…The call for funding requests will be opened for 6 months, starting from December 1st.
THUR OCT 16 2025-theGBJournal| The Board of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) has just concluded its 7th meeting in Manila, Philippines, where it took critical decisions, paving the way for its first call for funding requests, the Barbados Implementation Modalities (BIM).
This marks a fundamental step in the Fund’s operationalization, and a shift from set up to delivery.
This Board meeting occurred at a critical time, as the Fund intensifies its efforts to swiftly begin to support loss and damage response in developing nations after COP30, amid a worsening climate crisis that is worsening vulnerabilities.
With the climate crisis escalating, vulnerability is rising and the need for on the-ground support has never been more urgent.
The FRLD must show its ability to start delivering on its mandate, providing funding to support loss and damage response.
Heading to COP30, dubbed the “implementation COP”, the FRLD plans to launch a call for funding requests to initiate its first disbursements.
”This is one of the historic Board meetings of our term. We have taken a lot of key decisions in the past, including appointing the Executive Director, signing the Hosts and Trustee agreements,” said Richard Sherman, co-Chair of the Fund.
”We have now approved the BIM, along with a set of policies that will allow the BIM to be operational and will formally launch the call for proposals at COP30. We must now need to demonstrate that the Fund is taking action for developing nations,” he concluded.
The BIM, so named as it was initially announced at the 5th Board meeting in Barbados, is the Fund’s first call for funding requests where $250 million has been allocated to support its first set of interventions.
The framework will provide grants ranging from $5 million to $20 million per intervention.
The call for funding requests will be opened for 6 months, starting from December 1st.
“The launch of the BIM is a testament to our commitment to start providing support to vulnerable developing nations, “said Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, FRLD Executive Director. “We will continue to refine this funding mechanism, shaping how the FRLD will deliver support to communities grappling with the irreversible impacts of climate change in the future.”
As part of the BIM, the Board approved the Project Cycle, which will provide countries with a clear understanding of the funding process. It also endorsed eligibility criteria founded on country-led, bottom-up approaches which will empower nations to drive their own climate responses and leverage contextually relevant methods.
The Board also approved access modalities to ensure resources reach intended beneficiaries effectively. It defined processes for direct access for direct budget support or for access through entities accredited to the Adaptation Fund, the GEF and the GCF.
Developing countries wishing to access the fund directly or in partnerships with access entities are invited to engage with the FRLD Secretariat as they are coordinating the preparation of their funding requests.
As approved by the Board, countries seeking the support from the Fund will notably be required to designate national focal points to coordinate on-the-ground actions and identify funding priorities.
The success of FRLD interventions is inherently linked to the availability of resources.
While the initial pledges of $768 million from 28 countries received since COP28 represent a significant and celebrated start, this amount falls far short of the vast and growing needs on the ground.
To address this critical gap, at the 7th Board meeting, the Board also agreed that a first replenishment process will start in 2027 and on the steps towards the preparation of Resource Mobilization Strategy.
”Our work is just beginning. The initial pledges are a good start, but we must now build upon this momentum,” said Ibrahima Cheikh Diong. “Our task is to now develop and refine a strategy based on the Board’s feedback and develop a concrete action plan to secure the substantial and additional funding required to fulfil our mandate.”
With the launch of the BIM, the Secretariat is gearing up to develop the long-term model of the Fund in 2026 to guide future workstreams.
With the Board meeting concluded, the Fund’s focus now shifts to implementation. The Secretariat is moving diligently to operationalize the decisions made in Manila, acting with urgency to deliver critical support to vulnerable developing communities.
Co-chairperson, Jean Christophe Donnellier, commended the Board on the significant milestones achieved to date. He expressed his appreciation for their hard work and dedication over the past two years, highlighting their unwavering commitment to the FRLD’s success.”
It’s been a privilege to serve the Fund over the last three years, and I recognize the tremendous effort that has brought us this far. I am convinced that this FRLD can make a meaningful difference for developing nations and I wish the Fund every success,” he concluded.
With the launch of the BIM, the Fund now enters a critical implementation phase, upholding its mandate as a critical pillar of climate action – alongside mitigation and adaptation.
As it transitions from planning to action, the FRLD stands as a beacon of hope for vulnerable nations on the frontlines of the climate crisis, and a powerful demonstration of global solidarity.
The Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), an operating entity under the financial mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), addresses the growing needs of vulnerable communities in developing countries facing the irreversible impacts of climate change.
By financing recovery initiatives from climate-related losses and damage, the Fund empowers communities to rebuild and adapt. It strives for country-led locally driven solutions, ensuring interventions are aligned to country needs, priorities and contexts.
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