Calendar

2024

Image: © IKI

IKI Thematic Call 2024

IKI is receiving proposals for this year’s IKI Thematic Call. The deadline is February 18th, 2025 for this year’s ideas competition. Energy efficiency, climate-friendly transportation, or the conservation of marine resources, wetlands, and watersheds, will be prioritized, among other topics. 

Learn more about here. 

© IKI

IKI Medium Grants Call

This has been a year filled with success and accomplishments! As we reach the finish line, it is also an opportunity to think about what’s next. For any new ideas for the future, IKI has just announced the deadline for the current IKI Medium Grants Call. Initiatives and proposals are to be submitted by January 14th, 2025. 

This year’s call focuses on ideas with a budget between 300.000 EUR and 800.000 EUR on topics like mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and the protection and use of biodiversity in cities. 

Find more information on the main website. 

The holidays bring a merry spirit and bright ideas! IKI has announced a new call for IKI Small Grants proposals in 2025. Take the opportunity and get funding for your small local, regional, or national organization to continue with its strong commitment to fight against climate change! If your idea has a budget between 60.000 and 200.000 EUR, and focuses on topics such as adaptation, mitigation, conservation of natural carbon sinks or biodiversity, this is your opportunity to apply!

Submit your proposals no later than January 15th, 2025. If you have any questions, find more information here.

Enhancing adaptive capacities of coral gardeners in reef-dependent communities 

Raising Coral Costa Rica conducts science-based reef restoration in alliance with the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) on both the Pacific (Golfito) and Caribbean (Talamanca) coasts of Costa Rica. The reef ecosystems and associated communities are vastly different between the two coasts, but they face similar environmental and socio-economic challenges. Reefs on both coasts are degraded due to a variety of impacts, e.g., land-based sedimentation stress and temperature-induced coral bleaching. 

The communities surrounding Golfo Dulce and along the Caribbean shoreline depend on agriculture, fishing, and marine tourism. Social development index values for the two districts are among the lowest in the country (MIDEPLAN, 2018). For these reef-dependent communities to keep up with the impacts of climate change, we propose actions that build adaptive capacity by encouraging self-sustaining community-led restoration while simultaneously addressing local drivers of coral reef degradation.

This year we focused on having 5 workshops in Golfo Dulce and South Caribbean about coral reef resilience, coral reef restoration tourism and to strengthen the Tierra-Mar land-sea coalition. 

Project “Regional action for enhanced protection of pollinating insects and pollination services in Latin America (Poli LAC)”

Poli LAC is being implemented in Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, Paraguay and Brazil. In Costa Rica, the project is implemented in a consortium with the Asociación Costa Rica por Siempre. The Project's political and institutional partner is the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) on behalf of the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), as political counterpart. Likewise, the National Directorate of Agricultural Extension is also the political and institutional partner of the project, representing the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG). Poli LAC aims that “governmental and non-governmental actors in selected countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have scaled-up knowledge-based management and governance practices at local, subnational, national and regional levels that promote the ecosystem service of insect pollination.”

The Poli LAC project focuses on three components, which operate at three different scales. For the regional scale, Component 1: Regional knowledge management has been established.For the national scale, Component 2: Policies, instruments and finance is formulated, while for the sub-national scale, Component 3: Pollinator-friendly practices and monitoring is established.For this last component, the project focuses on a prioritized area or landscape: the Nicoya Peninsula.

GET 4.0 Project: Supporting activities in Costa Rica in the transformation towards a green economy

The GET 4.0 project supports the transformation towards a green economy in selected partner countries. It aims to help decision-makers in these countries to develop a policy framework for an inclusive green economy by strengthening international networks. In Costa Rica, the project focuses on supporting circular economy financing activities and evaluating interventions to develop green fiscal and circular economy policies.

