German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety
Grants for climate projects in developing and emerging countries through the International Climate Initiative
Principal Office: Germany
The German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) was established in 1986. The BMUB has the lead role for developing the environmental policies of the German federal government.
Internationally, the BMUB engages with the European Union on issues of European environmental policy and standards.
Additionally, BMUB supports initiatives at the global level that include the International Climate Initiative (ICI). The ICI makes grants for climate projects in developing, newly industrializing, and transition countries.
Grant Programs for Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Natural Resources
International Climate Initiative. The ICI has several focus areas, or key elements.
- Promoting renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to build a climate-friendly economy;
- Adaptation measures in response to climate change;
- Conservation and sustainable use of carbon reservoirs (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, REDD+); and
- Contribution to biodiversity conservation in support of the Convention on Biological Diversity, such as by upgrading national and regional systems of protected areas, especially marine and coastal reserves.
Grants in ICI are made at the geographical scope of countries, major regions (transnational), and globally. Projects are funded for up to five years. Most projects are funded at over €1 million.
Grant recipients are organizations and consortia in Germany and internationally. They include the German government’s development agencies (GIZ and KfW); international organizations and multilateral development banks; and NGOs, universities, research institutes, foundations, and private companies.
About the International Climate Initiative
APPLICATION: The ICI posts an annual call for proposals.
ICI uses a two-stage process for project selection. Applicants submit project outlines before a posted calendar deadline. BMU reviews these project outlines in order to invite a smaller number of applicants to submit full proposals.
The details of a project outline include the project’s thematic focus; partner relationships; goals and target groups; anticipated contribution to socioeconomic development; planned activities; sustainability aspects; funding requirements; and a detailed budget.
Geographical Distribution of Grant Activities in Developing Countries
Worldwide
BMUB’s website is available in German and English.
The ICI is funded through revenues raised by emissions trading, which is a relatively innovative mechanism to channel financial support to the developing world.
The ICI’s projects can be searched by region, country, themes, and key words in a database and world map. This provides a good overview of the types of projects that get funded.
Germany funds a National Climate Initiative to fund projects aimed at schools, households, consumers, and local authorities in Germany.