Legarda Meets GCF Executive Director Yannick Glemarec

Deputy Speaker and Antique Congresswoman Loren Legarda had a bilateral meeting with Green Climate Fund (GCF) Executive Director Yannick Glemarec and discussed how the GCF should communicate the “human face” of the global fund’s work in financing the needs of vulnerable communities in developing countries.

Deputy Executive Director Javier Manzanares, External Affairs Director Oyun Sanjaasuren, and Division of Mitigation and Adaptation Director Jerry Velasquez were also present to meet Deputy Speaker Legarda.

“The GCF is up for a communications challenge. It must be able to share the “human face” to the majority of the public and convey the stories of community transformations from being vulnerable to being able to build resilience through the financing of the GCF,” Legarda said.

Mr. Glemarec said that the GCF work is a “fund-raising for the common good.” He expressed optimism on the process of the First Replenishment and that the GCF is seeking innovative sources of financing.

Deputy Speaker Legarda agreed that the GCF needs to be more creative in sourcing funds but must also be able to cut red tape. She offered her help to the GCF, citing her work in mainstreaming climate change adaptation and mitigation in the national budget, and in her life’s work, as a solution-finder and problem-solver.

“I offered my support to the GCF Board in the challenging task of replenishing the Fund. I want to be able to help through my network in various parliaments of the world, as a member of the Global Commission on Adaptation (GCA) and with my work with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR),” Legarda concluded.

Legarda is in Songdo, Korea for the 24th Meeting of the GCF Board where she sits as an alternate member of the Asia Pacific Group. This is the first Board Meeting where a $10M-grant proposal from the Philippines on the establishment of a multi-hazard impact-based forecasting early warning system will be tabled for consideration.

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Profile of Mr. Yannick Glemarec

Mr. Glemarec was appointed by the GCF Board in its 22nd Meeting as Executive Director of the Green Climate Fund (GCF). He took office on April 3, 2019 as the third Executive Director of the GCF.

He has 30 years of international experience in climate change, development and finance, and their interrelationships. He served as UN Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director for Policy and Programme in UN Women from 2015 to 2018. He was also the Executive Coordinator of the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office in New York from 2013 to 2015. He also served first as UNDP Deputy Executive Coordinator and then as UNDP Executive Coordinator for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in New York from 2003 to 2012.

Mr. Glemarec holds a PhD from the University of Paris in Environment Sciences, and two Master’s degrees in Hydrology and in Business Administration. He has authored several publications in the field of risk management, renewable energy, climate finance, and co-benefits between human rights, gender equality and climate action.