Climate Investment Funds (CIF)
CIF comprises two funds: the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) (External link) and the Strategic Climate Fund (SCF) (External link).
The purpose of CIF is to finance comprehensive structural measures for climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing and emerging economies, thus supporting the implementation of national climate goals and priorities. CIF focuses on sectors where funding gaps are difficult to close, facilitating the piloting of innovative solutions. By working with multilateral development banks, which serve as implementing organisations, CIF is able to facilitate large-scale investment, mobilise additional private capital and strengthen cooperation between banks. This is important, in particular, with regard to the significant contribution of multilateral development banks to achieving the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) for international climate finance.
Through its targeted programmes, CIF has supported more than 470 projects in 82 countries so far. Since CIF's establishment, 15 countries have provided over 12 billion US dollars. Germany has contributed a total of 1.1 billion euros and plays an active role in CIF's decision-making bodies, represented by the BMZ.
CIF has achieved tangible impact worldwide.
- Over the last ten years, CIF projects have helped to reduce or avoid nearly 300 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 equivalent) – an amount roughly the same as Italy's total emissions in 2024. These projects are intended, over their lifetime, to help avoid 1.6 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions.
- Over that same period, CIF projects have supported the installation of over 28 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity and improved energy access for 5.2 million people. In this way, CIF is making significant contributions to the global energy transition in its partner countries.
Clean Technology Fund (CTF)
CTF's support concentrates on assisting middle-income countries in introducing climate-friendly technologies that offer great potential for emissions reduction. The focus is on transforming the energy sector by expanding, for example, renewable energy generation, grid infrastructure, and energy storage solutions. One important part of these efforts is the Accelerating Coal Transition (ACT) programme to accelerate a socially just global coal phase-out. This is an important financing mechanism for the Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) (External link) with Indonesia and South Africa. CTF also supports the decarbonisation of high-emission industries, especially steel and cement, thus making a significant contribution to the Climate Club that was initiated by Germany.
CIF is the first multilateral climate fund which raises investment capital directly from international capital markets, through the CIF Capital Markets Mechanism (CCMM). CCMM enables CTF to unlock high amounts of private-sector capital by issuing fixed-income securities in order to accelerate the scaling of clean energy and sustainable infrastructure, especially in emerging economies. Over the next ten years, this is intended to raise an additional 5 billion US dollars to fund projects. At the beginning of 2025, CCMM issued its inaugural bond, which raised 500 million US dollars.
Strategic Climate Fund (SCF)
SCF supports long-term activities, especially in low-income countries, to strengthen, for example, forest conservation, nature-based solutions and the use of renewable energy. Through its new adaptation programme, ARISE, the Fund is making a significant contribution towards the internationally agreed goal to increase adaptation finance. In addition, the Dedicated Grant Mechanism (DGM) provides grant support for climate action undertaken by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC).
As at: 15/10/2026