2015/2016 Annual Report of International Climate Initiative (IKI) published
The International Climate Initiative (IKI) annual report that has just been published shows that over the past two years, German Federal Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks has supported international climate action with 870 million euros. Together with funds already allocated from this year’s budget, this brings total funding to over one billion euros. The Federal Environment Ministry is using these funds to support 30 countries in the implementation of their nationally determined contributions (NDCs).
This support is primarily aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in emerging economies and developing countries and at preserving species-rich landscapes. To qualify for funding, projects must fulfil several criteria: they must be innovative and sustainable, open up prospects for carbon neutral development and protect natural and biological diversity. The current IKI funding programme promotes projects that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions before 2020. Over the 2015 and 2016 period, IKI projects received 870 million euros and so far this year, this figure has already reached around 194 million euros, bringing total funding up to around 1.064 billion euros.
Minister Hendricks commented: "When it comes to implementing the Paris Agreement, concrete climate action projects are an important blueprint for greenhouse gas-neutral development. The German government has stood by its pledges for global climate action and protecting natural biological diversity. In future, we intend to further expand our commitment in line with international pledges."
In specifying their NDCs under the Paris Agreement, many countries set climate targets for the first time in their national history. IKI experts are now helping governments, institutions and research institutes develop and coordinate suitable measures and harmonise these with existing climate and development targets. For instance in the Philippines, a national climate strategy is being prepared which aims to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, provided there is international collaboration, by 70 percent by 2030 compared to current levels.
Public climate finance is also particularly important. Industrialised countries continue to play a pioneering role here. Some IKI projects are aimed at achieving better financial security for climate-friendly investments in emerging economies and developing countries, for instance against currency risks. The KfW bank, for example, is investing 30 million euros in a trust with the help of IKI financing. This will give more security to capital providers and investment partners for projects in countries like Ghana, Nigeria and Uganda for financing renewable energies and energy efficiency.
The IKI also supports global efforts to protect forests. Green Growth in the Heart of Borneo (HoB) is a cross-border IKI project focusing on a conservation and use concept for a pilot region in one of the world’s most species-rich rainforests. Heart of Borneo is the name given to a large part of the island with over 22 million hectares of forest in Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia. The Heart of Borneo is not only one of the areas in the world with the richest diversity in animal and plant species and biotopes, it is also home to and a source of income for at least 11 million of Borneo’s inhabitants, including one million indigenous Dayaks.
Funding information: The tender documents for the coming funding period will be published shortly by the BMUB.