Climate

Climate change is among the greatest challenges currently facing humanity. As an international promotional bank, KfW takes responsibility – and takes action.

Even though a substantial portion of the effects of climate change still lies ahead of us, we are already starting to feel the changes all over the world: Droughts, floods, heat waves. Developing countries are the most hard-hit by these effects, even though these nations have contributed least to climate change up to now. So, we need to take swift and definitive countermeasures in all areas of life. Organising development in a manner that is climatefriendly is not just a matter of responsibility and equity – it also makes sense economically.

KfW Climate brochure – KfW's commitment in climate protection at a glance (PDF, 1 MB, accessible)

There is no doubt that current efforts to curb global climate change need to be stepped up further. “Net-zero emissions” is not just what everyone is talking about, it is also a goal that many have committed to in recent years. Given this scenario, increasing consideration is being given to technologies that are not yet in widespread use today, but which could make a relevant contribution to reducing CO2 emissions.

The current issue of Development in Brief looks at the role that carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) could play in national and international climate action strategies.

CCUS technologies: an important component in climate action? (PDF, 107 KB, non-accessible)

The future belongs to solar energy! Our sun is a nearly inexhaustible source of energy that is predestined for photovoltaic systems to use to generate sustainable and climate-friendly energy. But to be able to extract enough “green” energy and make the world more climate friendly, more areas are needed for solar modules. As competition for land increases around the world, the focus is also shifting to places that have hardly, if ever, been used for energy generation: roofs, industrial plants, farmland and, increasingly, standing bodies of water.

The current issue of Development in Brief explores the question of how the use of these water areas as locations for solar installations affects electricity production and output, but also the surrounding biotope.

Floating PVs – are floating solar installations the future of photovoltaics? (PDF, 48 KB, non-accessible)

At the end of April, Joe Biden sent important signals in the fight against climate change at the "Leaders’ Summit on Climate". On this day, the World Earth Day, many participating countries committed themselves to important goals that could at least be a "virtual turning point" for the climate. But to really tackle climate change, the biodiversity crisis also has to be taken seriously and investments in intact ecosystems are needed.

The current issue of "Development in Brief" highlights the fundamental role of biodiversity in the fight against climate change – showing at the same time how strongly biodiversity itself is affected by climate change.

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Viewing biodiversity and climate change as related issues (PDF, 142 KB, non-accessible)

Every single day, 200,000 people around the world move to cities – that’s as many as the entire population of the German city of Kassel. They need jobs, places to live, and transport networks. For this reason, an incredible amount of infrastructure needs to be built in urban areas around the world. At the same time, cities are already the main drivers of climate change, emitting over 70% of all global greenhouse gases. This makes it even more important that construction activities are done in environmentally friendly ways, using different methods and materials.

On the occasion of World Cities Day on 31 October, “Development in Brief” discusses why sustainable construction is an important aspect of climate protection and what materials are particularly suitable.

Sustainable construction – Foundation for climate-friendly urbanisation (PDF, 88 KB, non-accessible)

In recent weeks, the forest fires in the Amazon region have once again become the focus of public attention, highlighting the problem of forest loss. Not only in the tropical countries of Latin America forest loss has increased in the last 3 years, but also in other tropical regions the phenomenon still persists at a high level. The international community considers the protection of forests, whose degradation and destruction account for 11% of annual greenhouse gas emissions, as an essential element in achieving the "well below" 2°C or 1.5°C target set in the Paris Climate Convention. To this end, it has agreed on the establishment of the REDD+ instrument.

REDD+: rewards for preventing deforestation – how successful is the concept? (PDF, 110 KB, non-accessible)

The current Covid-19 crisis has a firm grip on all of us. In response to the economic consequences, states are mobilising financial resources on an unprecedented scale. But to what extent are economic support programmes compatible with our climate goals? Is climate protection now losing momentum in the wake of short-term support? One thing is certain: current investments play a decisive role as to the development of our emissions in the coming years.

The current edition of "Development in Brief" explains how, against this background, the "Green Recovery" approach can be seen as both a historical opportunity and an imperative.

Green recovery –a historic opportunity and a necessary methodology (PDF, 139 KB, non-accessible)