International Climate Initiative launches 2022 ideas competition
The International Climate Initiative (IKI) is looking for ideas for ambitious and innovative projects around the world to combat climate change and preserve biodiversity in developing and emerging countries. The goal is to help partner countries cut greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to climate change and conserve biodiversity. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), together with the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and the Federal Foreign Office (AA), has earmarked a total of 280 million euros for this purpose. The IKI has been overseen since 2022 by the BMWK in close cooperation with the BMUV and the AA. This ideas competition marks the first time that the three ministries are pooling their expertise and searching for new ideas together. The funding for each project ranges from 10 to 20 million euros.
Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck remarked:
"Climate change has long been a reality, its environmental and social impacts can be seen in all regions of the world: extreme weather events like high temperatures and flooding occur more often and social inequalities widen. Economically weak countries in the Global South are particularly hard hit although they have contributed least to climate change, producing only few greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, we will not succeed in significantly lowering global emissions in the short term if the large emerging economies such as India, South Africa, Indonesia and Vietnam are not on board. Through the International Climate Initiative, we are therefore promoting ambitious projects to advance the transformation to climate- and biodiversity-friendly societies in our partner countries."
Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke commented:
"Alongside climate change, biodiversity loss is the second serious environmental crisis that threatens our survival. The two are mutually reinforcing and can only be tackled together. Protecting and preserving biodiversity is not an end in itself, but necessary for our survival. It is therefore only right and important that integrated solutions to address the climate and biodiversity crises are the centrepiece of the upcoming Climate Change and Biodiversity COPs at the end of the year. Through the IKI, we are promoting exactly these kinds of integrated solutions and supporting implementation of global climate and biodiversity goals in our partner countries. The IKI’s now published thematic call is one way that Germany is providing key support for the new global biodiversity framework to be adopted at CBD COP in Montreal."
State Secretary Jennifer Morgan said:
"The impacts of the climate crisis are becoming more and more devastating, sparing no one. The world is on fire but emissions continue to rise and we are heading for an abyss. We need to change course now so that we can still limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (°C). With the International Climate Initiative, we are promoting selected projects this year to accelerate the global energy transition and the shift to a climate-friendly and sustainable economy and society. But the existence of many countries is already at risk from the climate crisis today. The small island nations are feeling the risk more than other countries as they are in danger of disappearing altogether. The IKI helps these countries to deal more effectively with the impacts of the climate crisis and to protect themselves better."
Through the current IKI ideas competition, the three ministries are seeking innovative and forward-looking projects for a total of twelve thematic priorities. This year’s focus is on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the energy and agricultural sectors, sustainable and climate-relevant biodiversity conservation, as well as resilience and adaptation. Projects are being sought, for instance, that help promote photovoltaics on farmland, provide solutions for climate-friendly future use and repurposing of former power plant sites, promote deforestation-free supply chains for agricultural raw materials, strengthen the resilience of Pacific island nations to climate-related loss and damage and support sustainable public incentive systems to establish effective biodiversity conservation and climate action.