Scaling social protection for climate action: Insights from and for multilateral climate funds

This document is a guidance note developed under the Task Force on Linking Adaptive Social Protection and Climate Financing (an initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, BMZ), and jointly with the five major multilateral climate funds. Serving as both a knowledge resource and a practical guide, it provides recommendations for national social protection actors, policy makers, multilateral climate funds, and development organisations on how to embed social protection across climate action. It also maps out concrete entry points for social protection across fund mandates, frameworks and funding windows.

The report concluded that concerted actions are necessary from social protection stakeholders, MCFs, and regional and international organisations engaged in this area. From its findings, the guidance note then details 11 recommendations targeted to different stakeholders. These key actions outlined are hoped by the authors to fill the gaps that currently exist between social protection and climate action. While the recognition of social protection's role is growing, the remaining gaps point to the need for more systematic integration, and unlocking the potential of social protection will require deliberate modification and investment.