The COP31 Presidency used New York Climate Week on Thursday, 24 September 2026, to set out two finance initiatives it says will help countries and cities turn climate plans into fundable projects — with Pakistan among the first five countries chosen to pilot the new BRIDGE initiative.
FAKTA
- The COP31 Presidency announced Ethiopia, Fiji, Indonesia, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as the first five pilot countries for the Climate Implementation Bridge, known as BRIDGE, during New York Climate Week.
- BRIDGE is being developed with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) as delivery partner, ahead of the COP31 summit in Antalya, Türkiye, on 9–20 November 2026.
- BRIDGE aims to help developing nations convert climate and development priorities into finance-ready, investment-ready project portfolios and improve access to existing international climate finance.
- The Presidency also launched the Sustainable Urban Resilience Financing Facility (SURFF), developed by ILBANK with UN-Habitat and the World Bank, focused on closing urban climate finance gaps in low- and middle-income countries.
- Both initiatives belong to the Presidency’s Action Agenda — a track of voluntary initiatives running alongside, but separate from, the formal UNFCCC negotiations. Australia leads the formal negotiating process.
- No funding figures were published for either scheme.
Five pilots for the BRIDGE initiative
BRIDGE is designed as country-driven implementation support: helping governments link their climate goals with funding, spot implementation bottlenecks and use existing international support more effectively. The pilot countries will develop country-led pathways linking climate finance with investment-ready projects and national development targets, and feedback from the five will guide how the initiative is scaled up — with strong interest reported from developing countries, particularly Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries.
For Pakistan — which faces climate-related risks including floods, droughts, heatwaves and water stress — the initiative could help connect its climate and development priorities with international financing opportunities.
A facility for resilient cities
At a separate event the same day, the Presidency launched the Sustainable Urban Resilience Financing Facility (SURFF), calling it a key summit outcome. Developed by ILBANK with UN-Habitat and the World Bank, SURFF is meant to close the urban climate finance gaps countries face as they implement their national climate plans (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), with a focus on low- and middle-income countries.
SURFF is built on three pillars: linking national urban resilience priorities with project preparation and financing; developing tools and sharing implementation experience; and facilitating international dialogue on climate finance and resilient cities.
Finance at the heart of COP31
Finance has been identified as a central priority of the COP31 Presidency. At the Istanbul Climate Finance Summit earlier in September, COP31 President-Designate Murat Kurum urged world leaders to close what he called the climate finance “chasm”, stressing that defence and climate spending are both investments in protecting societies. The Presidency is seeking to rebuild confidence in the international climate process while translating climate commitments into concrete action — and BRIDGE and SURFF are its first flagship answers to the question developing countries ask most often: how do we turn plans into funded projects?
Frequently asked questions
What is the BRIDGE initiative?
The Climate Implementation Bridge (BRIDGE) is a COP31 Presidency initiative, delivered with UNDP, that helps developing countries turn climate and development priorities into finance-ready project portfolios and access international climate finance. Ethiopia, Fiji, Indonesia, Pakistan and Uzbekistan are the first pilots.
When and where is COP31?
COP31 takes place in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026. Australia leads the formal negotiations, while Türkiye holds the presidency and Action Agenda.
Read more climate stories at Watan News. Sources: WE News English, Fiji Global News and Reuters via BusinessWorld on the COP31 agenda.
