Germany aims to strengthen the impact of international climate protection and guarantees an attractive package of services
Today the German government will submit its application for Bonn to accommodate the headquarters of the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Germany's offer contains a broad package of services that will guarantee the optimal functioning of the Fund. The City of Bonn can provide the Fund with outstanding framework conditions and the Fund could begin its work without delay.
The Green Climate Fund was established at the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Cancun, Mexico and was operationalised at the COP in Durban, South Africa in December 2011. The Fund aims to provide financial support for developing countries and emerging economies to enable them to shape their continued development in an environmentally sound way, and to help them protect themselves to a greater extent against the impacts of climate change. By 2020, 100 billion US dollars are to be mobilised each year for climate financing, with a significant part of these resources being managed by the GCF.
Germany's pioneering role as the second biggest donor of climate finance and as a key driving force in bilateral and multilateral cooperation is to be underlined by accommodating the Fund in Bonn. "The Green Climate Fund has the potential to promote a paradigm shift towards low-emission and climate-resilient development. Our proposal to host the Green Climate Fund in Bonn emphasises our willingness to assume responsibility,” commented Norbert Röttgen, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. "As host to numerous international and UN organisations in the field of climate, environment and energy, the City of Bonn offers ideal prerequisites and major networking opportunities, as well as a high quality of life, international flair and an excellent infrastructure. Switzerland (Geneva), South Korea (Incheon), Mexico (Mexico City), Poland and Namibia are also expected to submit offers. With its excellent framework conditions Bonn is ideally suited to taking on this crucial task and to further expanding its role as a UN City."
Germany sees climate protection as a driving force for growth. The Fund will create new opportunities for developing countries and emerging economies to achieve sustainable economic and social development. Dirk Niebel, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, stated: "Our experience shows that economic growth and environmental protection do not contradict each other. In fact, the opposite is true. To achieve sustainable development we need effective environmental protection at international level. Then, environmental and climate protection will even be able to drive forward economic growth. Germany plays a leading role in this area, which also speaks in Bonn's favour. With our application we aim to make full use of our strengths - to the benefit of developing countries and emerging economies. Development and climate protection go hand in hand - one without the other is inconceivable."
The German government has submitted an attractive offer to host the Fund's headquarters. This includes privileges and immunities similar to those granted to the UN organisations already located in Bonn, and a comprehensive support package for the staff of the Fund's future secretariat. Additionally, Germany will invest up to 75.5 million euros in an office building with high architectural appeal to accommodate the Fund's staff. The building owner, the Institute for Federal Real Estate (Bundesanstalt für Immobilienaufgaben), will construct the premises on its own site in accordance with the latest energy and building ecology standards.
The decision on where to locate the Fund's headquarters will be taken at the end of 2012 by the 18th Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Qatar.