No. 073/09
Berlin, March 2009

100 Projects need partners

CDM Initiative of the Federal Environment Ministry off to a successful start

The Federal Environment Ministry's global initiative for environmentally sound development (Clean Development Mechanism, CDM) is delivering tangible results: within just a few months, the Federal Environment Ministry and its partners have found more than 100 suitable proposals for climate protection projects in developing and newly industrialising countries. Federal Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel expressed his pleasure at the successful launch of the Initiative: "CDM projects are a central pillar of international climate protection policy. These projects help many developing countries modernise their energy supply and industry and make an additional contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This not only benefits the climate, it also offers opportunities for development and employment."

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) described in the Kyoto Protocol enables industrialised and developing countries to jointly carry out climate protection projects in developing countries. To facilitate the implementation of suitable projects, last autumn the Federal Environment Ministry launched its CDM Initiative. The Initiative underwent a first assessment at a meeting in the Federal Environment Ministry with the authorised German representatives in China, India, Brazil and the North African countries of Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. Representatives of the participating institutions GTZ, KfW, Dena, Wuppertal Institute and the consultancy organisation Perspectives also took part in the talks. German investors must be found in order to begin the new projects.

The ambitious climate protection targets in Germany and Europe offer an excellent basis for mid- and long-term investments in climate protection projects in developing countries. At the same time, they create good cooperation opportunities for highly-efficient climate protection technologies from Germany to be exported all over the world. The representatives from Brazil, China, India and the North African countries drew attention to the increasing offers of investment and the number of experienced cooperation partners now to be found in the host countries.

In Germany, the German Emissions Trading Authority (DEHSt) has so far approved more than 150 CDM projects. These will lead permanently to very substantial emission reductions. With more than 100 new projects now found, the Federal Environment Ministry's CDM Initiative is providing new impetus. Investments will be possible, for example, in projects to improve energy efficiency in households, businesses and industry, to increase the use of renewables and to avoid especially climate-damaging methane emissions from the waste sector. The CDM Initiative of the Federal Environment Ministry offers German companies many opportunities for cooperation with developing countries, e.g. in technology transfer.