Julian Cho Society Eyes Global First in Climate Fund Bid

Here’s a story that could put Belize on the global map in a big way. The Julian Cho Society, a grassroots NGO based in the south, is gearing up to make history. They’re working on what could become the world’s first-ever indigenous-led project submitted to the Green Climate Fund. Now, if you’re wondering what that means, it’s a big deal. The Green Climate Fund is a major international platform that supports climate action in developing countries. And the Julian Cho Society, which has long championed the rights of indigenous Maya communities, is leading the charge with a proposal focused on land rights, environmental protection, and sustainable development. Last week, representatives from the organization sat down with the Climate Finance Unit to hammer out the details. And leading that conversation was Carlos Pol, CEO in the Ministry of Economic Transformation. He’s got more on what this groundbreaking initiative could mean for Belize and for indigenous communities worldwide.

 

Carlos Pol, Chief Executive Officer, Ministry of Economic Transformation

“The Julian Cho has reached out to us, the Ministry Economic Transformation because we are the National Designated Authority, the NDA for the Green Climate Fund, along with others climate change funds. So they had put together a draft concept note. They have sat with us and we have discussed this concept note with them along with the accredited entity because it’s important to note that any GCA project, it cannot be implemented, by no one it has to be a national accredited entity and in this case, PACT is the entity. So we invited PACT to the discussion for us to sit down and review the concept note, because the concept note has to be aligned with three things. First, that it’s aligned to the to the SDGs. It’s aligned to the country’s medium strategy and to the GCF country framework that we have with them. So we are collaborating. It would be the first project that is being prepared for the indigenous sector is the first in east and the farm, the first in the region. Both. And us and GCF is very interesting to see how that project would come out.”

 

Reporter

“And how far along is it?”

 

Carlos Pol

“It’s just at the initial stage, just concept note. Then we have, once we complete the concept note, it’ll be provided to GCF for them to give us the green light and put together the project proposal.”