The Board of the Green Climate Fund.
As member of the Green Climate Fund, Switzerland works to ensure that the needs of those most affected by climate change are given consideration. © UNFCCC

Global warming disrupts economic development and threatens to destroy the progress that has been made in reducing poverty. That is why Switzerland incorporates climate protection and the global impact of climate change in its international development policy, and provides expertise, technical solutions and financial resources for climate protection as part of its development projects and via international funding mechanisms.

The SDC's focus

People in developing countries are particularly affected by climate change because their livelihoods depend directly on natural resources. Such countries often lack the financial and technical capacities that are required for climate change adaptation. Climate change impairs both economic and social development globally and compromises what has already been achieved.

Synergies with poverty reduction

Switzerland is active in climate change mitigation and adaptation internationally and aims for its funding for developing countries to be deployed effectively. It takes into account the challenges its partner countries face and anchors its own measures in a long-term strategy to reduce poverty worldwide. To this end, the SDC creates synergies between climate protection and improving food security or governance, for example, to ensure that Switzerland's official development assistance is used in an optimal way.

International financing mechanisms

Switzerland is represented in the steering committees of the most important climate and environment funds, where the SDC advocates in particular for giving adequate attention to the needs of the poorest countries. To do this, the SDC relies on its long-standing experience in its partner countries. It makes sure that policies, procedures and the funding earmarked for climate protection are used to help the weakest people, communities and regions over the long term.

As part of this goal, the SDC was actively involved in creating the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The GCF is aimed at financing eco-friendly measures in developing countries in order to increase sustainable development. Today it is a central component of the international financing for climate protection. Through its representation in the GCF's steering committee, the SDC works actively to ensure greater multilateral cooperation and to promote innovative approaches.

The SDC, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) make contributions to international financing mechanisms for climate change mitigation and adaptation. In the 2015–17 period, Switzerland made its first contribution of USD 100 million to the GCF.

Context

Switzerland works to ensure that the existing approaches to combating climate change are deployed where they can have the largest impact. It aims to ensure that the needs of the people most affected by climate change are taken into account in particular, and that the adaptation measures that are needed receive sufficient funding. The SDC undertakes this work as part of its mandate under the Federal Act on International Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid. The international cooperation dispatches set out the priorities for each period. For Switzerland's international cooperation strategy 2021-2024, climate change – a growing challenge for development policy – is a key focus.

Increasing awareness at the international level

Because measures to adapt to climate change and a transition to sustainable development are needed, industrial countries – including Switzerland – are making commitments at the international level. Sustainable Development Goal 13 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development underlines the importance of combating climate change and its effects. Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the international community has committed itself to mobilising public and private funds for this. Switzerland has a high degree of credibility in this area because of its careful and sustainable approach to its environment (e.g. recycling, building standards, private sector collaborations) and its highly industrialised economy at the same time. This allows Switzerland to position itself proactively in international discussions and find an audience for its concerns.

Current projects

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Climate Resilience of IFAD Programmes

01.07.2018 - 31.12.2022

The International Fund for Agricultural Development IFAD is a key partner for Switzerland in the efforts to lift smallholder farmers out of poverty. However, climate change is putting the success of the IFAD’s development programmes at risk. Switzerland supports the integration in all IFAD projects of measures that respond to potential climate threats into all IFAD projects. As a result, farmers become more resilient and Swiss investments through IFAD more sustainable.


Clean Air Project in India (CAP India)

01.07.2018 - 30.09.2023

India is one of the most severely affected countries by air pollution in the world. This project will respond to a demand for support raised in India’s new National Clean Air Programme, with the aim to improve air quality with co-benefits on public health, environment and climate change. Capacity building and technical assistance through Swiss expertise will support data measurement and analysis, city level clean air action plans and awareness raising campaigns to take precautionary measures and mitigate air pollution.


Backstopping SDC Climate Change and Environment (CC&E) Network

01.07.2018 - 30.06.2022

A climate smart development cooperation requires continuous knowledge management and a sound thematic expertise. The next phase of the Backstopping Support Mandate (BSM) will help to capitalize on SDC’s key learnings, stimulate capacity building, foster mainstreaming and provide thematic support in the field of climate change and environment This will allow the SDC Climate Change and Environment Network and the Global Programme Climate Change (GPCCE) help improve the overall quality of SDC’s operational activities in this thematic field.


