On 21 and 22 February 2018, the first network conference for EUKI, the European Climate Initiative, will be held in Berlin with the Bulgarian EU Council Presidency in attendance. Federal Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks and Bulgaria's Deputy Environment Minister Atanaska Nikolova will welcome climate action pioneers from almost every EU member state. The purpose of the EUKI conference is to facilitate exchange of good practices regarding implementation of the Paris Agreement in Europe and to encourage networking among representatives of Non-governmental organizations, think tanks, the scientific community and industry associations. In addition, innovative solutions for greenhouse gas mitigation in the energy, buildings, transport and agriculture sectors will be discussed.
Federal Environment Minister Hendricks commented: "Although the starting conditions in the European member states are, in some cases, very different, we often face similar challenges in implementation. Our close, excellent cooperation with Bulgaria shows that we are working together to achieve European climate targets. Effective climate action requires cooperation across borders."
The European Climate Initiative primarily supports cooperation with Central, Eastern and South-eastern Europe. The projects financed to date run the gamut from strategies for socially sound structural change in mining regions to the development of a strategy for emission reductions in Poland's heating sector and improved energy efficiency in 80 Greek pilot schools.
Non-profit organisations can submit project ideas for the second funding round until 16 March 2018.