Unlocking African Urban Resilience: Financial Intermediaries as Catalysts for Local Climate Action

African cities are pivotal in delivering climate adaptation, yet less than 20% of global climate finance reaches the local level. This session explores the strategic role of financial intermediaries, such as national climate funds, development banks, & municipal financing facilities, as “missing middle” in bridging this gap. These intermediaries build trust, reduce transaction costs, & embed resilience & equity into investments. Through practical examples, including Cameroon’s BRIDGE model, pioneering approaches in Rwanda & Southern Africa, CoM SSA and the African Development Bank’s role in scaling local adaptation finance with partners, participants will examine how intermediaries can:Increase transparency and accessibility through digital finance-mapping tools; standardise processes to align finance flows with community-driven priorities; empower local expertise to generate bankable & impactful projects. The session includes an interactive "Finance Chain Lab" to co-design solutions for scaling adaptation finance. It will also launch ICLEI Africa’s report: Increasing Access to Decentralised and Gender-Sensitive Adaptation Finance in Africa: The Key Role of Financial Intermediaries