Mitigation Action Facility
Last update: March 2025
The Mitigation Action Facility (MAF) provides technical support and climate finance for ambitious mitigation projects aiming at the decarbonisation of key sectors of economy and society. It developed from the facility for Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMA) in 2023.
total funding volume (as of 2025)
The facility is a climate finance programme funded by multiple donors, which funds scalable and reproducible solutions in ODA-eligible partner countries. The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) is one of the main funding donors through the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The fund closes financing gaps and accelerates transformative change, thus contributing to global neutral-carbon development.
A joint commitment to climate change mitigation
The fund, which was founded in 2012 by the governments of Germany and the United Kingdom, was joined by Denmark and the European Union as additional donors in 2015, followed in 2021 by the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF). Timed to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the NAMA Facility, the Executive Board made two announcements at the 27th UNFCCC Conference of the Parties in Egypt (COP27). The first was to rename the facility to ‘Mitigation Action Facility’ and the second was to place a stronger focus on the decarbonisation of priority sectors.
Focus on the decarbonisation of key sectors
The Mitigation Action Facility supports ambitious climate change mitigation projects for the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Long-term Strategies (LTS), which are decisive for achieving the targets of the Paris Agreement. The main priority sectors are:
- Energy
- Transport
- Industry
According to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), more than 67% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are attributable to these three sectors (as of 2021). The facility also remains open to cross-sectoral projects that are linked to one of the priority sectors.
people benefitting from MAF projects
Promotion of innovative and scalable approaches
The Mitigation Action Facility selects projects that can speed up the transformative change in entire sectors. What is aimed at here is the mobilisation of investments in climate-friendly technologies and the abolishment of political and regulatory barriers. Support takes place in two key areas:
- Technical support: This includes regulatory frameworks, capacity building and the provision of expertise.
- Financial cooperation: Promotion of market-oriented financing mechanisms such as grants, loan guarantees and subsidised loans.
Transparent and competitive selection process
The Mitigation Action Facility conducts annual competitive calls. The selection process takes place in four stages:
- Project draft: Submission and initial assessment of project ideas.
- Project outline: Development and re-evaluation of the best drafts.
- Detailed Preparation Phase (DPP): Support in the development of complete project proposals.
- Implementation phase: Promotion of successful project proposals.
Inexperienced applicants with promising drafts can receive external support during the preparation phase.
Share knowledge - promote transformation
The Mitigation Action Facility also acts as a knowledge and learning platform that disseminates findings from its comprehensive monitoring and evaluation activities. The facility is always up to date with the latest scientific findings, such as the Breakthrough Agenda Reports for instance, and supports the global dialogue on the role of international climate finance in promoting transformative change.
countries with MAF projects
Future-orientated and inclusive
The Mitigation Action Facility not only contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, but also promotes Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) in climate change mitigation. The facility’s projects aim to achieve additional positive ecological, social and economic effects, thus pressing ahead with sustainable change.
Priority sectors
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