Learning Talk: Transformational Change

Transformational change has emerged as an important tool to address the climate crisis. Mitigation and adaptation interventions are striving to have transformational effects as it is clear the level of climate finance invested is insufficient to meet the Paris Agreement’s goal of restricting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. 

On 26 July, the IEU held a Learning Talk on Transformation Change, presenting a recent evidence review by the GCF’s IEU and CIF’s Evaluation and Learning Initiative The Learning Talk also covered the work of the Transformational Change Learning Partnership (TCLP), convened by the CIF’s Evaluation and Learning Initiative. The event began with examples of transformational change in the energy sector with a presentation led by Martin Prowse, Evaluation Specialist at the IEU. This was followed by a discussion of the approach taken by the CIF’s Evaluation and Learning Initiative to transformational change, presented by Neha Sharma, Senior Specialist and Evaluation Lead, and Mike Ward, Senior Consultant, from CIF.  

Martin Prowse opened the talk by introducing audience members to the purpose, methodology and findings of the evidence review. The review compiled and analysed evidence of transformational change and focused on three key characteristics: (1) Depth - Delivering a large impact; (2) Duration - Impacts remain sustainable over time; and (3) Scale - Operating at a substantial scale. Two promising interventions in the energy sector were highlighted, as were the implications of these findings.  

These insights were complemented by the following presentation by Neha Sharma and Mike Ward, which explained how the TCLP approaches transformational change and how this is being incorporated into new CIF programs. Since 2017, the TCLP has advanced thinking and practice on transformational change in the context of climate change programs and projects, in particular by outlining key guiding principles for transformational climate finance. 

Andreas Reumann, Head of the IEU and moderator of the event, then guided the panel discussion, which expanded to include audience members. Questions covered themes including applying these methodologies to GCF funding proposals, benchmarking, and operationalising ‘paradigm shift.’ 

Recording