EIB at the UN Climate Change Conference – COP 24

Nine Multilateral Development Banks, including the European Investment Bank, the World Bank Group and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, are pooling their efforts to meet the challenges of the Paris agreement. In a significant step forward, at COP24 in Katowice, they announced their ambition for a common approach to align with Paris in six key areas. Watch the debate with Monica Scatasta, EIB’s Head of Climate, Environment and Social Policy, John Roome, the World Bank Group’s Senior Director for Climate Change and Josué Tanaka, the EBRD’s Managing Director on Energy Efficiency and Climate Change.

The outgoing VP for Climate at the EU bank has overseen the implementation of the bank’s ambitious climate strategy and taken forward new projects like the Clean Oceans Initiative too. As Jonathan Taylor prepares to leave the EIB, we took a final tour with him around the COP Pavilions in Katowice to reflect on what lies ahead.

In a guest contribution for Handelsblatt, EIB President Werner Hoyer argues that climate protection and a sustainable economy create many new jobs, contrary to certain claims heard at the COP24 in Katowice that they destroy jobs and slow economic growth.

The European Investment Bank’s Chief Climate Change Expert, Nancy Saich, summarises the takeaways from the COP24 in Katowice, including social inclusion, the 1.5 degrees report and the Paris alignment.

During COP24 taking place in Katowice, Poland, Luxembourg-EIB Climate Finance Platform (LCFP) officially signed an investment of EUR 5 million to the Green for Growth Fund (GGF) to support the fund’s lending for energy efficiency, resource efficiency and renewable energy measures in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Serving as a risk cushion, 

The world may already have the Paris Climate Agreement, but any deal needs its rules. Negotiators are hammering out the final deals of the 'Paris rulebook'. But even if they can agree, there's still plenty more to be done.

The European Investment Bank’s Head of Environmental and Climate Finance Policy, Martin Berg, interviews Jay Koth from the Lightsmith Group on climate change adaptation and resilience. Discover how “Craft” can help!

The European Investment Bank is helping to fight climate change by supporting the efficient treatment of waste water in Katowice and saving energy.

 

To stop global warming the world needs to cough up the cash. A big part of the negotiations in Katowice revolve around climate finance - the transfer of money from rich countries to poor. But with the amount decided, what's left to debate?

The European Investment Bank’s Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund (GEEREF) Investment Manager, Aglaé Touchard-Le Drian, interviews Bertrand Piccard from the Solar Impulse Foundation on the benefits of decarbonisation on our economies.

What does it mean when world leaders can't agree to welcome an IPCC climate change report that they asked for just a few years ago?

World leaders are meeting in Poland to tackle climate change at the 24th United Nations climate talks. ClimateAdam breaks COP24 down, and sets out on a voyage across Europe.

EIB Vice-President Emma Navarro, who will be taking over from Vice-President Taylor as the Vice-President in charge of Climate Action as of 2019, discusses at the COP24 the main challenges ahead, including the Paris alignment commitments, mitigation and adaptation as well as raising awareness on the economic benefits of climate action.

Ellen MacArthur, the founder of the eponymous foundation, which works to accelerate the transition to a regenerative economy, writes that we need to stop living a “take, make, dispose” lifestyle. We need to think about a circular economy where waste and pollution are prevented, products are reused and natural systems such as agricultural land are regenerated.

The findings, interpretations and conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Investment Bank

On 8 December, on the margins of the “Business for Africa Forum 2018” in Sharm El-Sheikh, the European Investment Bank (EIB) signed a new financing agreement of EUR 214m for the depollution of the Kitchener drain in the Nile Delta region. It contributes to the environmental objectives highlighted in the EU Egypt Partnership priorities and represents the first project supported by the EU Bank under the Clean Oceans Initiative.

Sharing knowledge is key to save our oceans. Damien Navizet, Head of the Climate Division at AfD, explains how sharing knowledge between the world’s major climate financiers will help to reduce pollution in the world’s oceans.

Barbara Schnell, Head of Department Sector Policy at the KfW Development Bank, explains the Clean Oceans Initiative in a nutshell. Read more about the Initiative here.

The mayor of Katowice, Marcin Krupa, tells us how his city - hosting the COP24 - is being supported along the way by the European Investment Bank.

The EIB’s Sustainability Funding expert, Dominika Rosolowska, explains at the COP24 the importance of the EIB’s Green Bonds, the so-called Climate awareness bonds (CAB), to help finance climate action.

Sharing knowledge is key to save our oceans. Damien Navizet, Head of the Climate Division at AfD, explains how sharing knowledge between the world’s major climate financiers will help to reduce pollution in the world’s oceans.

