01/01/2021

DFCD cited by Dutch Government as a climate adaptation initiative other countries should follow

News banner image

During the first day of the Climate Adaptation Summit, the Dutch Fund for Climate and Development DFCD) was cited by the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, Sigrid Kaag as an example of a concrete initiative that can move climate adaptation forward.

The online international summit held on 25 and 26 January 2021 which convened global leaders and local stakeholders was hosted by the Netherlands.

Investing in climate adaptation

Minister Rutte made his points during his opening speech where he highlighted the urgency of investing in climate adaptation measures. He also urged governments from partner countries that have the financial and political means to follow suit. You can watch the full opening speech here. The DFCD is mentioned at 3.56.

Similarly, Minister Sigrid Kaag urged other governments with the financial capital to follow the DFCD’s example “We need to help partners develop bankable projects”, she said as Chair of the two-hour session ‘Accelerating African Adaptation’.

Adaptation Action Agenda

The event saw the launch of a comprehensive Adaptation Action Agenda, setting out clear commitments to deliver concrete new endeavours and partnerships to make the world more resilient to the effects of climate change.

Climate Solutions Challenge

Also, during the event the DFCD project launched the Scalable Climate Solutions Challenge in three project countries - Kenya, Uganda and Bangladesh.

The effects of rising sea levels, flooding, droughts and unpredictable weather patterns are all major threats to fragile ecosystems and societies that depend upon these ecosystems’ services. A business proposal for the challenge should strengthen the resilience of the landscapes in our three focus countries.

As a DFCD consortium partner, SNV is already working with several private investment propositions that focus on increasing the resilience of the most climate vulnerable people in Africa and Asia.