Korea Institute for Development Strategy (KDS, President Gideok Shin), in collaboration with CAiT Engineering (CEO Seungdo Kim), carried out the first round of on-site research in August 2025 as part of the ’EDCF Climate Mainstreaming Study’. The mission included visits to the headquarters of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila, Philippines, as well as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Engineering and Consulting Firms Association (ECFA) in Tokyo, Japan.
The EDCF Climate Mainstreaming Study aims to assess the current status of climate mainstreaming in EDCF operations, in line with the global trend of leading development partners expanding climate-related support for developing countries and Korea’s policy direction of expanding climate ODA. The study seeks to benchmark the policies and strategies of leading donor agencies, assess EDCF’s climate impact response system, Rio Markers, and Green Index practices, and provide recommendations for future improvements.
The evaluation team—led by Vice President and Head of the Global Climate Change Center, Hongmin Chun, who also serves as Project Manager (PM)—consists of sector specialist, evaluation specialist, and research assistant. During the mission, the team reviewed the climate mainstreaming strategies and implementation practices of ADB and JICA.
At ADB, the team met with the Climate Change, Resilience, and Environment Cluster (CCRE) to discuss key considerations in climate project planning, including climate risk analysis. At JICA, the team exchanged views with the Office for Sustainability Management on the agency’s Climate-FIT system, covering its design and implementation processes. The team also held discussions with consultants from Pacific Consultants, a member company of ECFA, to gain insights into Japan’s climate mainstreaming strategies from the perspective of implementing agencies. Based on the findings from these discussions with multilateral development banks, bilateral agencies, and implementing firms, KDS identified preliminary lessons for EDCF’s climate mainstreaming efforts, which will be shared with EDCF.
Looking ahead, KDS plans to conduct the second round of on-site research in November 2025, focusing on the French Development Agency (Agence Française de Développement, AFD) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). KDS will continue to work closely with EDCF and other government agencies to contribute to the advancement of Korea’s ODA industry and the expansion of climate ODA.
