Montenegro lays the groundwork for future climate investments

As Montenegro works to realize its climate ambitions and build greater resilience, strengthening institutional capacity to access international climate finance is becoming increasingly important. Building a common understanding of climate finance mechanisms across institutions is a key step in translating national priorities into high-quality investment projects.

To support this process, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Region Development, implemented the Month of climate finance learning, a unique six-week awareness-raising initiative under the Readiness Project of the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

Between 26 May and 30 June 2026, the initiative brought together 95 representatives from 32 institutions across Montenegro, including government ministries, public agencies, local authorities, academia, civil society organizations, international organizations and development partners. Through six consecutive online workshops, participants explored the climate finance cycle, from the fundamentals of climate finance and the Green Climate Fund to financing modalities, project development and Direct Access Accreditation to the GCF.

The learning programme followed a progressive structure, allowing participants to gradually build their understanding of climate finance. Each workshop introduced a new layer of knowledge, moving from global climate finance architecture to increasingly practical topics such as financing instruments, the GCF Readiness Programme, preparation of funding proposals and institutional accreditation.

Opening the initiative, Zoran Dabetić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Region Development, highlighted the importance of strengthening institutional cooperation and developing national capacities needed to transform climate priorities into high-quality investment projects.

"Strengthening institutional capacities and cooperation is essential if Montenegro is to successfully translate its climate priorities into concrete investment opportunities. Building knowledge across institutions today creates stronger foundations for climate action tomorrow," Dabetić stated.

Throughout the programme, FAO climate finance experts Igor Slavkoski, Martina Duncan, Jeremy Schlickenrieder and Rachel Silbert, together with Jovana Šuković, FAO National Programme Coordinator in Montenegro, guided participants through the rapidly evolving landscape of international climate finance while linking global good practices with Montenegro's national priorities.

According to Jovana Šuković, the initiative represents an important first step in a broader capacity development process under the GCF Readiness Project.

"Building institutional capacity for climate finance is a long-term investment,” said Šuković. “Through this learning initiative, we aimed to establish a common understanding of climate finance across institutions and create a strong foundation for the more practical capacity-building activities that will follow under the GCF Readiness Project."

Knowledge, partnerships and dialogue

Participant feedback demonstrated strong interest in the topics covered and confirmed the importance of continued institutional learning in this area. Participants particularly valued the combination of international expertise and national perspectives, and expressed strong interest in continuing the learning process through more practical, in-person capacity-building activities.

The workshop series also provided a valuable platform for dialogue among institutions working across different sectors. By bringing together representatives involved in climate policy, agriculture, forestry, environmental protection, sustainable development and public administration, the initiative contributed to strengthening cross-sectoral cooperation and fostering a shared understanding of climate finance opportunities.

Closing the workshop series, Ivana Grujić, Director General of the Directorate for Climate Change and Sustainable Development and representative of the National Designated Authority to the GCF, emphasized the strategic importance of continued institutional capacity development.

"Developing national capacities is one of the key prerequisites for increasing Montenegro's readiness to access international climate finance,” noted Grujić. “Initiatives such as this strengthen the knowledge, partnerships and institutional foundations needed to prepare and implement future climate investments."

Building on the momentum generated through the online workshop series, FAO and the Ministry will continue supporting Montenegro through a new phase of in-person capacity-building workshops planned for autumn 2026. These workshops will focus on practical project development, institutional cooperation and strengthening national readiness to access international climate finance.

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FAO Regional Priority Programme: Advancing natural resources management, environmental protection and climate resilience