Building on three previous project phases, GET 4.0 supports existing transformation approaches towards a green economy in the selected partner countries Argentina, Costa Rica, Indonesia and South Africa. The project is implemented on behalf of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The aim of the project is to support decision-makers in the four partner countries in developing and implementing an improved policy framework for an inclusive green economy. In addition, the objective involves strengthening relevant international partnerships and networks that support global learning and knowledge generation for the implementation of policy strategies for an inclusive green economy.

In Costa Rica, the project supports financing activities for a circular economy in the context of the implementation of the National Circular Economy Strategy (ENEC). The project works in cooperation with various partners such as the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), the Ministry of Finance, the International Center for Economic Policy for Sustainable Development (CINPE) and the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS).

Photo: © ACCION Clima / GIZ

Costa Rica... a country recognized worldwide for being a tourist paradise, but also for its efforts in environmental best practices.

Seven companies are positioning themselves in the market thanks to having more sustainable operations, a transformation guided by the Decarbonization and Adaptation of the Tourism Sector program of the IKI ACTION Climate project of GIZ, in conjunction with the Euroclima program financed by the European Union and implemented by GIZ.

To get a close look at best practices in the field, they traveled to the beautiful state of Quintana Roo in an exchange with leaders of sustainable tourism in the region.

As part of the tour participants

• visited the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve (“the place where the sky is born” in Mayan language), to learn about low-emission community-based rural tourism experiences, managed by Mayan people from the Community Tour Sian Ka'an Cooperative. This is one of the main attractions of natural tourism in the area, but its entrance is very controlled and mass tourism is not allowed.
• learned about the climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts of the Iberostar Playa Paraiso and Moon Palace hotels in Riviera Maya, linked to dune protection on the beaches, sargasso management, marine biodiversity conservation through the planting of corals, organic waste management, among others.

Now, it is their turn to design strategies through roadmaps to mitigate their environmental impact and adapt to climate change.

© EcoAdvance

As we reach the end of 2024 full of challenges and achievements, we are approaching two years of implementation of the EcoAdvance project. We are very happy with our progress and thank all those who have accompanied us along the way.

We invite you to open our gift to you: a catalog of regional and global best practices for the implementation of sustainable public procurement and environmental labeling programs.

Good practices on ecolabelling and sustainable public procurement 

From all our countries, we wish you a successful end of the year in your projects and a very happy holiday season!

Save the Blue Five seeks to improve the conservation and long-term survival of marine megafauna species along their major migratory routes in the Southeast Pacific region.

Do you already know about our website?

We invite you to dive in: www.savethebluefive.net

We'll meet you there!

© Caribbean Resilient Islands project

At the Resilient Caribbean Communities (CCR) Project, we are a multi-cultural and multi-generational team, composed of people from the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Haiti and Germany. Our team brings a wealth of diverse perspectives and skills, joining forces and expertise to address the challenges of climate change. Each of us contributes with commitment and passion for Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA), working together with communities to strengthen ecosystem resilience and promote sustainable livelihoods. Together for strong and sustainable ecosystems for people and nature!
 

For this Christmas, we'd like to share with you some typical Christmas recipes from our countries of implementation! 

• Corn and Pumpkin Tamales from Cuba
• Pasteles de Hoja with Yucca and Plantain from the Dominican Republic
• Diri ak Djon Djon (Rice with Mushrooms) from Haiti

IKI @ COP16 and COP29

Discover the pivotal role of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) in global biodiversity and climate action at the recent CBD COP 16 and UNFCCC COP 29.

At CBD COP 16 in Cali, Colombia, IKI played a crucial part in advancing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, emphasizing the integral role of indigenous peoples and local communities, and fostering inclusive approaches to biodiversity conservation. With significant decisions on biodiversity and climate change, the establishment of new permanent bodies, and substantial financial commitments, IKI's initiatives are at the forefront of addressing the ecological double crisis.

At UNFCCC COP 29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, IKI launched its Thematic Call and IKI Small Grants Call in a high-level event. Priority topics inlcuded financing climate action and mitigating greenhouse gases in industry. The German government will be represented at COP29 by several Federal Ministers. 

