Calving of glaciers
Dossier

Dossier

Our climate

On 26 March, the motto is once again "Lights out! Climate protection on! As a "responsible bank", KfW is participating for the 12th time in the global "Earth Hour", which was launched by the World Wildlife Fund For Nature (WWF) in 2007. With the projects presented in the dossier, KfW is helping countries around the world to adapt to the consequences of climate change and to implement international climate goals.

Image-Reference

On our website, pictures taken, among others, by the following photographers/photo agencies are used:

Agentur photothek.net, Deutsche Messe Hannover, Andreas Arnold, Jörg Böthling, Dominik Butzmann, Carsten Costard, Susanne Esche, Charlie Fawell, Rendel Freude, Torsten George, Gaby Gerster, David Greedy, Peter Himsel, Barbara Högner, Frank Homann, Fred Hoogervorst, Steffen Jagenburg (BRANSCH EUROPE), Thomas Klewar, Studio Kohlmeier , Florian Kopp, Georg Lopata, Jürgen Lösel, Kirsten Milhahn, Rüdiger Nehmzow, Rolf Obertreis, Rubén Arnaldo Farina Ortiz, Holger Peters, Joachim Röttgers, Mika Schmidt, Bernhard Schurian, Jens Steingässer, Pietro Sutera, Uwe Tölle, Jan Zappner.

Fotolia.com: amandare, Yuri Arcurs, Kitch Bain, Ingo Bartussek, Sergio Donà, drizzd, Dmitry Ersler, eyewave, Zoltán Futó, Eric Gevaert, Fotolia XXV, Friedberg, goodluz, Dirk Hoffmann, imageteam, Christian Jung, Abdelhamid Kalai, Sergej Khakimullin, Vladimir Kolobov, krizz7, Kzenon, lumen-digital, marog-pixcells, Mindwalker, Miredi, mirpic, Nebuto, Tino Neitz, Christian Pedant, Franz Pfluegl, prognone, Gina Sanders, Henry Schmitt, spree berlin, SVLuma, Kheng Guan Toh, tom, Torbz, typomaniac, VRD, Joachim Wendler, Sreedhar Yedlapati.

To the Earth Hour
KfW logo on the main house after dark

Earth Hour

On 26 March, it is once again "Lights out for a peaceful and living planet!" in all of KfW's larger building units in Frankfurt, Berlin, Bonn and Cologne.

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mayor Weber in front of wind turbine

The village of the future

Free e-buses? Wind turbines and solar power? District heating and organic vegetables from permaculture soils? In the Lower Saxon municipality of Flecken Steyerberg, this is already part of everyday life.

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Two businessmen talking outside brick building at solar panels

"Our climate protection offensive is unique in Europe"

Alexander Klein, Vice President Climate and Environmental Corporate Finance, speaks to us about promotional opportunities for the SME sector, newly established programmes and less impervious car parks.

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Rocket in space, flying above globe.

Reaching for the stars

Munich-based rocket building company Isar Aerospace is expected to launch satellites into Earth orbit starting in 2022. The environment and climate can be monitored from space. But the technology is also groundbreaking for the automotive industry. The investment holding company behind Volkswagen, Porsche SE, has already invested in Isar Aerospace.

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Skyscraper with plants on balcony

City life and Climate change

More and more people around the world are moving to cities. Megacities with populations over one million people are emerging primarily in Asia. Many of their residents live in slums and are particularly hard hit by the impacts of climate change. This special presents several solutions that make megacities more sustainable and pleasant for their residents.

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View over the national park Bukit Tigapuluh

Forests and peatlands

Forests and peatlands play an extremely important role in climate protection, as they store harmful greenhouse gases and due to the great water storage capacity of their soils protect against floods. They also constitute precious habitats and recreation areas. In our dossier we present projects that protect these ecosystems and their inhabitants.

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Portrait of Dr Karsten Sach

“Paris was the turning point”

Dr Karsten Sach has been leading the German negotiating delegation at international climate negotiations for over twenty years. Five years after the Paris Agreement was concluded, he takes stock in conversation with KfW Stories. He explains what has been achieved to date and why we now need change to happen faster.

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Sebastiao Salgado

Revitalising the neighbourhood

For 20 years, Brazilian star photographer Sebastião Salgado has been working together with his wife Lélia to reforest his native region. Now the couple have KfW on their side as they seek to scale up the project.

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The NordLink cable is rolled up in a cable drum on the ship NKT Victoria.

Green electricity from Norway

In May 2021, after more than five years of construction, the NordLink cable between Norway and Germany was been ceremonially opened. NordLink will directly connect the German and Norwegian energy markets for the first time.

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To part 1 of our guide
Illustratioin

50 Tips for climate action

Climate change affects us all. Everyone can play a part to contain the climate crisis. So what can each of us do? Our guide contains 50 tips from different areas of life that will help you to act responsibly.

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Thomas Koch in his garden

Leading by example

Global warming requires immediate action. Thomas Koch, who works for German development finance institution DEG, has assumed responsibility and reduced his carbon footprint to a minimum. How did he get to that point? It all started with a visitor to his home.

