, amplify the voices of the marginalized, and uphold the rights of every citizen. Through this project, we aspire to catalyze a transformative approach to financial flows, fostering sustainable development and resilience. We believe this initiative can be the starting point for a broader movement toward environmental and social accountability,” said Anika Asgar, Business Development Officer, WaterAid, Bangladesh.

The Green Accountability Platform is a consortium consisting of World Resource Institute, Huairou Commission and SouthSouthNorth (SSN), made possible with financial support from the World Bank Global Partnership for Social Accountability.

Launch event recording links:

Contacts:

 

Cover image by Angel Cibemba / WRI Africa