7 German-funded climate projects in pipeline

BERLIN – At least seven new projects on climate change adaptation and mitigation funded by Germany are set to be implemented in different parts of the Philippines later this year, officials of the German environment ministry has said.

The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) said the bilateral projects have a total funding of some 21.7 million euros or P1.13 billion.

The projects include the integration of renewable energy in Butuan City; improvement of biodiversity conservation in coastal ecosystems affected by typhoons; creation of the South-South collaboration on climate change information; and building capacities of local government units to develop climate resilient urban design, among others.

The South-South Center of Excellence for Climate Information and Services will benefit the 20 most vulnerable nations to climate change, which form the Climate Vulnerable Forum (VCF).

The German government has also allotted three million euros, or about P147 million, for the climate change knowledge and training facility, which will soon rise at the Clark Green City in Pampanga.

Barbara Schaefer of the BMUB’s International Climate Finance division last week said the projects are expected to be contracted by the end of 2016.

“Once the project is on the list, there’s a 99 percent chance that it will happen,” Schaefer told visiting Filipino journalists here.

The German government currently has four projects, which are still being implemented by partner agencies such as the Climate Change Commission. Five projects have been completed.

Germany is assisting the Philippines under the International Climate Initiative (IKI) through funding of the BMUB.

The Philippines is also part of the 28 regional and global projects under this initiative with a current volume of 133.2 million euros for all countries, Schaefer said.

She said a team of experts from Agora, a Berlin-based think tank, was expected to arrive in the Philippines to assist the country in its transition from coal fired-power plants to renewable energy.

Germany aims to reduce its carbon emissions by 40 percent of 1990 levels by 2020 and 80 to 95 percent by 2050.

Germany has made a formal commitment to phase out the use of nuclear power by 2022 and coal-fired plants by 2040.