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To the article on KfW’s green bonds
Otto Weyhausen-Brinkmann

Together for green investments

Green bonds have never been in such great demand before. KfW is a market leader in the eco-bond field. Otto Weyhausen-Brinkmann and his team coordinate these sustainable investments, and they are ready to ramp up their activities.

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To the animated film
Graphic with texts saying, among other things, population growth and disposable production.

How to protect resources

A circular economy is considered as the solution to the global waste problem, it helps reduce resource consumption and carbon emissions. But what exactly is circular economy, and how can it be achieved? Our film gives some answers.

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Power from the own harvest

Municipalities and companies all across Germany are using renewable energy. They are almost completely independent of traditional energy suppliers. Learn more about three inspiring projects, including the municipality of Büsingen, which is relying on a local heating network.

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A new wind in Argentina

German know-how plays a key role when it comes to constructing wind farms in Argentina. With the help of financing from KfW IPEX-Bank, local operators and European wind turbine manufacturers are coming together. An example of international teamwork for climate protection.

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Carsten Jasper on the rooftop of the climate-friendly complex with ice storage heating in Cologne

Heat from ice

Generating heat from ice, is that really possible? Sternenberger Hof is proving that it is: the climate-friendly complex in the Porz district of Cologne uses an underground ice storage system for its heat.

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Geothermal power plant Olkaria

Kenya becomes a pioneer in green energy

To expand its power supply, Kenya intensifies investments in renewable energy. We spoke to Michael Andres, an energy expert at KfW, about Kenya's quantum leap from emergency power diesel generators to geothermal power plants.

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Engineers solar field Galapagos

Less diesel, more solar

Diesel generators have been used to meet almost all electricity demand on Isabela Island. Until now, that is. The aim is for a new power plant to add renewable energy to the island’s supply, helping to protect the Galapagos archipelago’s fragile ecosystems.

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Solar plant Zaatari

Green power for Zaatari

A solar power plant in the size of 33 football fields is securing the electricity supply of a refugee camp in the Jordan desert. This not only gives the Syrian families a feeling of normality, but also creates busy city life.

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School children doing their homework, illuminated by a Little Sun solar lamp

Light for everyone

Little Sun brings light to developing countries. Little Sun Managing Director Felix Hallwachs on the small lamp that is changing the world.

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Solar panel Bevinahalli

Green corridors

A solar power plant in the village of Bevinahalli now produces urgently needed energy for the Indian city and IT metropolis of Bangalore. The use of renewable energies in India is indispensable. The country is already the third largest electricity consumer in the world.

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Energy transition 2.0

Rita Feinkohl and Ludger Sens can both supply and receive mains power. They live in a KfW Efficiency Houses 40 Plus. Thanks to their digital connections, they are already equipped for swarming – one of the most important concepts for the future.

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Animated picture: family standing in front of a house

How to save energy

Germany can drastically reduce its energy consumption, using environmentally-friendly methods to produce both electricity and heat. A change of direction that is necessary to successfully facilitate the energy transition and put the brakes on climate change. This film shows how this works.

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”There's no alternative to using exhaust heat“

The traditional bakery Müller & Egerer had its production processes scrutinised by an energy consultant. It quickly became clear that using the exhaust heat from the oven held enormous potential for savings.

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Contact plant at Aurubis in Hamburg, in which the extracted heat is generated

Steamy liaison

The metal company Aurubis and the energy supplier enercity are making industrial history in Hamburg. HafenCity Ost ("HarbourCity East") is the first city district to be supplied almost completely with waste heat that is virtually carbon-free.

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Man driving a scooter on a asphalt road

The perfect sidekick

Retro on the outside, high-tech on the inside – the e-scooters made by the start-up e-bility use portable lithium-ion batteries that can be charged from a conventional socket. Customers love the stylish design and help protect the environment at the same time.

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A little boy is crossing flooded grounds in Bangladesh

Protected by schools and roads

In Bangladesh, it is possible to see how development cooperation and flood control can be perfectly combined. KfW financed the construction of protective structures along the coast and a bridge, amongst other things.

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Water supply in Uganda

Fast aid during droughts

ARC drought insurance quickly provides African states with funds in the event of an insurance claim. With the new Replica model, international organisations can extend the insurance coverage of the countries and thus help more people faster when a disaster occurs.

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Water risks

Engineer Jens Hönerhoff has developed the globally unique Water Risk Filter with World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF). The tool helps companies in making investment decisions.

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Martin Bauer Group Zimbabwe

Fair and organic from Zimbabwe

Together with its local partner Organic Africa, tea merchant Martin Bauer Group from Middle Franconian is growing organic herbs, spices, medicinal and aromatic plants in Zimbabwe. A signalling pilot project, supported by DEG – Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH.

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Jan Ritter regularly documents growth in real conditions

SeedForward makes plants more adaptable

To ensure a good harvest even under extreme weather conditions, plants have to be especially adaptable. SeedForward relies on a sophisticated, chemical-free seed coating. The company won the KfW Entrepreneurs’ Award 2019 for the state of Lower Saxony.

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Green living in Mexico

More affordable, energy-efficient living quarters become more and more important. Mexico is no exception. With DEG's, support, Mexico-based Vinte is building nearly 2,000 eco-friendly houses and flats for low and middle-income earners.

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