Green Overseas Climate Finance Forum

There are 13 EU Overseas Countries and Territories[1] and 12 inhabited UK Overseas Territories[2] (OCTs) located in the Atlantic, Caribbean, Indian and Pacific oceans and which form part of the Green Overseas programme.[3] The Green Overseas Programme, funded by the European Union and implemented by Expertise France, aims to contribute to the sustainable, resilient and inclusive development of European and British overseas countries and territories.

OCTs should be globally recognised as special cases for accelerated low-carbon energy transition and climate change adaptation, given that their small size, geographic isolation and reliance on fossil fuel imports make them particularly vulnerable to climate and economic shocks. Yet this vulnerability is not well recognised. Likewise, there is limited understanding of OCTs’ restricted access to multilateral climate funds, assistance from the UK and EU countries (despite their associate status) and limited capacity to take advantage of other finance opportunities.

Learning from the experiences of OCTs in accessing and using climate finance and other instruments to build financial resilience, and sharing knowledge on how barriers can be overcome, is critical if EU and UK governments, climate funds and the international climate community are serious about supporting some of the world’s most climate-vulnerable places. This is the aim of the Green Overseas Climate Finance Forum (GO CFF).

The GO CFF is an important event in the 2024 calendar for EU and UK OCTs, taking place in Brussels from 7-11 October 2024, in advance of COP29. Up to 150 delegates representing OCT governments, the private sector, civil society organisations including youth representatives, international and regional funds and organisations, as well as representatives from the EU, UK, the Netherlands and Denmark will participate in the GO CFF.