Climate protection initiative

The climate protection initiative of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) consists of a national, a European and an international part. The aim is to develop the existing great potential for greenhouse gas reduction inexpensively and on a broad scale and to advance innovative model projects.

National Climate Initiative (NKI)

In Germany, the BMU promotes climate protection measures to increase energy efficiency and the increased use of renewable energies . Since June 18, 2008 , consumers, businesses, municipalities and social and cultural institutions can submit funding applications for available climate-friendly technologies and future- oriented climate protection technologies.

So far, five funding programs have been published:

Funding of climate protection projects in social, cultural and public institutions (municipal guidelines),
Climate protection impulse program for the installation of mini-CHP systems (combined heat and power) in private households and businesses,
Climate protection impulse program for commercial refrigeration systems,
Funding of projects to optimize the energetic use of biomass and
Expansion of the existing market incentive program for regenerative heat.

In addition to the funding programs, the BMU also initiates and supports individual projects on climate protection:

Consumer advice centers are to start a nationwide "information campaign on climate protection" in the short term to advise households on their options for action in all areas of climate protection.
Action program "Climate Protection in Schools and Educational Institutions" (coordinated actions to save energy, improve energy efficiency, install renewable energies, equip teaching and teaching materials, train teachers, implement model projects, as well as carry out climate protection days and other projects to improve climate protection awareness),
Projects are also being prepared to help companies make their production processes more climate-friendly and thus also more cost-effective.

The funds for the climate protection initiative amounting to € 400 million in 2008 are available to the Federal Environment Ministry from the sale of emissions trading certificates.

The German Bundestag had with the 2010 federal budget a qualified budget freeze at the market incentive program decided for renewable energy, which was canceled in the same year so that since 2011 funding applications can be put back. The budget lock resulted in the suspension of funding for solar collectors, biomass heating and heat pumps. The programs that the Federal Environment Ministry funded as part of the National Climate Protection Initiative were also affected. These included the funding program for small combined heat and power systems ( mini-CHP ) and the program for funding climate protection projects in municipalities.

European Climate Initiative (EUKI)

The European Climate Initiative (EUKI), launched in 2017, supports climate protection projects within the European Union . The funding program of the Federal Environment Ministry forms the link between the national and international climate protection initiative. The overarching goal of the EUKI is to promote cooperation within the EU to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To this end, the initiative supports public and civil society actors. Currently (as of July 2019) the European Climate Initiative promotes and finances 64 projects in 24 EU countries. More than 140 implementers and implementation partners are active in the projects. The financing commitments are currently more than 26 million euros.

The European Climate Initiative pursues three central goals in its work:

Create awareness and pool knowledge
Form networks and exchange models of success
Build capacities and build bridges to EU funding

Once a year, the EUKI publishes an ideas competition, during which committed actors and transnational networks with innovative climate protection ideas can apply for funding. The selected non-governmental organizations, authorities, non-profit companies as well as scientific and educational institutions are financially supported; the EUKI Academy also offers them services for capacity building, knowledge transfer and networking. In addition to the ideas competition, the Federal Environment Ministry finances certain projects that pursue pre-defined climate policy goals. The focus of EUKI funding is in Central, Eastern, Southeastern and Southern Europe.

International Climate Initiative (IKI)

The International Climate Initiative (IKI), created in 2008, supports measures in developing and emerging countries. In addition to climate protection, this also involves measures to adapt to climate change and measures to protect biodiversity that are climate-relevant. IKI should also give new impetus to the negotiations on an international climate protection agreement after 2012. The G5 countries Brazil, China, India, Russia and South Africa form a focus of the funding. IKI has 120 million euros at its disposal every year from the auction proceeds of the emission certificates. When selecting a project, emphasis is placed on the development of innovative solutions that have an impact beyond the individual project and are transferable.