DILI, 28 April 2026 (TATOLI) – The Global Environment Facility has announced new funding support to strengthen climate action among the world’s least developed countries. The package includes a new US$2.2 million project to boost institutional capacity within the Least Developed Countries Group.
Speaking at the LDC Strategy Meeting in Dili, Timor-Leste’s capital, Chizuru Aoki, Manager of the Multilateral Environmental Agreements and Funds Division, said the new project—titled Support to the LDC Group on Climate Change for Impactful and Just Climate Action—will help strengthen technical, financial, and logistical support for the LDC Secretariat, while also advancing knowledge-sharing, capacity-building, and implementation at national and regional levels.
Aoki said the announcement comes alongside a positive consensus on the next replenishment phase of the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), which is due to begin on 1 July 2026.
“This is truly an occasion to celebrate that GEF can continue supporting all of you in a meaningful and productive way,” Aoki said.
She praised the active engagement of the LDC Group, under the chairmanship of Timor-Leste and leadership of climate envoy Adão Soares Barbosa, in shaping consensus during replenishment negotiations.
Aoki said global instability, geopolitical tensions and growing pressure on climate finance make strategic coordination among vulnerable countries increasingly important ahead of the Subsidiary Bodies meeting in Bonn and COP31 in Antalya later this year.
Complementing the GEF announcement, World Bank Group Resident Representative in Timor-Leste David Freedman stressed that climate change remains one of the defining challenges of the era and called collective action the only viable response.
“For the World Bank Group, it is an honour to support this meeting and the participation of the LDC Group in global climate processes,” Freedman said, while expressing confidence in Timor-Leste’s ability to chair the LDC bloc and help build consensus in negotiations.
He also highlighted the World Bank’s growing focus on climate-linked development through initiatives on energy access, climate-smart agriculture and water security, as well as stronger public-private collaboration to mobilize climate investment.
Meanwhile, Adão Soares Barbosa said Timor-Leste itself has benefited significantly from international climate finance, receiving US$67 million from the LDCF and more than US$100 million in support through GEF mechanisms since ratifying the climate convention in 2006.
He added Timor-Leste has also secured US$65.3 million from the Green Climate Fund for projects currently under implementation, while an Early Warning System initiative valued at US$21.7 million is supporting national climate resilience.
As part of the meeting, delegates are scheduled to visit Aileu to observe the impact of the US$4.4 million Ikan Adapt project funded through the LDCF, including support to local fish-farming communities.
“These investments demonstrate that climate finance is producing concrete impacts for communities on the ground,” Barbosa said, adding continued advocacy is needed to expand access to climate funds for vulnerable countries.
The three-day strategy meeting in Dili is expected to help sharpen common LDC priorities ahead of upcoming climate negotiations, while reinforcing calls for stronger implementation support, accessible finance and greater representation for vulnerable nations in the global climate agenda.
TATOLI
