The International Climate Initiative (IKI) is one of the key instruments of the German Federal Government to support international climate action and biodiversity. Launched in 2008, the IKI is anchored in the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN). Selected individual projects are also the responsibility of the Federal Foreign Office (AA).
Embedded in the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the work of the IKI focuses on four areas:
- greenhouse gas mitigation;
- adaptation to the impacts of climate change;
- conserving biological diversity;
- conserving natural carbon sinks with a focus on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+).
This makes the IKI an essential instrument for funding climate action and biodiversity conservation in the global South.
IKI IN CHINA
China has become a prominent actor and indispensable partner in international climate, environment and biodiversity protection. The country is one of the world’s 17 megadiverse countries (which together account for around 70% of the world’s biodiversity) and is currently the world’s largest annual emitter of greenhouse gases in absolute terms, accounting for about 31% of global carbon dioxide emissions.
Recognizing China’s important role in climate change, biodiversity and the environment, the IKI has been engaging in a political dialogue and technical exchange with China since 2009. Both governments are united in their conviction that the ambitious transformation towards a sustainable economy can only be achieved through international cooperation.
In recent years, IKI projects in China have increasingly focused on low-carbon development strategies. Their work focuses on climate governance and legislation, sustainable mobility, climate finance, resilient cities and carbon markets, to name a few. The main instruments employed are policy dialogue, expert exchanges and knowledge-sharing. IKI projects in China are implemented by a variety of organizations, such as GIZ, the World Bank Group, UNDP and others.
IKI INTERFACE
The IKI works particularly closely with 14 priority countries, including China. These priority countries account for almost 50 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and are also home to 25 global biodiversity hotspots.
In most IKI priority countries, one project functions as an interface project. In China, the NDC Implementation project is currently acting in this role.
The IKI Interface promotes:
- exchange and networking among IKI projects in China, IKI ministries & the German embassy;
- sharing of experiences and lessons learned;
- information on climate policy news from Germany and China as well as IKI China project updates.
To connect the IKI community in China, the Interface organizes exchange formats, such as the annual IKI Interface and IKI Networking workshops. Read more about recent activities here: IKI China Interface Workshop 2024
To keep up to date with the latest developments of IKI in China, please subscribe to our quarterly newsletter (category “Project and Programme Newsletters” – title “IKI China”) or read past editions on our website. If you want to know more about the IKI Interface, you can reach out to us via email.
Bilateral IKI China Projects
The project informs the comprehensive implementation of China’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), as well as the climate policies and measures formulated in China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (FYP). In this light, it supports enhanced climate policy coordination and implementation across national and subnational levels of government.
The project supports the bilateral environmental policy dialogue between China and Germany through exchange and advice on topics including air, water, soil, biodiversity as well as sustainable production and consumption.
Currently in its fourth phase, the project focuses on fostering political and technical dialogues on three levels: (i) the political dialogue at ministerial level; (ii) the technical exchange; and (iii) the exchange among German and Chinese universities through joint study camps and a series of talks, the NextGen Climate Dialogue.
This project aims to support China’s green and low carbon energy transition by developing feasible transition measures for two Chinese pilot provinces (Jiangsu and Sichuan) in collaboration with two German federal states (Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westfalia).
This project enables the exchange between Chinese, German and international stakeholders and decision-makers and provides a platform for decarbonising long-haul and urban freight.
The project supports Chinese policy-makers in strengthening their national ETS and developing effective measures to control and reduce non-CO2 GHG emissions through technical exchange and international best practice.
Further to the above listed, several projects that operate in multiple countries in the region or worldwide also have a component in China.
Regional IKI China Projects
The NDC Transport Initiative for Asia, a joint program of seven organisations, promoted an integrated approach to the decarbonisation of transport. As a regional initiative, the project shared its knowledge throughout Asia and promoted regional discourse on the need for net zero carbon transport.
This project supports partner countries to prioritise infrastructure projects compatible with long-term low-emission, resilient development pathways. It promotes enabling policy frameworks and cooperates with private sector and financial stakeholders to scale up investments in low-emission infrastructure.
This project supports the transformation towards low-carbon and resilient urban development in the Asia-Pacific by assisting its government partners to align policies and services for urban development with sustainability targets. At the local level, the project supports 14 pilot cities to integrate climate change into urban plans and budgets.
Global IKI China Projects
This project aims to support partner countries in designing and implementing carbon pricing instruments that meet their national needs and development priorities.
This project supports emerging and developing countries to reduce direct emissions from ODS banks and to anchor the sector in their Nationally Determined Contributions. To achieve this, the project advises the countries regarding strategy formulation, capacity building, implementation and possible technology cooperation.
The Clean Energy Transitions Programme (CETP) is IEA’s flagship programme for taking action to achieve a clean energy transformation worldwide. Activities include analytical work, technical cooperation, policy advice and implementation, tracking the scale and speed of transitions, and capacity building measures.
The Climate Diplomacy Action Programme supports the Federal Foreign Office (AA) in the implementation of German foreign climate policy and accompanies Germany's climate policy cooperation with its partner countries.
The BIOFIN initiative is a global partnership that supports its partner countries by addressing knowledge gaps related to biodiversity finance. The project focuses on the implementation of biodiversity finance plans, protected area finance, development of innovative finance solutions and knowledge sharing.
The project supports dialogue and exchange formats with political decision-makers and key actors from business, science, and civil society in emerging and developing countries to develop innovative cross-sectoral formats that contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement.
This project supports the implementation of Targets 3 and 22 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) in 40-50 countries. The primary focus of the initiative is the provision of small grants directly to civil society organizations, Indigenous Peoples and community-based organizations while sharing community-based good practices.
This project supports businesses and financial institutions around the world to report nature-related financial disclosures in their financial statements according to the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) framework.
- Redd+
- Adapting the Impacts of Climate Change
- Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Conserving Biological Diversity
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Completed projects
This project is not directly financed by IKI but by the NAMA Facility which itself receives funding from IKI. The NAMA Facility plays a leading role in supporting transformational sector-based approaches to tackling Climate Change by supporting countries in the implementation of nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMA). The NAMA Facility was established in 2012 by the Federal Republic of Germany and the United Kingdom.
INTERACT-Bio supported partner countries in establishing the management of biodiversity and ecosystems as a cross-sectional task and as the joint responsibility of national, regional and local authorities. At the local level pilot projects were conducted that facilitated the implementation of the NBSAPs.
The Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA) is a global umbrella partnership comprising of more than 400 consumer goods and retail companies to reduce deforestation in their supply chains for palm oil, beef, soy, paper and pulp. In China, TFA engaged private sector, government and civil society actors to build a common agenda on addressing deforestation and biodiversity loss.
- Redd+
- Adapting the Impacts of Climate Change
- Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Conserving Biological Diversity
INDEPENDENT COMPLAINT MECHANISM (IKI ICM)
The mechanism is intended to enable people who suffer (potential) negative social and/or environmental consequences from IKI projects, or who wish to report the improper use of funds, to voice their complaints and seek redress. In doing so, it should also contribute to:
- monitor and improve the environmental and social outcomes of projects,
- avoid unintended negative impacts of projects that go unnoticed by ZUG, BMUKN and AA,
- support the appropriate use of public funds, and
- comply with international good practice
For general information please visit independent-complaint-mechanism.
For more details please visit how-to-file-a-complaint.
