26 March 2026, Incheon, Republic of Korea
The Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO) has been approved as an Accredited Entity (AE) of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) following a decision by the GCF Board at its 44th meeting held in Songdo, Incheon, Republic of Korea, from 25 to 28 March 2026.
This accreditation enables AFoCO to directly develop and implement climate projects supported by the GCF, particularly in the forestry and land-use sector across Asia. The decision recognizes AFoCO’s institutional capacity and operational systems to meet international standards in fiduciary management, environmental and social safeguards, gender policy and project management.
The Green Climate Fund is the world’s largest international climate finance mechanism dedicated to supporting developing countries in mitigating greenhouse-gas emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change. Through accredited entities such as AFoCO, the Fund channels financial resources to climate programmes and projects that support sustainable and climate-resilient development.
AFoCO has built extensive experience in forest restoration, forest carbon initiatives and capacity-building programmes across its member countries. In recent years, the organization has worked with partners including Rabobank’s ACORN programme, Climate Asset Management, the World Bank and the European Union (EU) to promote forest and landscape restoration, strengthen carbon sequestration and support sustainable land management in the region.
With its new accreditation, AFoCO expects to expand its role in connecting international climate finance with practical climate actions in the forestry and land-use sector. Future initiatives are expected to focus on large-scale integrated programmes that combine forest restoration, carbon-sink enhancement, biodiversity conservation, climate resilience of forest ecosystems and livelihood improvement for local communities.
“This accreditation marks an important milestone for AFoCO and regional climate cooperation in Asia,” said Chongho PARK, Executive Director of AFoCO. “Forests play a critical role in addressing climate change by enhancing carbon sinks and strengthening ecosystem resilience. Through our partnership with the Green Climate Fund, AFoCO will work closely with its member countries and partners to develop impactful forest-based climate programmes in the region.”
The accreditation positions AFoCO as a regional platform linking global climate finance with practical forestry and land-use initiatives across Asia, supporting member countries in achieving their climate and sustainable development goals.
