A Complaint System under the Climate Change Financial Mechanism: Using the GEF and the CDM as Examples

Abstract

A complaint system under the climate change financial mechanism (CCFM) will be critical if such a mechanism is to be perceived as legitimate. CCFM can adopt a wide range of institutional design options, depending on scale, sources of funding, and types of activities funded. The need for and institutional design of a complaint system will accordingly depend on the specific design choices. By using the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) as examples, this article will focus on one specific type of CCFM—multi-lateral CCFM for project-lending purposes with multistakeholders— and put forward several recommendations for the design of its complaint system.