More robust support for adaptation to climate change is a key concern of developing countries at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow. The German government has responded to the developing countries’ call and is topping up its multilateral commitment to adaptation finance with an additional 150 million euros. Of this sum, 100 million euros from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development will strengthen the Global Environment Facility fund for least developed countries. The Federal Environment Ministry is contributing another 50 million euros to the Adaptation Fund. Germany now provides a total of around 2 billion euros a year for international adaptation finance. This represents 40 percent of total climate finance from the public budget.
Federal Development Minister Gerd Müller stated: "The people in the world’s poorest countries must not be the losers of climate change. They are least to blame for climate change, but are suffering the most from the impacts. That is why we must give the poorest and most vulnerable countries greater protection from droughts and flooding. Germany is leading the way, supporting the poorest countries with a further 100 million euros for urgently needed climate change adaptation measures. Others must now follow suit. The European Union in particular should think beyond its borders and, for instance, expand its Green Deal to Africa."
Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze commented: "Germany is a reliable partner in the funding of measures to adapt to the impacts of climate change. We have supported the Adaptation Fund for many years. This signals our solidarity with those suffering the most from the impacts of climate change. The Adaptation Fund facilitates an equal partnership with developing countries, which have an equal say in the programmes and concrete projects. Other G7 countries such as Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom,have also pledged their support. I hope that this commitment will add momentum to the important negotiations on adaptation finance this week."
Tomorrow the German government will join in the replenishment of the Least Developed Countries Fund ( LDCF). Germany is thus implementing the pledge given by Federal Chancellor Merkel at the Adaptation Summit in January 2021, and remains the Fund’s biggest donor. The special focus of the LDCF on the needs of least developed countries, and its close ties to the Global Environment Facility makes this fund a unique component of climate finance architecture. Donor contributions totalling 1.6 billion US dollars have mobilised a further 6.8 billion US dollars of project co-financing.
Further information
LDCF:
The Least Developed Countries Fund of the Global Environment Facility finances climate change adaptation projects in the world’s least developed countries. The focus is on adaptation measures in agriculture and food security, natural resource management, e.g forests, disaster risk management and prevention, coastal zone management, climate information systems, climate-resilient infrastructure and dealing with climate change-induced health risks.
Nearly 75 percent of LDCF projects are implemented in Africa, nearly 25 percent in Asia and the Pacific region, and around 2 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean (Haiti). The active portfolio also comprises ten projects in eight small island states which are also in the group of poorest countries. As part of the Global Environment Facility, the LDCF supports comprehensive approaches to climate change adaptation. This is undertaken in close coordination with the Adaptation Fund and through joint financing with other climate funds such as the Green Climate Fund. In future, the LDCF will step up support for innovative projects with private-sector actors.
Adaptation Fund:
Projects supported by the Adaptation Fund inlcude early warning systems for extreme weather events such as flooding and forest fires, efficient irrigation systems in agriculture, transboundary coastal zone and water management, and securing alternative livelihoods for farming and forestry communities. To date, Germany has contributed 390 million euros to the Adaptation Fund, making it the biggest donor. The funds are provided under the International Climate Initiative (IKI), which itself supports numerous adaptation projects in addition to the annual contribution to the Adaptation Fund. These IKI projects focus in particular on ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA). There are currently 55 IKI adaptation projects underway, with total funding of 728 million euros.