By William Ysaguirre (Freelance Writer)
BELIZE CITY, Wed. Sept. 3, 2025
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has so far approved $54 million in funding for 5 projects in Belize, announced Kristin Lang, GCF regional director for the Caribbean and Central America, at Belize’s first National Climate Finance Forum, held under the theme, “Adaptation and Resilience”, as the culmination of Belize Climate Week, August 25 – 29.
The Ministries of Economic Transformation and Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Solid Waste Management partnered in hosting the one-day forum at the Grand Resort Hotel in Belize City last Friday, August 29.
The GCF is partnering with the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center (CCCCC) to implement the project, “Building the Adaptive Capacity of Sugar Cane Farmers in Northern Belize”, explained Lang. The GCF also has $1 million in the pipeline to help the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) convert the vision of Belize’s Nationally Determined Contributions 3.0 into reality. The GCF is also providing $10 million to help Belize prepare 24 project proposals to apply for grants from the GCF and other international funding agencies. Belize has $4 million in readiness to partner with the GCF in this process over the next 4 years.
Lang congratulated the Development Finance Corporation on becoming accredited to the GCF, as it is the DFC and PACT who are putting the money into action. She urged the Belizean conservation non-governmental organizations and other agencies to embrace the concept of “culturão”, a term coined by Brazil’s president Lula Da Silva, as they join efforts to turn climate risk into an opportunity, for “the future is now”!
“Each partner, private and public sector, has a role to play, and adaptation is not optional. The need for action is urgent,” Lang affirmed. The private sector is already comparing the various risks being faced, to identify the priority areas where the cost of doing nothing will hurt the most, for all climate risks are not equal. It is becoming clear that the public sector can’t pay for everything, nor should everything be funded through foreign grants, since success requires collective action—a joint effort for greatest impact. Public policy should create an enabling environment for collective private action, to coordinate and avoid duplication of effort, to avoid wasting time and resources, Lang noted.
Her audience at the forum included government officials, the diplomatic corps – including the ambassadors of countries which have partnered with Belize in financing development NGOs—businessmen, members of academia, and civil societies.
During the forum, PACT director Abil Castañeda affirmed that “Action, Impact and Results” (AIR) are the top priorities at P.A.C.T.” The “Building Community Resilience Via Transformative Adaptation” Project is being funded with USD$5 million from the Adaptation Fund over the next 5 years, said Castaneda, and he pointed out that this program empowers Belizeans to safeguard our forests, our water and livelihoods against the threats of drought, floods, unpredictable weather and wildfires. PACT signed the first cohort of this project with the Forest Department, the Sarteneja Village Council, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA), and the Belmopan City Council earlier this year. PACT signed a 2nd cohort of grants for 4 programs valued at Bze$3.2 million on Friday, with the National Biodiversity Office to protect the Macal and Mopan watersheds through community engagement, and with the Ladyville Fire Service and National Fire Service to strengthen fire management and prevention in Ladyville, Sandhill and Bermudian Landing. The Belize Zoo also received a grant for fire management in Hattieville, Gracie Rock and the Ji-Chan community at Mile 25. Additionally, the Ministry of Rural Transformation is implementing a project for flood mitigation and disaster management in San Jose, Trial Farm, Blue Creek and Golden Stream villages.
Minister of State for Finance, Hon. Christopher Coye, commented at the forum that climate finance must form a central pillar of Belize’s financial landscape. He acknowledged, however, that Nationally Determined Contributions 3.0 fall US$455 million short of what is necessary for mitigation and US$480.3 million short of the needed funds for adaptation over the next 10 years, which underscores the urgency to mobilize resources at scale. “Our task now is to seize opportunities — optimizing our significant carbon asset base, pursuing blended climate finance, and transitioning from single projects to programmatic approaches that can deliver transformative change. This requires not only fiscal innovation but also strong partnerships with institutions like the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, and Global Environmental Facility,” Coye emphasized.
Belize’s key sectors: agriculture, fisheries, tourism, and infrastructure are all increasingly affected by climate extremes, the Minister of State for Economic Transformation, Hon. Osmond Martinez PhD, noted at the forum, and he called on all interested parties to support the Climate Finance Unit and partner institutions in accelerating action. “Our task is to ensure the story of our people is not one of loss, but one of resilience and opportunity,” he said.
Belize is among the nations most vulnerable to climate impacts, although it has contributed very little to global greenhouse gas emissions, Minister of Sustainable Development, Hon. Orlando Habet noted. Belize has shown leadership, however, through its Blue Bond, the BELCOGEN bagasse-to-energy project, and its comprehensive nationally determined contributions.
The panel discussions which followed served to form a clear roadmap, a shared understanding, of where finance can have the greatest impact, and a renewed commitment to work together. Both government and development partners committed to help Belize access concessionary financing, with innovative instruments such as green bonds, resilience bonds, and trading in carbon credits, to give institutions the capacity to implement large-scale climate programs.
