{"id":43632,"date":"2021-03-12T15:17:38","date_gmt":"2021-03-12T15:17:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/?p=43632"},"modified":"2021-04-06T10:15:18","modified_gmt":"2021-04-06T09:15:18","slug":"green-climate-fund-whistleblowers-urge-us-take-money-elsewhere-toxic-workplace-fixed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/2021\/03\/12\/green-climate-fund-whistleblowers-urge-us-take-money-elsewhere-toxic-workplace-fixed\/","title":{"rendered":"Green Climate Fund whistleblowers urge US to take its money elsewhere – until ‘toxic’ workplace is fixed"},"content":{"rendered":"

John Kerry is promising the US will \u201cmake good\u201d on its contribution to the Green Climate Fund.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The presidential climate envoy is seeking to rebuild bridges with the rest of the world after Donald Trump reneged on US climate commitments.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Delivering a $2 billion outstanding pledge to the UN-backed climate fund, for distribution to projects in developing countries, is widely seen as a good place to start.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Campaigners are calling on the Biden administration<\/a> to commit a further $6bn to the fund. Yannick\u00a0<\/span>Glemarec<\/span>, executive director of the fund,\u00a0<\/span>says<\/span> US reengagement \u201cwill send an extraordinarily positive signal\u201d and allow it to accelerate support for the green recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the latest staff survey<\/span>\u00a0results<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>present<\/span>ed internally last month and\u00a0<\/span>seen by Climate Home News, show faith in\u00a0<\/span>the fund’<\/span>s leadership<\/span>\u00a0is at rock bottom.<\/span>\u00a0Views of the senior management team were 24%\u00a0<\/span>favourable<\/span>, 40%\u00a0<\/span>unfavourable<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unless there is urgent reform,\u00a0<\/span>whistleblowers tell Climate Home News,<\/span>\u00a0the money would be better directed elsewhere.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Three employees of the GCF secretariat who quit in 2019 and 2020\u00a0<\/span>cite concerns about a lack of integrity\u00a0<\/span>in vetting projects\u00a0and<\/span>\u00a0abuses of power\u00a0<\/span>creating a hostile working environment<\/span>.<\/span> This, they say, affects the quality of projects on the ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cSincerely, I don\u2019t think that the GCF, the way it is managed today, is a good\u00a0<\/span>channel<\/span>\u00a0for climate finance,\u201d says Pierre-Daniel Telep,\u00a0<\/span>a German national with Cameroonian heritage\u00a0<\/span>who worked on renewable energy projects at the fund for two and a half years<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t believe the GCF will ever be able to meet its mandate,\u201d says\u00a0<\/span>Mary<\/span>, a climate finance specialist from a developing country.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere was inappropriate pressure to approve projects which could harm people,\u201d says James, a\u00a0<\/span>technical\u00a0<\/span>specialist from a developed country.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mary<\/span> and James are not their real names. Both asked not to be named as they still work in the sector and fear <\/span>it could harm their careers to speak on the record<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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For James, the main\u00a0<\/span>concern<\/span>\u00a0was\u00a0<\/span>political interference in the\u00a0<\/span>quality control<\/span>\u00a0process.\u00a0<\/span>Often the work was rewarding,\u00a0<\/span>he say<\/span>s, but \u201cthe moment you had a difficult project, you were on your own – you had no support from senior management\u201d.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of the most problematic bids came from countries hosting GCF board meetings and expecting to secure multi-million-dollar investments in return.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bahrain put in a bid for $32 million ahead of hosting one such meeting in October 2018. Despite oil export wealth putting it in the\u00a0<\/span>World Bank\u2019s \u201chigh income\u201d bracket<\/span><\/a>, it is classed as a developing country under the UN climate convention – and therefore eligible for international climate finance.