Climate-induced loss and damage (L&D) significantly affects climate-vulnerable communities, economies, and countries. However, while climate impacts are already harshly felt on the ground, local-level access to finance at the necessary scale and speed often poses a serious challenge. As the new Board of the Loss and Damage Fund (L&DF) steps into its role in 2024, there is a focus on delivering crucial support to vulnerable countries and communities and establishing equitable access modalities, fostering inclusive decision-making processes, and ensuring transparent and accountable delivery.

In pursuit of viable solutions, SLYCAN Trust and the Scottish Government are hosting an exploratory workshop "From Local to Global: Advancing Equitable Access to Climate Finance and Loss and Damage Funding" on to convene relevant stakeholders and provide a space for discussion on direct community access to climate finance (including from the L&DF), the integration of local-level access to finance into national planning frameworks, and interconnections with the existing mechanisms for climate finance and stakeholder engagement.

• Assessing the evidence base around the need for direct local-level and community access to climate finance, including L&D funding.
• Contributing to awareness around existing gaps and challenges regarding access to resources for adaptation and addressing L&D on the ground, particularly for vulnerable groups and communities as well as local governments.
• Engaging key stakeholders and building support for direct local-level and community access to climate finance for adaptation and L&D as well as the integration of means of implementation and local access to finance into national planning and policy frameworks.
• Identifying entry points, opportunities, and potential recommendations for the work of the L&DF as well as the work of other multilateral funds and financial mechanisms.
• Developing a summary paper and thought leadership pieces to highlight findings and inputs from the workshop around the UNFCCC climate negotiations, targeting especially SB60 and COP29.