News : Germany presents International Climate Protection Initiative for developing and newly industrialising countries

Germany's Climate Protection Initiative supports more than 100 projects worldwide

Germany presents International Climate Protection Initiative for developing and newly industrialising countries

December 12, 2008

On Thursday, 11th December, the German Environment Ministry presented its International Climate Protection Initiative at the climate negotiations in Poznań. This year the programme, funded by part of the revenues from emissions trading, is supporting more than 100 projects in developing, newly industrialising and transition countries with a total of around 200 million euro.

Moving the global economy towards a low-carbon future requires such massive funding that it will only be possible with new financing solutions. The Climate Protection Initiative is a unique model worldwide, which reinvests revenues from the auctioning of emission allowances in climate protection projects. The focus is on establishing climate-friendly industry, protecting climate-relevant ecosystems and adapting to the consequences of climate change.

On this occasion, Germany’s Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel stated, "Those who claim that in times of financial crisis, climate protection is a luxury know nothing about economics. Actually, the very opposite is true: we need a climate-based economic recovery plan. Investing billions in industrialised and newly industrialising countries presents a major opportunity for the global climate and the economy. But we have to invest wisely, namely in the future of our children and grandchildren on this planet."

The selection of projects by the German Environment Ministry is based on innovative and transferable concepts with a multiplier effect. Some projects being promoted under the International Climate Protection Initiative include a low-interest credit line to support urban investments in renewable energies and energy efficiency in Johannesburg, a project run by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) in rural India that creates jobs through expansion of bio-energy use, support for protected areas and reduction of emissions from deforestation by upto 130,000 tonnes in the Amazon region of Peru.

At the Climate Change Conference in Poznań, Germany’s promotional bank KfW launched its Programme of Activities (PoA) Support Centre that aims at advancing climate protection activities worldwide. The project of the German Environment Ministry ties in with the Programme of Activities (PoA) under the Kyoto Protocol, and aims to identify and reduce small-scale sources of climate-damaging greenhouse gases.
Through its PoA Support Centre Germany, the KfW offers assistance and advice on the development of PoAs and evaluates PoA proposals. The centre is geared towards interested companies, organisations and public bodies in Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI) host countries, as well as energy suppliers, banks and interregional NGOs.