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On the basis that climate change was driving water scarcity in the kingdom, Manama<\/span>\u00a0– backed by the UN Environment\u00a0Programme\u00a0–<\/span> was seeking support to develop an \u201cunconventional\u201d alternative source: clean up water produced when pumping oil out of the ground and inject it into the country\u2019s only freshwater aquifer.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Experts were appalled. It was, James says, \u201ca shameless attempt to get GCF to\u00a0subsidise\u00a0the oil and gas industry, by dumping all their contaminants – including mercury, heavy metals and radioactive material – into the drinking water source\u201d.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The climate rationale for the project was \u201cweak\u201d, according to an independent technical advisory panel. Water stress in Bahrain had more to do with wasteful consumption than climate change – although that was a factor.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet the project had an influential backer in Saudi board member Ayman\u00a0<\/span>Shasly, a veteran climate negotiator who previously worked for the oil company Saudi Aramco. <\/span>James claims <\/span>Shasly<\/span>\u00a0made calls to the director responsible for overseeing the technical assessment, putting pressure on him to wave the bid through.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shasly\u00a0did not respond to emailed requests for comment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou owe this money to developing countries,\u201d fumed\u00a0Shasly\u00a0at the\u00a0<\/span>board meeting<\/span><\/a>. \u201cDeveloped countries unfortunately are taking a hard line, making our lives miserable to approve peanuts, crumbs, small amounts of funding proposals.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ultimately, Bahrain was\u00a0<\/span>awarded $2.3m<\/span><\/a>\u00a0– 7% of the original ask – for a relatively benign\u00a0programme\u00a0of \u201cknowledge management\u201d, after pushback from technical experts and other board members. But the\u00a0<\/span>project document<\/span><\/a>\u00a0maintains this will pave the way for recycling oil wastewater as \u201cphase 2\u201d.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was \u201ca very stressful and unpleasant experience,” says James, that contributed to his decision to leave the fund.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SPONSOR OUR COP26 COVERAGE:<\/b>\u00a0Contact our team for further information<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It is not just board members from developing countries who interfere, says\u00a0<\/span>Mary<\/span>. \u201cBoth sides do it…<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe difficulty we have in the GCF\u00a0<\/span>is:<\/span>\u00a0because the policies of the GCF were not completed when the GCF started its operations, it created this situation where it was not always very clear what should be the remit of the board and what should be the responsibility of the secretariat.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Glemarec<\/span>\u00a0took<\/span>\u00a0up the leadership role<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in\u00a0<\/span>April 2019<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>insists<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>everything now goes through proper channels.<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>Today you will be hard pressed to do something like that<\/span>,<\/span>\u201d<\/span> he tells Climate Home News by video call, <\/span>when asked about political interference<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The GCF approved its first projects in 2016. Its governance structure is unique in that an equal number of board members are drawn from developed and developing countries, with all geographies represented. The intention was to empower beneficiaries to direct the funds where they were most needed.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In practice, it makes for tense board meetings, replicating the dynamics of UN climate negotiations. \u201cWe are getting\u00a0<\/span>tantalisingly<\/span>\u00a0close, colleagues, as indeed we were two hours ago,\u201d Canadian co-chair Susanne Szabo was saying\u00a0<\/span>wearily<\/span> when Climate Home News tuned into the webcast of November\u2019s meeting. They would take another hour to agree the text of a strategic plan for 2020-23 – almost a year into that period.<\/span><\/p>\n

