KfW Bankengruppe

08/31/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/31/2021 17:12

German Federal Ministry for the Environment and KfW improve promotion of environmental protection and climate change adaptation

  • Realignment of KfW Environmental Protection Programme from 1 September
  • Promotion of investments in climate change mitigation, including measures to aid adaptation to the effects of climate change
  • KfW is supporting nature-based solutions and green infrastructure

In cooperation with KfW, the German Federal Ministry for the Environment is expanding its promotion of investments in environmental protection and climate change mitigation and in measures to aid adaptation to the effects of climate change. From 1 September 2021, companies, sole proprietorships and business people will not only be able to use the KfW Environmental Protection Programme to finance general environmental protection measures and projects geared towards the conservation and reuse of resources (circular economy), but also for investments in measures to foster climate action and adapt to the effects of climate change.

Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Svenja Schulze, commented, 'We are realigning the KfW Environmental Protection Programme and expanding it to support companies even better as they invest to tackle the climate and environmental policy challenges and the clearly visible consequences of climate change we are currently facing. Adapting to heat, flooding and droughts, reducing emissions and transitioning to a clean and greenhouse gas-neutral economy that conserves resources require enormous investment. By systematically supporting green infrastructure and nature-based solutions - as an alternative to, or logical extension of, technical measures - we will also help to preserve biodiversity in future with the Environmental Protection Programme.'

Dr Ingrid Hengster, KfW Executive Board member responsible for domestic promotional business, said, 'The events of the past days and weeks really bring home the challenge that climate change poses and how urgent the need to transform our economy is. It isn't just about reducing harm to the climate as much as possible. Climate change mitigation also means mitigating the consequences of this change. The two belong together. We are now providing companies in Germany with even more support to help them take action.'

In particular, the Environmental Protection Programme provides financing for climate change mitigation measures in energy-intensive sectors that will lead to a significant reduction in process-related greenhouse gas emissions. The programme also supports measures that reduce harms and risks resulting from climate change. These include, for example, harm resulting from excessive heat, restrictions on water use due to increased global warming and more widespread summer droughts or torrential rain, flash floods or general flooding, with the associated risks to people, buildings and infrastructure. A priority area for promotion is projects that use nature-based solutions and create green infrastructure, for example by creating green spaces in and around buildings or office premises, or natural water retention measures.

More information is available (in German only) at: www.kfw.de/240

Press Office German Federal Ministry for the Environment:
Astrid Scharf
Spokeswoman
Stresemannstraße 128 - 130, 10117 Berlin
Telefone: +49 (0)30 18 305-2015
Fax: +49 (0)30 18 305-2016
E-Mail: [email protected]