Operating as continental hubs for climate action, three of the Regional Climate Foundations are organized geographically to tackle a global challenge. Different from the other members of the network, which activities are focused on one single country, the African Climate Foundation, the European Climate Foundation, and Tara Climate Foundation support climate action across vast areas in Africa, Europe and Asia.
The African Climate Foundation, created in 2020, is based in Cape Town, South Africa, and has operations in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Senegal. The European Climate Foundation was established in 2008 with a head office in The Hague, Netherlands, working through 25 countries across the continent. Tara, set up in Singapore in 2021, covers 12 countries and territories across East, Southeast and South Asia, except China and India.
Their work symbolizes one of the RCF main objectives: the South-North-South collaboration to bridge the gaps in climate action and address asymmetries by channeling financing and technology where developing countries need it.
For example, Africa and Asia are regions where many developing countries face structural vulnerabilities and the climate crisis directly intersects with priorities like development, energy access, and economic resilience. To overcome these challenges, the African Climate Foundation and Tara Climate Foundation have developed numerous programs focused on regionally-led solutions.
At the same time, the European Climate Foundation’s also play a role through the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force, launched at COP28 and now counting 17 member countries, including Djibouti, Fiji, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Zambia. The group explores coordinated levies on sectors like aviation, fossil fuels and financial transactions to finance climate commitments, with proposals expected this year in Belém, Brazil.
Regarding COP30, the expectation is that the 2025 climate conference can go beyond technical discussions and present the human and economic dimensions of climate solutions. “That means dialogues on jobs, health, and prosperity, as well as cultural and youth-led activities that reflect the urgency and creativity needed for transformation”, explains Isabelle de Lovinfosse, Director of Singapore Program and Regional Diplomacy at Tara.
African voices for climate challenges
The African Climate Foundation describes itself as the first African-led strategic re-granter at the intersection of climate and development. Its work spans adaptation, resilience, energy transitions, land use, agriculture, finance and diplomacy. Operating from Cape Town and across several African countries, the foundation prioritizes African perspectives in global debates.
The continent faces major structural challenges. About 600 million Africans remain without access to electricity, representing almost half of its population. Affordable and sustainable energy is essential for livelihoods, jobs and food security.
At the same time, the continent faces a disproportionate cost of climate change: according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), African countries are losing 2 to 5 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to climate extremes. Adaptation needs are estimated at US$30 to 50 billion per year, since droughts, floods and rising temperatures place additional pressure on economies. These realities frame the foundation’s efforts to mobilize finance, elevate African voices, and build coalitions from grassroots to high-level policy.
European impact with global articulation
The European Climate Foundation worked with over 700 partner organisations and provided more than 1,100 grants only in 2024. ECF works at the national level in countries that include France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Türkiye, in addition to operations in Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe. Its programmes cover eight strategic portfolios, from industrial transformation and clean transport to finance, land use and international affairs.
Some of its initiatives have tangible national impact. In Ukraine, its network supported the installation of 60 photovoltaic power plants at hospitals and water utilities. In Poland, after years of work from ECF grantees, the closure of the Turów coal complex, one of the country’s largest polluters, is now seen as within reach.
With this outcomes in mind, ECF recognizes COP30 as an opportunity to connect Europe’s climate leadership with solutions emerging from other regions and to secure stronger international cooperation on finance and implementation.
Tara works with urgency and regional strategies in Asia
Tara Climate Foundation was formally established in Singapore in 2021. According to its annual report, Tara works across 12 geographies in East, Southeast and South Asia, outside of China and India. It supports local organisations and collaborations to accelerate energy transition and policy development.
“Our mission is to foster a more prosperous and sustainable future for Asia, with a people-centred just energy transition at its core. We do this by funding diverse levers of change”, explains Isabelle de Lovinfosse, Director of Singapore Program and Regional Diplomacy.
The work is urgent: Asia is warming at twice the global average due to its vast landmass, as stated by the WMO, with profound economical and social implications. Moreover, climate change could reduce GDP in the region by 17% by 2070 under high emissions scenarios, based on the Asia-Pacific Climate Report 2024, from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Extreme heat, glacier loss and sea-level rise intensify risks for hundreds of millions of people. Tara’s regional base reflects the urgency of addressing these challenges through coordinated, Asia-focused strategies. In Philippines, Tara collaborated with the Responsible Energy Initiative Philippines (REI PH) to advance renewable energy development. In addition, Tara’s partners have been at the forefront of catalysing the country’s first large-scale offshore wind projects.
Tara supported the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) in Indonesia to create a Just Transition Financing Framework, which prioritizes communities, workers, and local economies during the transition to renewable energy. In Pakistan for instance, their partners play a key role in supporting the country’s solar boom, providing technical insights and engaging policymakers to help build national confidence in distributed renewables.