Devex Newswire: The local development organizations you need to know about

We all know that localization is the development buzzword of the moment, but on-the-ground leaders have been at it for years. We spotlight 19 organizations — each breaking ground with local expertise — from Yemen to Uganda.

Also in today’s edition: We bring you on-the-ground reporting from the 29th U.N. Climate Change Conference in Azerbaijan.

Local leaders rising

Localization is trending in global development circles, yet the idea is hard to push through. Skeptics say local groups are too “risky” to handle major funding, citing limited capacity. This perception persists partly because local organizations are often unknown on the global stage, making them easy to stereotype. So to get to know them better read on.

Through nominations, research, and interviews, we’ve compiled an exclusive list of 19 organizations proving that locally led development can work wonders. From war zones to rural towns, these organizations are tackling big challenges with local solutions and changing what’s possible for their communities. Here’s a glimpse into some of their stories:

• Tamdeen Youth Foundation (Yemen) has raised over $20 million to respond to humanitarian crises and leads the charge for localization in Yemen, a country scarred by conflict and economic collapse.

• BarefootLaw (Uganda) brings justice to rural areas with portable, solar-powered legal hubs made from shipping containers. Supported by AI-powered tools — including “Winnie, an AI lawyer” — BarefootLaw helps Ugandans understand their rights and get free legal advice.

• Green Life Generation (Sri Lanka) transforms unused fabrics from factories into handmade products crafted by women artisans, including single mothers and women with disabilities. In a country known for textile production, they’re helping women earn sustainable incomes.

• PichaEats (Malaysia) supports refugees by training them to become professional chefs and offering authentic, home-cooked meals to the public. To date, PichaEats has served over 135,000 meals and channeled more than $1.1 million back to refugee families.

• Fund for Congolese Women (DRC) is the only feminist fund in the Democratic Republic of Congo, supporting over 400 grants for projects in health, gender equality, and peacebuilding. Its founder, Julienne Lusenge, received the prestigious U.N. Human Rights Prize.

This list represents just a slice of the impactful work happening on the ground, but it offers a window into how local organizations are reshaping global development.

Still, the path isn’t easy. Local organizations often face an uphill battle for funding and resources when competing with international NGOs. And while localization is widely supported in theory, in practice, power and resources remain concentrated with larger organizations.

Check out the full list to learn more about the organizations driving change in their communities.

Read: 19 local organizations to watch

Money, metrics, momentum

Thousands are in Baku, Azerbaijan, for COP29, where climate finance is center stage. Topping the agenda? The new collective quantified goal, or NCQG, an update to the long-standing climate finance target. The aim is to boost funding for climate action and keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

With lower attendance than last year's COP28 in Dubai (though still more than any other COP), the event is less of a spectacle but might be one of the most crucial for climate finance since COP15’s $100 billion pledge was agreed in 2009, Devex climate reporter Jesse Chase-Lubitz writes. Leaders are discussing how much wealthier countries should commit to helping low-income nations cope with climate impacts and fund projects for building resilient infrastructure.

Experts agree the NCQG negotiations are critical, and the decisions made could shape climate finance for the next decade or more. But the latest U.S. election looms large: President-elect Donald Trump is expected to pull the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, which could disrupt donor contributions and trigger a domino effect among other major contributors.

Key discussions revolve around who pays, how much, and where it goes. Low- and middle-income countries have demanded funding totals in the trillions to tackle both mitigation and adaptation, plus a dedicated loss and damage fund to help them recover from climate disasters. Wealthy countries prefer private sector-driven solutions and are resisting a firm dollar amount.

Amid all this, the Adaptation Fund and the loss and damage fund are also back on the table. Although currently voluntary, many are pushing to make loss and damage a required part of climate finance, while adaptation advocates hope for new pledges to bolster resilience projects.

This COP could redefine the future of climate finance, but some worry that without grant-based funding and transparent reporting, the new NCQG might fall short.

Read: COP29 is the ‘finance COP.’ Here's what that means (Pro)

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Devex dispatches

And on the ground to navigate the chaos and explain all of the above, is our Jesse. In her regularly updated reporter’s notebook, she keeps us updated on the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Big wins (and gripes) so far:

• Article 6: Cemented on Monday, this deal on carbon markets has everyone buzzing. Officials hail it as a breakthrough, while skeptics argue it’s yet another way to delay real climate action. “Carbon markets have done precisely what they are supposed to do: delay real climate action,” says Joanna Cabello of the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations.

• Britain to the punch: The United Kingdom made a splash by setting an ambitious 81% emissions reduction target, becoming one of the first countries to submit its nationally determined contributions. The hope is that others will follow suit, though the true test will come with next week’s NCQG talks.

• MDB aggressive: The big seven multilateral development banks pledged a $120 billion climate finance target for low- and middle-income countries by 2030. It’s ambitious, says Melanie Robinson of the World Resources Institute, but “one thing we have to keep an eye on is the quality of that finance.”  

Pro tips:

• Coffee troubles? Australia shut down its coffee stand early, but Indonesia and Ethiopia have your back with quality brews.

• Bolt woes: Watch out for the COP29 taxi option on ride-hailing app Bolt, which charges a fortune. Go for the regular options to save a bundle.

• Getting around? Baku’s shuttle hubs are close to most neighborhoods, so find your nearest pickup point and skip the hassle.

Oh, and Devex swag is a hit — someone even asked Jesse where to score a Devex water bottle.

Read the reporter’s notebook: Behind the scenes at COP29

+ Watch this space for all the latest COP29 coverage, and tune in next week for a special edition newsletter focused on the summit.

In other news

Climate change is driving record global displacement and worsening already dire conditions for people who are displaced, the United Nations warned. [Barron’s]

The Biden administration backed away from its 30-day ultimatum to Israel over Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, just as U.N. experts warned of imminent famine in the territory. [Al Jazeera]

Egypt’s ambitious goal to generate 42% of its power from renewables by 2030 hinges on international backing, the country’s prime minister, Mostafa Madbouly, said. [Reuters]

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