Since 2023 GGGI, supported by PeaceNexus Foundation, is developing conflict-sensitive green growth strategies. During the first phase, Country Representatives from Africa had the opportunity to strengthen their capacities on Conflict Sensitivity (CS) and piloting approaches in three counties (Burkina Faso, Colombia, and Ethiopia) which allowed the design of conflict sensitivity integration roadmaps and tailored tools.

The second phase will expand these efforts, deepen capacity, and integrate conflict sensitivity into GGGI at operational and strategic levels. This initiative aims to strengthen GGGI’s leadership in conflict-sensitive green growth, aligning its work with donor interests and fostering partnerships that address the intersections of climate, conflict, and peace.

This project spans GGGI’s global, regional, and national levels, combining strategic and operational actions to enable GGGI to deliver green growth impact in conflict and fragile contexts. At the global level, GGGI will embed conflict sensitivity in strategic documents like the ESS Values Framework and the GESI Strategy, develop organizational policies for conflict-sensitive green growth, and create a Conflict Sensitivity Community of Practice.

Regionally, the focus will be on building staff capacity, promoting knowledge exchange, designing targeted tools and integrating them into key processes in Africa and Latin America and the Caribbeans. Efforts include tailored tools, hybrid training, and expanding access to conflict sensitivity courses.

Additionally, the project will contribute to resource mobilization efforts, identifying funding opportunities, supporting the development of project concept notes, and the establishment of partnerships to enhance GGGI’s leadership in environmental peacebuilding.

Green growth is directly affected by conflict, peace and fragility.  The countries most affected by climate change, environmental degradation and unsustainable development are also facing high levels of conflict and fragility. A GEF evaluation found that 44% of projects in its portfolio were in countries affected by major armed conflict, and 88% were in very or moderately fragile countries, most of these countries overlap with countries where GGGI has operations.  As conflicts increase, the ability to manage climate risks and natural resources decrease.  Green growth can help to mitigate conflict drivers, or can exacerbate them, depending on how it is undertaken and who is perceived to benefit.

At COP28 (December 2023), a Declaration was adopted on “Climate, Relief, Recovery and Peace”. It calls for “bolder collective action to build climate resilience at the scale and speed required in highly vulnerable countries and communities, particularly those threatened or affected by fragility or conflict, or facing severe humanitarian needs, many of which are Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States”. A conflict sensitivity approach is central to enabling operations and impact in those contexts. It helps ensure that green growth action does not unintentionally fuel violence, marginalization or exclusion, but instead supports inclusion, participation of stakeholders and countries’ capacities to cooperate and collectively address the challenges they face.

The project will result in the improvement of GGGI’s Safeguarding, Quality of Delivery and Resource Mobilization through the inclusion of a Conflict Sensitivity (CS) approach at strategic and operational levels, enabling the organization to deliver green growth impacts in conflict and fragile contexts.

The following are the project outcomes:

Outcome 1: Conflict Sensitvity approach is integrated in strategic GGGI’s documents and systems at the global level

Outcome 2. Staff capacities on conflict sensitive approach are strengthened at regional and country levels in LAC and Africa

Outcome 3. Conflict Sensitivity is integrated into Resource Mobilization Strategies at regional and country