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Institutional Innovations and Their Challenges in the Green Climate Fund: Country Ownership, Civil Society Participation and Private Sector Engagement

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  • Thomas Kalinowski

    (Graduate School of International Studies, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea)

Abstract

This article investigates the institutional innovations within the Green Climate Fund (GCF), a new international organization that finances climate mitigation and adaptation in developing countries. In particular, donor–recipient parity in decision making, civil society participation and private sector involvement are explored. The aim of this study is to lay the institutional groundwork for a larger study that will be analyzing the effect of these institutional innovations on the design and result of the fund’s projects. An exploratory qualitative case study approach is used that includes the review of the secondary literature, official sources from the GCF, participant observation and semi-structured interviews. This article concludes that the GCF indeed implemented important institutional innovations that are unique for a major international organization. At the same time, this article reveals that these innovations have created some important challenges for the functioning of the fund. For example, donor–recipient parity, in combination with consensus orientation, initially led to gridlock. It is also difficult for the GCF to balance the goal of transparency and civil society participation with the need for secrecy of private contracts and a speedy process demanded by the private sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Kalinowski, 2020. "Institutional Innovations and Their Challenges in the Green Climate Fund: Country Ownership, Civil Society Participation and Private Sector Engagement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-13, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:21:p:8827-:d:433907
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Hameeda A. AlMalki & Christopher M. Durugbo, 2023. "Systematic review of institutional innovation literature: towards a multi-level management model," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 73(2), pages 731-785, June.
    2. Bhatnagar, S. & Sharma, D., 2022. "Evolution of green finance and its enablers: A bibliometric analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    3. Thomas Gehring & Linda Spielmann, 2023. "The treaty management organization established under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement: an international actor in its own right?," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 235-252, September.

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