The German Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU) has launched a new funding round of the thematic selection procedure under International Climate Initiative (IKI).
The German Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU) has launched a new funding round of the thematic selection procedure under International Climate Initiative (IKI). The first phase of this two-stage selection procedure is designed as a competition for entrants worldwide, with ideas about projects for climate action and biodiversity conservation in developing and countries in transition.
"Creating Green Societies in Challenging Times"
Developing and countries in transition have been especially hard hit by the social and economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. The slogan for the new funding round is therefore ‘Creating Green Societies in Challenging Times’, which reflects that the funding is to support these countries handle the crisis. It is also increasingly clear the contribution made to sustainable economic recovery through climate action, adaptation to climate change and biodiversity conservation.
The BMU is providing funds amounting to EUR 240 million for this round. Thirteen funding priorities have been defined, which range from climate-compatible economic development, climate action in maritime traffic to expanding climate-conscious and biodiversity-friendly land use and establishing an educational landscape for climate action.
Funding priorities in the current thematic selection procedure
- Developing opportunities: climate-compatible economic policy perspectives as a driver for more ambitious NDCs
- Developing skills and ideas: establishing an educational landscape on the issue of climate action
- Support for national development banks as a driver for investment in climate action, in particular in sustainable urban infrastructure
- Climate-conscious energy transition in the building sector with a focus on heating and cooling
- Climate action in maritime transport
- Beyond borders: climate-conscious economic development in Eastern Partnership countries in the context of the EU Green Deal
- Climate/water nexus: integrated water resource management in West and Central Africa
- Combating desertification: traditional and sustainable land use concepts in open land ecosystems
- Bonn Challenge: innovative approaches to regional seed supply
- Pandemic preparedness: natural protective barriers between humans and animals by expanding, linking and improving protected areas
- From pilot to application: expanding climate-conscious and biodiversity-friendly land use and production in fishing, agriculture and forestry
- Shifting the trillions: innovative approaches to leveraging and redirecting private sector capital for climate financing
- Biodiversity-friendly and climate-conscious financial systems in response to COVID-19
Each project may apply for funding between EUR 5 million and EUR 30 million. For the first time, two thematic priorities will be opened up with a funding volume of up to 30 million euros, which can be implemented exclusively through a fiduciary management for a specific purpose.
Organisations entitled to apply for funding include non-governmental organisations, commercial enterprises, governmental implementing agencies, universities, research institutions from Germany and abroad as well as international intergovernmental organisations such as development banks or United Nations organisations and programmes.
The deadline for the Project outlines (in English) was 10 March 2020 (23:59 CET). The next International Climate Initiative (IKI) thematic selection procedure will start in the second quarter of 2022.
IKI is one of the most important instruments utilised by BMU to support international climate action and biodiversity protection.
IKI projects promote innovative solutions while developing new political, economic and regulatory approaches as well as technological options and partnership models. Solution approaches must be transferable and effective beyond the bounds of the project.
One important aspect considered when approving IKI-funded projects is the upholding of human rights as well as high environmental and social standards. Since 2017, IKI has therefore applied a systematic and binding approach known as IKI safeguards, which all IKI-funded organisations must agree upon to plan and implement an IKI-project.
