TAP Review Panel meets for the first time in Paris

The TAP Review Panel, a key entity within the Transformative Actions Program (TAP), gathered for the first time in Paris on Monday, 12 October. Comprised of representatives of TAP partners, including NGOs, funding bodies, development institutions and others, the Review Panel is entrusted to select the final TAP projects from the over 120 project applications received this year.

The meeting in Paris last Monday was the first one of a series of Panel meetings that will take place this month, and that will result in the selection of the projects which will receive official TAP endorsement and be presented at the Cities & Regions Pavilion – TAP2015 at COP21 in Paris-Le Bourget. In particular, the projects identified as most transformative will be featured through dedicated sessions that relevant financing and implementation partners will be invited to attend.

During the meeting, TAP partners noted the successful TAP mobilization and discussed their active role in the selection and mentoring of TAP projects before and after COP21.  Strong and active engagement of the Review Panel in the TAP process will indeed be crucial for the success of the 10-year program.

Launched in May by networks of local and regional governments and their partners, the TAP aims to connect local and regional authorities with financial bodies, advocate better access to climate finance and support regular implementation monitoring. It is a key response to the need to match the efforts of local and regional governments in the fight against climate change with a strong enabling environment that includes financing mechanisms with programmatic support, and vertically integrated climate policy.

The volume of applications to the TAP received this year is a testament to the potential that exists at the local and regional level and that should be brought to the attention of key implementation partners and funders as well as negotiators.