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Enabling Lesotho's Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF)

Introduction

The Ministry of Defence, National Security and Environment under the Lesotho Meteorological Services (LMS) will be implementing a three-year project titled “Enabling Lesotho’s enhanced Transparency Framework” supported by Global Environment Facility (GEF) with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as the delivery partner from January 2023 to December 2025. The project will engage with and benefit a wide range of stakeholders across all sectors and levels of government. Beneficiaries will include national and local-level government, non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations, private sector actors, academia, and ultimately, local communities. This project will assist Lesotho overcome and address the barriers that prevent the country from meeting its international commitments as set out in Articles 4 and 13 of the Paris Agreement. 

Project Objective

The object of the project is to build and strengthen Lesotho’s national capacities for planning, monitoring and evaluating its climate policies and actions as defined in the Nationally Determined Contribution in order to comply with the Paris Agreement Enhanced Transparency Framework.

Project Components

Project Outcomes

Project Outputs

1. Strengthening Lesotho’s capacity to collect and process climate change data into useful information for policymaking and reporting to the

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

1. Lesotho uses climate change data and information as input to plan, monitor and report climate change strategies, policies and actions in compliance with the Enhanced Transparency Framework.

1.1. Institutional arrangements and legal framework to collect and manage GHG Inventory data and NDC tracking data drafted and submitted to the government for adoption.

1.2. National GHG Inventory Management System improved and relevant stakeholders trained on IPCC´s latest guidelines and tools for national GHG inventories.

1.3. National MRV system designed, tested and operationalized and Ministry staff/local authorities and other relevant stakeholders trained on tracking Nationally Determined Contributions according to the ETF, including co-benefits for SDGs achievement.

2. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)

2. Project is effectively monitored and evaluated

2.1 Monitoring and evaluation products are delivered

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Lesotho Climate Change Unit

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The Lesotho Meteorological Services (LMS) is the national meteorological agency of the Kingdom of Lesotho. 

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The GEF Trust Fund constitutes the most popular source of climate finance in Lesotho, having funded over 42 projects, including both national and global/regional initiatives. In terms of focus, GEF funded projects have been geared broadly towards tackling the drivers of environmental degradation. As such, the major focal areas of the fund disbursement in Lesotho have been biodiversity; land degradation; climate change policies, strategies and plans; organic pollution and water – all of which are more or less in line with the fund’s priority globally. Direct climate financing from Global Environment Fund (GEF) is accessible through the Department of Environment, which is a GEF focal point in the Ministry of Defence, National Security and Environment. (Home | GEF)

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The Green Climate Fund has the potential to help countries like Lesotho meet their adaptation and mitigation finance needs. Currently, there is one cross-cutting GCF-funded project in Lesotho, among other three recipient countries – South Africa, Eswatini and Namibia. 

The project is geared towards addressing critical market barriers in accelerating private sector climate investments. Lesotho has also accessed five (5) projects under the GCFs Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme. The process for accessing funding under the GCF begin from an assessment of the needs of Lesotho and includes extensive stakeholder engagement. The fund is accessed through the National Designated Authority (NDA) and the Accredited Entity (AE) (Lesotho | Green Climate Fund).

 
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Like the Adaptation Fund, the Climate Investment Funds constitutes a climate funding stream that many African countries are not able to access. CIF is an enabler of pioneering climate-smart planning and climate action in low and middle-income economies, many of which are the least prepared yet the most prone to the challenges of climate change. CIF responds to the worldwide climate crisis with large-scale, low-cost, and long-term financial solutions to support countries achieve their climate objectives. In Lesotho, there is only a single project with finance from the fund. The project, entitled “Lesotho Renewable Energy and Energy Access Project”, is geared towards funding renewable energy investments. The fund is accessed through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning in Lesotho. (The Climate Investment Funds (CIF)).

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The Special Climate Change Fund is also being governed by GEF and Lesotho has not accessed funds as the fund is dry majority of the time. Lesotho as an LDC competes with other developing countries to access the funds. (Special Climate Change Fund – SCCF | GEF)

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The LDCF, which is governed by GEF, is a vital source of climate funds in the context of Lesotho. It constitutes the most significant finance stream in Lesotho, having funded national projects to the tune of over US$ 36 million as of 2022. Indeed, it is second in significance to the GEF Trust Fund only in terms of the number of nationally funded projects (8 national projects compared to 15 for GEF). Regarding sectoral distribution and focus of LDCF, the data suggests that LDCF resources are geared towards water resources management, enhancing the resilience of agricultural production and food systems, and climate information services and capacity building. (Least Developed Countries Fund – LDCF | GEF)

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The Adaptation Fund is one of the least accessed climate funds and Lesotho just accessed funds (count of US$ 10 million) through Word Food Programme as the accredited entity. The project, entitled “Improving adaptive capacity of vulnerable and food-insecure populations in Lesotho”, is being implemented and pertains to agriculture and food security. It is accessed through LMS and Accredited Entity (AF | Adaptation Fund)

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