SKOPJE, NORTH MACEDONIA - Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has completed a high-level mission to North Macedonia where she evaluated the impact of the Green Finance Facility (GFF), a joint UN programme helping local communities transition to clean energy solutions.
During her visit, Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed met with UN officials, government representatives, financial partners, and beneficiaries to gain firsthand insights into the programme's effectiveness in supporting climate action while creating economic opportunities for underserved populations.
"We're trying to understand what the priorities are, what's working, and what needs improvement," said Mohammed during field visits. "This allows us to see how we can strengthen our country team's support and potentially scale these solutions across the region."
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed during the meeting.
The Green Finance Facility represents an innovative approach to sustainable development, blending finance mechanisms to make green technologies accessible to those who might otherwise be excluded from traditional financing channels.
Early adoption has been encouraging, according to Dame Dimitrovski, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister, who noted,
"We've already seen companies and households participating, demonstrating that the model works."
Anna Chernyshova, UNDP North Macedonia Deputy Resident Representative (left) and Dame Dimitrovski, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister (right), during the meeting.
UN Resident Coordinator Rita Columbia emphasized the programme's potential for expansion,
"This is just the beginning. Through multiple partnerships, we've built a foundation that has strong government ownership. Our hope is that this project will eventually become a systematic approach operationalized at the national level."
UN Resident Coordinator Rita Columbia in the meeting.
The US$ 46.5 million initiative specifically targets underserved households, namely - women-led households, single parents, households with people with disabilities, Roma, remittance recipients and returning migrants, as well as small and medium size (SMEs) business owners seeking to reduce costs while contributing to reduced air pollution and climate change mitigation. Beneficiaries receive access to affordable green loans and performance-based incentives to invest in energy-efficient and renewable energy technologies.
The programme brings together three UN agencies— UN Development Programme (UNDP), International Organization for Migration (IOM), and UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)—with the support of the Joint SDG Fund, and the strategic leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator. Financial backing comes from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and North Macedonia's government, with implementation support from local financial institutions including Komercijalna Banka AD, TTK Banka, ProCredit Holding, Sparkasse, and Silk Road Bank AD Skopje.
Fatih Türkmenoğlu, Head of EBRD in North Macedonia, during the meeting.
Through this collaborative approach, the GFF programme is successfully leveraging blended finance to unlock new opportunities for inclusive, climate-smart investment in North Macedonia, with potential applications throughout the broader region.
To learn more about North Macedonia's Green Financing Facility, download the Green Finance brochure below.
