Malé, 2 February 2025: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Maldives, in partnership with the Ministry of Finance and Planning and the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, supported by the Integrated National Financing Frameworks (INFF), today convened a two-day national workshop aimed at strengthening public and private sector capacity to design bankable green investment projects and mobilise climate finance for the Maldives. 

Titled “Designing Green Public and Private Investment Project Pipelines,” the workshop brings together senior policymakers, regulators, financial institutions, private sector actors and civil society to address one of the Maldives’ most pressing development challenges: translating ambitious climate commitments into investable, high-impact projects. 

Despite global climate finance surpassing USD 2 trillion in 2024, access to financing remains constrained for highly climate-vulnerable countries such as the Maldives. While the country invested an estimated USD 103 million in environmental protection programmes in 2025, annual financing needs are projected at USD 400–800 million to meet national climate commitments, with adaptation costs alone estimated at USD 2–4 billion over the coming decades. 

The workshop opened with a high-level panel discussion on multi-sectoral coordination for climate finance, underscoring the importance of whole-of-government and whole-of-economy approaches to unlocking climate investment. The panel brought together senior representatives from the President’s Office, Ministry of Finance and Planning, Ministry of Tourism and Environment, and other key institutions, and was moderated by UNDP Maldives. 

Panellists reflected on national climate finance milestones since 2024, the growing role of private capital, and the potential of blended finance instruments to de-risk investment and accelerate climate action across sectors such as renewable energy, sustainable tourism and coastal protection. 

Across the two days, participants will engage in hands-on sessions covering the global climate finance architecture, project preparation for climate funds, structuring bankable investment proposals, and the strategic use of blended finance.  

“Strengthening the pipeline of bankable climate projects is critical for the Maldives to access climate finance at scale,” said Adnan Cheema, UNDP Resident Representative in the Maldives. “This workshop is about moving from ambition to implementation — equipping institutions and partners with the tools to mobilise finance that delivers measurable climate impact and inclusive development.” 

The initiative reflects UNDP’s continued support to the Government of Maldives to advance climate-resilient development, strengthen institutional capacity, and mobilise innovative financing solutions aligned with national priorities and the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).