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This structure has not led to radically different outcomes to donor-led funds, in the view of Zaheer Fakir, a former board member from South Africa. \u201cIf you look at what the GCF is doing, it is no different to what the [Global Environment Facility] is doing or any [multilateral development bank] is doing,\u201d he tells Climate Home News. \u201cWe have not really cracked uniqueness.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Throughout the early years, the buzzword was to \u201cget money out the door\u201d, while policies and processes were still under development. To this day, there is no ban on the GCF subsidising fossil fuels – a rule that could have prevented the Bahrain debacle.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The GCF estimates over its lifetime, the current portfolio will avert 1.2 billion\u00a0tonnes\u00a0of CO2 – equivalent to the annual emissions of Japan – and make 400 million people more resilient to the climate crisis.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am\u00a0<\/span>sceptical<\/span>\u00a0of the impact of the overall portfolio,\u201d says\u00a0<\/span>Mary<\/span>. \u201cIt is just not credible.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Internal auditors are about\u00a0half way\u00a0through a review of the portfolio\u2019s emissions impact and expected to report by the end of the year, says\u00a0Glemarec. So far, he admits, the numbers they are coming up with are \u201cmore conservative\u201d than initially advertised. Next, they will audit the number of beneficiaries.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

China<\/strong> makes no shift away from coal in five-year plan as it \u2018crawls\u2019 to carbon neutrality<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Then there are concerns about the workplace culture.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In August 2020, the Financial Times reported on a\u00a0<\/span>wave of misconduct allegations<\/span><\/a>\u00a0at the fund. It cited the Re-Green Initiative – a network\u00a0<\/span>claiming<\/span>\u00a0to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>represent staff – and interviews with 17 current and former employees who remained anonymous.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Complaints to the fund\u2019s Independent Integrity Unit<\/span>\u00a0(IIU)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>nearly doubled<\/span><\/a>\u00a0to 40 in 2019, with 24\u00a0<\/span>categorised<\/span>\u00a0as staff misconduct.\u00a0<\/span>Subsequent analysis<\/span><\/a>\u00a0by the IIU found that while the overall complaint rate was within range of similar institutions, the rate of misconduct allegations was significantly higher: 7.5 per 100 staff, compared to 1.8 at the World Bank and 2.8 at the Asian Development Bank.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On 30 August, after publication of the FT investigation, the Re-Green Initiative wrote to the fund’s head Glemarec\u00a0and board members. In the email, seen by Climate Home News, they blamed a \u201ctoxic working environment\u201d for an exodus of staff.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Telep, the former GCF employee, got into<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a series of disputes with management during and after his time at the fund<\/span>, with allegations of misconduct going both ways<\/span>. Like many employees, Telep uprooted his family to work at the headquarters in Songdo, South Korea. He was repeatedly threatened with failing his probation period and not confirmed in the role for 15 months<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As an example of the atmosphere, he recalls a senior colleague claimed to keep a gun in the office and joked about using it against another member of staff. <\/span>\u201cIt was not really a professional working environment,\u201d says Telep. “It was a difficult time.”<\/span><\/p>\n

It was worse for women in\u00a0<\/span>junior<\/span> positions, he says. He describes seeing a colleague reduced to tears by mistreatment, who <\/span>said she did not have the confidence in the system to raise a grievance<\/span>. \u201cPeople in really fragile situations are really being abused,\u201d he tells Climate Home News.<\/span><\/p>\n

Several colleagues left around the same time as Telep in mid-2020, he says, adding: \u201cThe change that we really wanted to bring, that was necessary in the <\/span>organisation<\/span>, was not coming.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

John Kerry<\/strong> promises \u2018significantly\u2019 more climate finance at adaptation summit<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Telep<\/span>\u00a0raised two complaints to the IIU<\/span>, in\u00a0<\/span>June 2018<\/span>\u00a0and December 2019<\/span>, concerning\u00a0<\/span>abuses of power by senior staff, <\/span>a hostile work environment<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0conflicts of interest<\/span>\u00a0and project integrity<\/span>. A GCF spokesperson said the first was investigated and closed as unsubstantiated in April 2020, while the second was the subject of an ongoing investigation. Telep says he was not<\/span>\u00a0informed of the <\/span>outcome<\/span> of the closed <\/span>investigation<\/span>, contrary to the GCF\u2019s stated policy of notifying known complainants by email<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This\u00a0<\/span>week,\u00a0<\/span>Telep<\/span>\u00a0was\u00a0<\/span>tol<\/span>d by the IIU that he faced disciplinary action in respect of a complaint lodged against him in January 2020<\/span> \u2013 by a subject of his earlier allegations<\/span>.<\/span> The main finding was<\/span>\u00a0that he had accepted travel sponsorship from another\u00a0<\/span>organisation<\/span>\u00a0to attend Cop25 climate talks<\/span>, amounting to a conflict of interest<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Telep\u00a0<\/span>admits<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>accepting the sponsorship but\u00a0<\/span>disputes the\u00a0<\/span>way it was characterised, saying it was common practice for partner organisations to cover travel expenses of GCF staff. <\/span>He sees the investigation as retaliation for his earlier complaints.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u201cThey are trying to discredit me,\u201d he says.<\/span>\u00a0\u201cI think it is necessary to speak out to solve the problems [at the GCF].\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The GCF said its policy offered “strong protection” to whistleblowers and Telep’s allegation of retaliation was unsubstantiated.<\/p>\n

