COP30 UN Climate Change Conference in Belém: KfW relies on sustainable partnerships

• KfW CEO Stefan Wintels: Protecting the planet is essential for future economic stability
• KfW maintains its commitment to environmental, species and climate protection
• At COP30, KfW will sign funding agreements of close to EUR 960 million, around 87% of which are loans
• Grants of roughly EUR 79 million for rain forest protection
• Promotion loans also benefit German companies in Brazil

At the COP30 UN Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil, KfW declared that it will maintain its commitment to environmental, species and climate protection. Speaking in Belém, KfW CEO Stefan Wintels said that protecting the planet is essential for the future economic and political stability of industrialised nations such as Germany.

“The Paris climate targets and the strengthening of the German economic area go very well together. We just have to do it right and take the opportunities of the rapidly growing market for sustainable technologies,”

said Wintels. He added that Germany is in a better starting position than almost any other country in this regard. At the same time, Wintels emphasised that rich countries must support poorer economies in protecting habitats such as the Amazon.

“More than 50 per cent of the world's forest area has already been destroyed, and biodiversity is declining every day. This issue also concerns us in Europe.”

With a total of ten new funding agreements worth close to EUR 960 million, KfW is providing important impetus for forest protection, as well as for supporting forward-looking companies and decarbonisation projects. Around 87% of the funding volume is provided as repayable loans.

Specifically, KfW is providing loans to Brazilian cities such as São Paulo to finance the expansion of renewable energy plants and the electrification of bus transport. A second loan is going to the Brazilian government to finance forward-looking companies and projects. This also offers opportunities for German companies. As of today, São Paulo already is the largest foreign location for German companies, with 1,200 German companies represented on site.

The grants for forest protection, amounting to around EUR 79 million, are channelled into the Amazon Fund, the world's most important instrument for combating deforestation, as well as into partnerships for forest protection with the local population, among other things.

“Our partnerships and funding projects with Brazil and other international players are not one-offs, but are part of a global commitment to environmental, species and climate protection which is also in the European interest,”

said Wintels.

“This benefits not least the German economy, which is already active in Brazil and can open up further markets.”

A new study by KfW Research and consultancy firm Deloitte entitled ‘The economic benefits of climate action’ shows how the economy and climate action fit together. It shows that companies that focus on sustainability early on benefit from better market opportunities and lower risks. According to the study, German clean tech industries are in a good position on the global markets: they currently account for 13 per cent of world trade, which is significantly more than Germany's share of total global exports (just over seven per cent). If the current trend continues, the market volume will double in less than ten years, according to the study. Forecasts even predict a fourfold increase by 2045.

At COP30, KfW is helping to open up global markets for climate-friendly technologies and establish Germany as an innovation centre for sustainable economy on a global level. This also offers great opportunities for German companies’ international activities.

More information is available at: KfW at COP30 in Belém | KfW.