Image: © IKI

Gender in the IKI

Climate change and biodiversity loss are affecting countries, societies and ecosystems worldwide. Among other things, the vulnerability of human populations to their impacts also depends on socio-economic, demographic and societal factors. In addition, these factors also influence the magnitude of emissions produced as well as the usage of and access to natural resources. In particular, gender is an especially important factor in this context.

To address the points of interaction between climate change, biodiversity loss and gender, the International Climate Initiative (IKI) is working towards gender justice as a central factor: in the future, IKI projects will be designed in such a way that ensures the prevention of disadvantages and the reduction of gender-based discrimination. The potential offered by all stakeholders will be utilised to help support climate action and to conserve biodiversity.

Find more information, Gender Strategy, Gender Action Plan and Gender Guidelines on the information page on gender.

CoralCarib: Pioneering a new strategic approach for conserving and restoring Caribbean coral reef ecosystems that targets Climate Resilient Refuges

Reef health monitoring in Cuba, community-driven coral restoration in Haiti, algae removal in Jamaica, and boosting coral reproduction in the Dominican Republic - The Nature Conservancy's CoralCarib project is playing a major role in coral restoration in the Caribbean. Find out how the project team's continued dedication, innovation, and their shared goal of protecting our oceans help these vital ecosystems withstand climate change in their newsletter.

The Strategy of the International Climate Initiative up to 2030

Climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation and adaptation to global climate change are the core concerns of the International Climate Initiative (IKI, from the German Internationale Klimaschutzinitiative). As a central programme of the German Government's international climate and biodiversity funding, the IKI has been instrumental in implementing the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in particular the Paris Agreement (PA) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) since 2008.

The IKI implements projects in emerging economies and developing countries on behalf of the three lead ministries – the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), which is responsible for overall coordination of the IKI, the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and the Federal Foreign Office (AA).

The IKI strategy sets out how the IKI intends to make the greatest possible contribution to overcoming climate and biodiversity crises in its partner countries by 2030.

© ACCION Clima

Eight Costa Rican start-ups take their operations to the next level after winning a 100% scholarship to participate in the business acceleration program: Start-ups in climate change and biodiversity of the ACCIÓN Clima project, implemented by GIZ.

Participating start-ups receive for 8 months:

• Business mentoring and technical accompaniment,
• Networking spaces,
• Business model analysis,
• Pitch preparation,
• And the possibility of attending an international mission, and more.

All this is focused on thematic axes such as circular economy, cities and soils, forests and oceans, biofacture and biomaterials, among others.

This program seeks to expand the reach of start-ups and scale their business through strategic alliances and operations in climate change and biodiversity issues.

Central America at COP16: Towards a Green and Resilient Future for our Forests

Did you know that Central America leads in the use of advanced technology to protect its forests?

During COP16 in Colombia, Central America positioned itself as a leader in sustainability and environmental protection. On behalf of the IKI project REDD+ Landscape, we presented advances in the use of spatial data for the protection of the Great Forests of Mesoamerica and shared key lessons on the implementation of inclusive traceability systems. These efforts are fundamental to promote sustainable production that cares for our natural heritage and strengthens value chains in the region. Since COP16, we reaffirm our commitment to a future where Mesoamerican forests are protagonists of a green and resilient economy.

Learn more:

• Digitalisation & traceability
• DIASCA
• INATrace

© Greener Reefers

Sustainable refrigeration with sustainable containers

In the context of the last International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, the Greener Reefers project donated a reefer container with CO₂ and tools to the Professional Technical School of Limón, Costa Rica, providing students with practical experience with natural refrigerants and advanced technology.

Greener Reefers seeks to strengthen technical skills and theoretical knowledge in port regions for the proper and safe handling of refrigerant gases, as well as the maintenance of refrigerated containers, or reefers.

More information here.

We've reached the last door of this Advent Calendar! On behalf of the ACCION Clima project as IKI interface project for Central America and the Caribbean, we thank all projects in the region for their efforts and participation in the exchange formats we offered throughout the year.

See you in 2025!