The objective of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) is to achieve a paradigm shift towards low-carbon and climate-resilient development pathways. The brief asserts that ambition is required in the design of funded activities and in the provision of financial resources to the Fund. The authors explain that a paradigm shift might imply moving to more programmatic approaches and that strong country ownership is essential as it will ensure that new ways of working endure in the long term. They argue that the GCF needs to provide clear incentives and guidance for ambitious proposals by governments and sub-national actors, by developing access modalities that ensure strong country ownership by supporting the necessary capacity development, and by encouraging robust knowledge sharing. This must be matched with the provision of large financial resources to the fund.