Masterclass on Climate Adaptation Finance

The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), has launched a pioneering Masterclass on Climate Adaptation Finance to equip private financial institutions with the tools to identify, design, and scale climate-resilient investments. 

Event description

The urgency is clear: Africa received just 3.3% of global climate finance in 2021/22, with only 1.2% coming from private sources. While public funding remains essential, adaptation at scale will only be achieved if private financial institutions play a larger role in channeling capital toward climate-resilient solutions. 

This Masterclass is designed specifically to address that gap. By focusing on the needs of PFIs, it builds capacity to translate climate risk assessments into bankable opportunities, develop tailored financial products for adaptation, and integrate resilience into lending and investment decisions. 

GCA is now convening the first in-person delivery of the Masterclass for its partner institutions and selected stakeholders. This pilot session will serve as a testing ground for the curriculum and the accompanying Body of Knowledge (BoK). Participants will engage in practical case studies, exchange experiences, and provide structured feedback to refine the program. The goal is to ensure the Masterclass is practical, relevant, and impactful – equipping PFIs to drive the mobilization of private capital needed for Africa’s climate resilience.  

About the Masterclass 
The Masterclass is anchored in a modular BoK comprising six core modules. These modules strengthen FI staff capacity to assess physical and transition climate risks and develop bankable adaptation investments that build resilience for millions across the continent while aligning with national climate priorities. 

Benefits of the Masterclass to Financial Institutions 
By strategically engaging financial institutions, the Masterclass highlights adaptation finance not just as a necessity, but as a growth frontier. FIs can: 

• Protect portfolios from climate shocks. 
• Unlock massive market opportunities. 
• Safeguard long-term development gains through resilient value chains and new products. 

Expected Outcomes 
By the end of the training, participants will: 

• Gain a deeper understanding of adaptation finance and its role in addressing client needs under climate stress. 
• Enhance their ability to design and deploy adaptation finance facilities intentionally and strategically. 
• Contribute feedback to finalize the BoK and the online Masterclass platform, both of which will serve as global public goods for the financial sector. 

The Masterclass is envisioned to scale through a certification pathway via partnerships with supervisory institutions to extend its reach across their financial institutions: and potentially an online platform accessible to all. Over time, this approach will create a growing network of champions for adaptation finance, driving adoption of climate-resilient investment across multiple sectors. 

While this inaugural Masterclass targets financial institutions, the BoK and platform are equally relevant for a broader set of financial service providers, including impact funds, guarantee schemes, and microfinance institutions.