But the fact that rules have been enforced against Telep and not his superior may fuel a sense of double standards within the organisation. In the 2020 staff survey,\u00a0just 16% sa<\/span>id<\/span>\u00a0senior management led by example and 19% sa<\/span>id<\/span>\u00a0senior management were held accountable for their decisions and actions.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Glemarec<\/span>\u00a0attributes the spike in misconduct complaints to a lack of internal grievance mechanisms. An IIU investigation takes up to two years, in a deliberative process designed to give legal cover should the case end up in an employment tribunal. It requires a high standard of evidence to\u00a0<\/span>prove<\/span>\u00a0wrongdoing<\/span> and cases against just three individuals were substantiated through 2018-20.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This was \u201ccausing a lot of frustration,\u201d says\u00a0Glemarec. \u201cThe problem is that if somebody has been making my life miserable for two years, by their\u00a0behaviour, by their nasty comments\u2026 to be told after two years your case is not misconduct\u2026 actually you are adding insult to injury.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since 2019, the\u00a0<\/span>organisation<\/span>\u00a0has\u00a0<\/span>sought to improve the options for raising grievances internally<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>It<\/span>\u00a0hir<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0two mediators<\/span>\u00a0and an ombudsperson<\/span>\u00a0and is rolling out training on conflict resolution to all staff<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>An appeals committee h<\/span>as been\u00a0<\/span>set up<\/span>\u00a0to handle disputes over administrative decisions, which heard three cases in 2020.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These measures\u00a0<\/span>should show results by the end of 2022, says\u00a0Glemarec: \u201cI wish to see a dramatic increase in resolution.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2020, the number of misconduct allegations raised went down to 17. Five complaints of harassment were upheld against an individual working for one of the fund\u2019s independent units, who was fired as a result, according to a GCF spokesperson.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But five senior managers <\/span>accus<\/span>ed in the Re-Green email\u00a0<\/span>of<\/span>\u00a0abuses of power, including sexual harassment of interns and bullying, are still working for the GCF, based on their LinkedIn profiles. That email and others like it\u00a0<\/span>were passed to the IIU to investigate,\u00a0<\/span>and the spokesperson said staff had been urged to report any grievances<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0<\/span>2020\u00a0<\/span>staff survey included new questions designed to \u201cprobe pain points\u201d identified through\u00a0<\/span>a series of<\/span>\u00a0\u201csafe space\u201d meetings.\u00a0<\/span>It showed there was a long way to go to regain staff trust: o<\/span>nly one in three\u00a0<\/span>respondents<\/span>\u00a0(31%)<\/span>\u00a0said they believed action would be taken to address the problems identified.<\/span><\/p>\n

The GCF spokesperson said staff were being consulted on which actions to prioritise to respond effectively to the survey.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will never be able to deliver on our mandate if we don\u2019t create an institution that attracts the best talent,\u201d says\u00a0<\/span>Glemarec<\/span>, stressing<\/span>\u00a0that the GCF is only five years\u00a0<\/span>old<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>it takes time to establish a workplace culture<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

GCF executive director Yannick Glemarec speaking at an event at Cop25 in Madrid, Spain, in December 2019 (Photo: IISD\/ENB\/ Diego Noguera\/Flickr<\/a>)<\/p><\/div>\n

