IKI network event at the World Climate Change Conference in Baku

Around 90 participants from the IKI community met on the sidelines of COP29 and discussed, among other things, how IKI projects can help mobilise funding for climate action.

This year's World Climate Change Conference was once again a perfect occasion for a networking evening organised by the International Climate Initiative. Participants from IKI projects around the world and their project partners took the opportunity for a personal exchange with representatives of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUV) as well as the Federal Foreign Office (AA). 

In his welcome address to the guests, Dr Phillip Behrens, Head of the International Climate Initiative Division at the BMWK, emphasised:  

"Last year we published the IKI strategy 2030, now our three IKI ministries are focusing their collective energy on the successful implementation of our joint priorities. Our implementing organizations are absolutely crucial for this. COP29 in Baku is an important milestone on the road to Belem for us to connect with our implementing partners and friends. Jointly we want to take stock of what is missing for ambitious NDCs, industrial decarbonization on global level, a socially just energy transition, and the mobilization of private sector finance."

Nicolas Schäfstoß, Head of the International Financing Division at the BMUV, underlined the link between climate action and the conservation of biodiversity:

"The World Conference on Nature took place in Cali at the end of October, and the UN Conference against Desertification will follow the COP29 in Baku. In order to solve the multiple crises of climate change, species extinction and land degradation, solutions are needed that make multiple contributions. As an integrated programme, the IKI shows how this can work and the direct exchange with our partners encourages us to overcome the silos even further."

René Kieselhorst, Deputy Head of Division Climate Partnerships, Bilateral Climate Cooperation, International Climate Initiative at the Federal Foreign Office added: 

"The close connection of the IKI to the UNFCCC process enables us to quickly take up topics from the negotiations and implement them. The close exchange with our partners and the diversity of the implementing organisations also helps us to find the best and most innovative project ideas."

Professor Dr Niklas Höhne, an expert on international climate policy and co-founder of the New Climate Institute, opened the discussion.

How do we mobilise financial resources for climate action?  

After the keynote speech, the guests had the opportunity to discuss with the representatives of the three IKI ministries and the keynote speaker. Phillip Behrens, Nicolas Schäfstoß, René Kieselhorst and Niklas Höhne were available for questions, suggestions and feedback - and the audience took full advantage of this opportunity for personal dialogue. The discussion focused on the question of how the IKI can help mobilise funding for climate action.

Networking as a factor for success

In the informal part of the evening that followed, the participants took the opportunity to socialise, catch up with old acquaintances and meet new people from the IKI community. 

One of the success factors of the International Climate Initiative is to ensure that the diverse knowledge gained from the projects is passed on and utilised. Personal dialogue between the participants is an important basis for this and the ‘IKI Network Event’ is a tried and tested format. 

Download:The strategy of the International Climate Initiative up to 2030