Germany increases funding for global adaptation fund by 60 million euro

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Environment Minister Steffi Lemke announced today at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) on behalf of the German Government that Germany will be increasing its contribution to the Global Adaptation Fund by 60 million euro. Germany is the largest donor country to this key multilateral instrument for climate adaptation financing. The Fund’s top priority is to support communities that are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock:

Adapting to climate change affects us all, but not everyone can afford to do this. Countries that fail to adapt to the impacts of climate change will literally go under. Climate change often hits poorer countries, which are not responsible for the high CO₂ emissions of industrialised nations, particularly hard. It is therefore only fair that the costs of adapting to climate change be widely shared and that wealthy countries like Germany pay more. We are therefore increasing Germany’s contribution to the international Adaptation Fund, thereby promoting greater climate justice.

Environment Minister Steffi Lemke:

Hurricanes, floods and parched fields are, to an ever-increasing degree, demonstrating how relentlessly the climate crisis is impacting developing countries in particular. That is why, starting this year, we want to lend even greater support to our partners by increasing Germany’s contribution to the Adaptation Fund. In so doing, we are stepping up our support for climate adaptation measures so that affected countries can implement practical and effective measures. This is why we are also supporting numerous projects that combine climate adaptation and biodiversity protection. In this way, we are putting in place risk-prevention measures that safeguard vital natural resources at the same time.

The international Adaptation Fund has provided around 923.5 million US dollars for projects since 2010, including 132 concrete projects in nearly 100 countries for 36 million beneficiaries. Germany is among the largest contributors to the Fund. Since its inception in 2007, the German Government has contributed a total of 514 million US dollars. The Adaptation Fund has a number of innovative approaches in the areas of funding, rules of procedure and administration. These stem not only from the objective of the funding, the financing of adaptation measures in partner countries, but also from the governance structure of the Fund. The Adaptation Fund is jointly administered by developing and industrialised countries and was the first multilateral fund to offer accredited project implementing organisations in partner countries direct access to funding.

Germany has provided targeted funding for the Adaptation Fund and other adaptation projects in partner countries since 2008 under the International Climate Initiative (IKI). These projects aim to increase the adaptive capacity of countries and regions with a high degree of vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. Since 2008, IKI has funded a total of 149 projects in the field of adaptation, totalling 658 million euro; of these, 51 projects (387 million euro) are currently being implemented, while the rest have already been completed. In addition to these 149 or 51 projects, a further 18 projects with a total volume of 174 million euro are currently pending approval. The majority of projects pending approval or being implemented are bilateral and regional projects with a focus on Latin America and Asia.

Germany’s contribution to climate adaptation financing totalled 2.6 billion euro last year. The Adaptation Fund is one of many instruments that Germany is using to support climate adaptation financing in developing countries.