UNIDO and EIT Climate-KIC join forces to support global efforts to combat and adapt to climate change

Vienna, 6 June 2024 ― UNIDO Director General Gerd Müller and Kirsten Dunlop, Chief Executive Officer of EIT Climate-KIC, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at leveraging the strengths and expertise of both organisations to promote climate adaption technology and innovation models. UNIDO and EIT Climate-KIC will collaborate in fields ranging from decarbonisation and sustainable energy technologies, to the water-energy food nexus, and systems transformation through digital technologies including artificial intelligence.

“I am very glad to be expanding our partnership with EIT Climate KIC. We will combine our expertise to bring climate adaptation solutions with innovative technologies and techniques and accelerate the transition to circular and green economies in communities worldwide. To achieve this, we need to mobilise new investments, especially from the private sector, support new financing and business models and extend knowledge sharing with our partner countries in the Global South,” said Gerd Müller.

Dr Kirsten Dunlop added: “EIT Climate-KIC is excited to take our partnership with UNIDO to the next level. What began as a programme to bring the private sector into the forefront of climate adaptation, has now expanded into a joint effort to achieve our common objectives to combat climate change and its impacts. We hope that through this partnership, we can leverage our collective expertise, knowledge and communities to foster systems innovation and drive significant investment in sustainable industrial development and climate action through innovation ecosystems and through locally relevant regenerative business models. We have a shared objective to foster innovative financing mechanisms that will mobilise private capital for the transition towards just, net-zero and climate-resilient economies.”

The agreement outlines a framework for joint initiatives that will support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Key areas of cooperation include:

• Conducting joint research and analysis on issues related to climate change and sustainable development;
• Identifying, designing, and executing joint training programmes and capacity-building initiatives as well as technical assistance projects in developing countries and in countries with economies in transition;
• Pursuing joint resource mobilisation;
• Identifying investment opportunities and innovative financing mechanisms to mobilise private capital for sustainable development and climate action;
• Developing a platform for knowledge sharing, facilitating the spread of experience, expertise and best practices.

At COP28 in Dubai, UNIDO and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) launched the “Climate Adaptation Innovation Learning (CAIL)” project, which is being implemented in collaboration with EIT Climate-KIC, the Global Adaptation and Resilience Investment Working Group (GARI), and the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). This project accelerates innovation and private sector engagement in climate change adaptation by creating a unique knowledge sharing platform and establishing three Communities of Practice (on investment funds; micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) incubation and acceleration; and climate change adaptation measures). Additionally, further joint climate adaptation projects in Sierra Leone and Madagascar are in the pipeline.

 

About EIT Climate-KIC

EIT Climate-KIC is Europe’s leading climate innovation agency and community, using a systems approach to shape innovation to support cities, regions, countries and industries meet their climate ambitions. Together with partners across the globe, EIT Climate-KIC acts to bridge the gap between climate commitments and current reality by enabling decision makers to investors to act. EIT Climate-KIC finds and implements solutions in integrated ways, mobilizing finance and building skills to accelerate learning and open pathways to shift mindsets and change behaviours.

About UNIDO

UNIDO is a specialized agency of the United Nations with a unique mandate to promote, dynamize and accelerate sustainable economic and industrial development. Our mandate is reflected in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 9: “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”, but UNIDO’s activities contribute to all the SDGs. UNIDO’s vision is a world without poverty and hunger, where industry drives low-emission economies, improves living standards, and preserves the livable environment for present and future generations, leaving no one behind. UNIDO provides support to its Member States through four mandated functions: technical cooperation; action-oriented research and policy-advisory services; normative standards-related activities; and fostering partnerships for knowledge and technology transfer. UNIDO’s work is concentrated on three focus areas: ending hunger by supporting sustainable food systems with modern agri-tech and agribusinesses; tackling climate change by using renewable energy and energy efficiency to reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions; and supporting sustainable supply chains so that developing country producers get a fair deal and scarce resources are preserved.

For more information about the collaboration, please contact:
Alois Mhlanga, Chief, Climate Technology Innovation Unit, UNIDO, a.mhlanga@unido.org 
Stephanie Klotz, Director of Marketing & Communications, EIT Climate-KIC, stephanie.klotz@climate-kic.org