This Act contains provisions on governance and institutional arrangements; decentralised climate action and local empowerment; climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience; public participation reporting; finance; dispute resolution; and compliance. This Act stipulates that environmental, forestry, renewable energy and investment export and promotion legislation shall be interpreted and implemented in a manner consistent with this Act (section 6).
This Act establishes the National Climate Change Council (section 8) and the National Climate Change Department (section 11). The Ministry shall prepare an Annual Climate Action Progress Report for reporting to the Council and subsequently to the National Assembly. An Inter-Ministerial Climate Committee translates the Council’s strategic directives into actionable, cross-governmental work plans (section 9). The Department prepares national climate plans and strategies. A Youth Climate Advisory Committee, to be established by the Minister responsible for matters relating to climate change, provides formal advice to the Department to ensure that the perspectives of young people are systematically integrated into climate policy and implementation.
Each local government authority shall develop a Local Climate Adaptation Plan, with community participation and guidance and data provided by the National Climate Change Department (sections 16 to 18).
The Act states that the Ministry shall support the development of a National Framework on Climate Mobility, designed to protect the rights and promote the well-being of displaced individuals and communities and ensure that all actions taken are participatory, just and respect human rights (section 21). The Ministry shall ensure that the National Adaptation Plan and Nationally Determined Contribution. integrate a comprehensive gender and climate change action plan (section 27). The Department shall integrate a comprehensive just transition consideration in the National Climate Action Plan (section 25).
The Act also establishes the Gambia Climate Change Fund to finance mitigation and adaptation activities (Part 6), with the Minister responsible for finance and economic affairs to develop a periodic National Climate Finance Strategy (section 42).