Glemarec<\/span>\u00a0gives an animated pitch for why the US should increase its support.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>The GCF<\/span>\u00a0is\u00a0<\/span>on pace<\/span>\u00a0to programme<\/span><\/a>\u00a0$1 billion worth of projects at each of its three annual board meetings. With extra pledges, that could be scaled up to $1.5 billion.<\/span>\u00a0\u201cThis\u00a0<\/span>organisation<\/span>\u00a0is moving by leaps and bounds,\u201d he says.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the fund is\u00a0<\/span>prioritising<\/span>\u00a0job-rich initiatives in areas like energy efficiency and restoring ecosystems,\u00a0<\/span>Glemarec<\/span>\u00a0says. \u201cWe decided to accelerate development of projects that could have not only a huge climate impact but a building-back-better, sustainable development impact.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A\u00a0<\/span>$60 million facility<\/span><\/a>\u00a0to provide low-interest loans to suppliers of solar home systems and clean cookstoves in sub-Saharan Africa was approved within 190 days, for example. It is intended to give small companies the liquidity to ride out a pandemic-induced economic downturn.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the pipeline ahead of Cop26 climate talks in November are funding proposals for the Great Green Wall initiative across the Sahel, access to clean cooling in hot countries, and resilient infrastructure in the Caribbean.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the<\/span> State Department told Climate Home News they would have details \u201cin the coming months\u201d on the US contribution to the GCF. \u201cThe Biden-Harris Administration will examine how best to reengage with the GCF and work to ensure this important institution is adequately funded and equipped to serve the Paris Agreement.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The fund is \u201ca critical component\u201d of the administration\u2019s climate finance plans, the spokesperson said. \u201cWe will work with the GCF board and leadership, as well as with accredited entities, to ensure that the fund is maximizing impact and transparency.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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A key figure developing the US climate finance strategy is\u00a0<\/span>Leonardo Martinez-Diaz<\/span>, who joined Kerry\u2019s team from\u00a0<\/span>the World Resources Institute. Shortly before his appointment he<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>co-authored<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a report on \u201ctransforming climate finance\u201d<\/span><\/a>, which<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>covered the whole architecture of public and private, bilateral and multilateral<\/span>, specialist and non-specialist<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>channels for s<\/span>upporting climate goals.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The report\u00a0<\/span>praised the \u201csignificant strides\u201d made\u00a0<\/span>in<\/span>\u00a0the GCF<\/span>\u2019s operations<\/span>\u00a0since its replenishment<\/a><\/span>\u00a0by other donor countries<\/span>\u00a0in October 2019<\/span>.<\/span> A commitment by the US to join the replenishment \u201ccould provide a welcome boost to the resources needed by the GCF,” it said.<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>There is also a need to anticipate and prepare for a much more ambitious second replenishment.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For the whistleblowers, fixing the<\/span>\u00a0\u201ctoxic\u201d<\/span>\u00a0workplace culture needs to come first.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPersonally, I think if the US really cares about climate and not the political angle\u2026 a better investment could be something more effective, more nimble, more professionally managed,\u201d says Telep.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI want GCF to work but to work they have got to have quality projects and show both the beneficiaries and the donors that the money is spent effectively,\u201d says James.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While\u00a0<\/span>Mary<\/span>\u00a0says the US should keep its $2 billion promise, she suggests other funds or bilateral agreements could be a better route for scaling up finance. \u201cI am of the view that we should be thinking about other ways to deliver climate finance to some countries.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The GCF issued a statement following publication of this article. You can read the statement here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As John Kerry promises to “make good” on a $2 billion pledge to the GCF, the UN’s flagship fund faces critically low confidence in its senior management","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":43636,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3863,90],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3983],"class_list":["post-43632","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-finance","category-green-climate-fund","type-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nGreen Climate Fund whistleblowers urge US to take its money elsewhere - until 'toxic' workplace is fixed<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As John Kerry promises to "make good" on a $2 billion pledge to the GCF, the UN's flagship fund faces critically low confidence in its senior management\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/2021\/03\/12\/green-climate-fund-whistleblowers-urge-us-take-money-elsewhere-toxic-workplace-fixed\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Green Climate Fund whistleblowers urge US to take its money elsewhere - 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