Green Climate Fund Picks Nairobi to Host Africa Regional Office for East and Southern Africa
Nairobi will host the Green Climate Fund‘s (GCF) Regional Office for East and Southern Africa, following a decision by the GCF Board at its 44th meeting held in Songdo, South Korea, from 25 to 28 March 2026.
The selection positions Kenya’s capital as a key node in the global climate finance architecture, bringing the world’s largest dedicated climate fund physically closer to the governments, civil society organisations, and communities it is mandated to serve across the sub-region.
“This brings us closer to the countries we serve for more efficient delivery of climate action,” the GCF stated in its announcement.
Nairobi’s designation came at the end of a highly competitive global process. The GCF received proposals from 47 developing countries, 17 of them African, before the Board approved the final host selections under Decision B.41/10. The decision also established a second Africa office in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, covering Central, North, and West Africa, alongside offices in Panama City for Latin America and the Caribbean, and Jordan for Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East.
Kenya’s State Department for Environment and Climate Change welcomed the outcome, describing the selection as recognition of the country’s leadership in environmental governance and climate diplomacy.
The Nairobi office will serve as an operational hub for the GCF’s work across Eastern and Southern Africa, a region that is disproportionately vulnerable to climate impacts including prolonged drought, flooding, and sea-level rise, yet has historically struggled to access adequate climate finance.
Functions of the regional office are expected to include providing technical assistance to national designated authorities, supporting the accreditation and capacity building of local implementing entities, accelerating project development and approval pipelines, and strengthening monitoring and accountability frameworks for funded projects.
For civil society organisations and community-based groups working on climate adaptation and mitigation across the sub-region, the office’s proximity could lower the barriers that have long made GCF funding difficult to access.
The regional office announcement was accompanied by a substantial funding decision. The GCF Board approved nearly $1 billion in new climate finance at the Songdo meeting, with approximately $441 million, nearly half of the total, directed towards projects on the African continent. Among the largest allocations was a $250 million World Bank-backed programme to expand resilient energy access across 21 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa.
The combined signals, a regional office and increased project approvals, suggest a deliberate effort by the GCF to deepen its engagement with Africa at both the institutional and programming levels.
Nairobi is already home to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters, the UN Office at Nairobi, and more than 150 international and intergovernmental organisations, making it one of the continent’s most established multilateral hubs. The GCF office will add to this ecosystem, with around 26 staff expected to be based in Africa across the new regional offices.
GCF Executive Director Mafalda Duarte indicated that offices could begin operations as early as 2027, subject to the finalisation of host country agreements covering staff privileges and immunities.
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