Global Alliance for Health and Pollution

01.06.2018 - 31.12.2028

Through political, technical and financial support, SDC together with other Swiss partners aims at actively co-shaping the agenda of the still young Global Alliance on Health and Pollution. The alliance brings together different stakeholders to produce evidence for awareness raising and to curb toxic pollution of air, water and soil in low- and middle-income countries in order to reduce its harmful effects on public health.


Clean Energy Policy (CEP)

01.06.2018 - 29.02.2020

India has put forth an ambitious plan for decarbonisation of its economy as part of the post 2020 Nationally Determined Contribution under Paris Climate Agreement. The achievement of these targets needs development of appropriate energy transition in the coming two years (2018-19). This single-phase project will support the Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation to setup a Platform which will deliberate on the energy choices and solutions.


Clean Air China (CAC): Breaking Down the Dome: Sino-Swiss Cooperation on Air Pollution Source Apportionment for Better Air

01.05.2018 - 31.10.2022

The project will support the development of advanced air pollution source apportionment techniques with a Swiss and Chinese joint expert team to enable the design of more effective air pollution control policies beneficial for public health, the global climate and the environment. The techniques and experience of science-based policy making will be piloted in Chinese cities and shared with other developing countries strongly affected by air pollution to accelerate progress towards cleaner air.


Opérationnalisation de la filière semencière au Tchad

01.05.2018 - 30.11.2023

Au Tchad, le système de production agricole est rudimentaire et les rendements sont faibles. Le pays est régulièrement confronté à l’insécurité alimentaire. La semence est le principal intrant utilisé par les agriculteurs. C’est pourquoi, la DDC contribue à faciliter l’accès à des semences de qualité et adaptées à leur environnement. Ce programme permet aux exploitations familiales d’améliorer leur production et leur revenu et développe l’auto-emploi des femmes et des jeunes grâce à la multiplication de semences.


REPIC: Interdepartementale Plattform zur Förderung der erneuerbaren Energien, der Ressourcen- und der Energieeffizienz in der internationalen Zusammenarbeit

01.04.2018 - 31.03.2022

Die REPIC Plattform zur Förderung der erneuerbaren Energien, der Ressourcen- und Energieeffizienz in der internationalen Zusammenarbeit ist eine gemeinsame Initiative des Staatssekretariates für Wirtschaft (SECO), des Bundesamtes für Energie (BFE), des Bundesamt für Umwelt (BAFU) und der Direktion für Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit (DEZA). REPIC ermöglicht die Unterstützung von Bottom-Up Pilotprojekten aus der Privatwirtschaft, der Zivilgesellschaft und der Akademie.


Crop Trust – Genebank Platform 2018

01.01.2018 - 31.12.2018

The Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) safeguards globally important collections of crop diversity critical for improving food and nutrition security. Genebanks require constant maintenance. The Crop Trust Endowment Fund ensures the long-term funding for the maintenance of these genebanks. The unique bilateral contribution by Switzerland contributes to safeguarding (and building up of) the Endowment Fund.


lntegrated Health and Habitat lmprovement in the Rasht Valley, Tajikistan

01.01.2018 - 31.12.2021

Through the project the population living in one of the poorest and fragile regions of Tajikistan (Rasht Valley) will gain access to basic social services (water and health). The interventions in the selected watersheds will empower the local communities enabling their active participation in decision-making and effective management of the resources. As a result, people in the project area will adopt healthier, more environmentally sustainable, and disaster-safer behaviours.


Core Contribution for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 2018 - 2020

01.01.2018 - 31.12.2021

SDC has been granting core contributions to IUCN since 1997. The new Core Contribution for the period 2018 – 2020 aims to highlight IUCN’s comparative advantage and development relevance. With this core contribution SDC contributes to the implementation of the IUCN Programme 2017-2020 and in particular to the integration of healthy and restored ecosystems into SDGs water (SDG 6), climate change (SDG13), environment (14/15) and food security (SDG2).


Support to the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC)

01.01.2018 - 31.12.2021

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation has been supporting the Climate and Clean Air Coalition since 2014. Today, the Coalition is a recognized platform bringing together country, inter-governmental and non-governmental partners to take action to reduce short-lived climate pollutants. In the continuation of the programme, the Swiss contribution aims to build on previous success and achieve further emission reductions and increasing the climate resilience of poor population groups.

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