Barbara Schnell, Head of Department Sector Policy at the KfW Development Bank, explains the Clean Oceans Initiative in a nutshell. Read more about the Initiative here.

Many Irish residences are heated with dirty coal fireplaces. The ELENA programme brings Tipperary energy efficiency and clean homes

Essen was a byword for industrial pollution. But in 2017 it has been named European Green Capital. Here's the German city's secret of this recipe for an environmental revolution.

The inauguration of the new headquarters of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR) took place on 1 October 2014 in Katowice – a city located approximately 80 km northwest of Krakow. 

Following the launch of the savings account which has already served to collect over EUR 8.5 million from the general public, the Nord-Pas de Calais Regional Council and CCI Nord de France have undertaken to create a dedicated investment fund.

In concrete terms, this constitutes 121 projects benefiting more than 2 million people. 
“Smart Cities, Climate Action & Circular Economy II” has been launched with an additional EUR 400m to support ever smarter, more sustainable and circular projects helping to combat global warming.

Since 2014, Belfius and the EIB have been working hand in hand to support smart cities projects in Belgium.

Belgium smart city infrastructure brings new life to a Wetteren’s old center

Europeans are heading for the cities. By the end of this century, 9 out of 10 of them will live in an urban area. But what kind of city will they call home? In this series of in-depth essays, leading academics and urban planners examine how a range of European metropolises have dealt with the challenges of recent decades, recovering from deindustrialisation, coping with migration, and setting a course for sustainability and smart development. Find out how Europe is changing and what the future holds for your city.

The Challenge is a joint pilot initiative of the EIB and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) to help prepare and finance urban climate action projects (mitigation and adaptation) in Africa, Central Asia, Latin America and EU accession and neighbourhood countries. EU countries may also be considered, if their projects are relevant for the initiative. The aim is to make further public resources available and attract private investments to build greener, low carbon and more climate resilient cities for future generations.

Transformational investment totalling EUR 190 million in transport, waste, energy efficiency, culture and urban rehabilitation schemes across Athens will be backed by a new EUR 55 million European Investment Bank agreed earlier today. The citywide investment initiative will create jobs, unlock urban regeneration and ensure that climate risks can be better managed in the Greek capital in the years ahead.

Poland’s Katowice hosts “Upgrade your City” conference on how to create modern and inclusive urban environments

With EUR 205 million direct loans over 20 years, the EIB has sustained the city’s transition to a low-carbon economy

In Poland, the EIB has invested EUR 2.7 billion in urban projects over the past four years, benefiting 28 cities and 9.3m people, and new projects are expected to target environment, mobility, housing, health, education and energy efficiency

Smart city investment in CESEE needs a boost all around compared to the rest of the EU, but some cities and regions are getting smarter

Discover Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s stunning take On water.

Lorsque Yann Arthus-Bertrand et Philippe Bourseiller unissent leurs forces pour saisir la beauté de la ressource la plus précieuse au monde – l’eau –, cela donne une magnifique exposition de photos. Découvrez ce qu’ils en disent. Regardez les photos grâce à ce lien : http://www.eib.org/en/infocentre/phot...

The world’s first global framework to finance a sustainable ocean economy was launched at the Our Oceanconference today.

The Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles were developed by the European Commission, WWF, World Resources Institute (WRI), and the European Investment Bank (EIB). Started as a commitment by a dozen financial institutions and key stakeholders just a year ago, they are now set to become the gold standard to invest in the ocean economy—the “blue economy”—in a sustainable way.

The EIB is a cornerstone investor in this $100m fund, which is dedicated to making pioneering impact investments in marine and coastal projects. This in turn will help to build resilience in coastal ecosystems and underpin sustainable growth in the so-called blue economy, which is defined as all economic sectors that have a direct or indirect link to the ocean. The OECD has forecast that by 2030, the blue economy could outperform the growth of its global counterpart in terms of value added and job creation.

The EIB is joining forces with KfW, AFD, CDP, ICO and the EBRD to fight against the plastic contamination of our oceans through the #CleanOceansInitiative.

The water purification plant was installed by EIB’s partner Ostro bringing affordable drinking water to the people of Vyasapuram in Andhra Pradesh.

This is the first essay in the Big Ideas series created by the European Investment Bank. The EIB has invited international thought leaders to write about the most important issues of the day. These essays are a reminder that we need new thinking to protect the environment, promote equality and improve people’s lives around the globe.

The findings, interpretations and conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Investment Bank.