Nordic Climate Facility presented in Iceland
On 1 September, the Nordic Development Fund organised an event in collaboration with Promote Iceland and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iceland to introduce the Nordic Climate Facility (NCF) and its current, 7th call for proposals. The event drew an audience mostly consisting of Icelandic private sector organisations intending to target developing markets.
Emeli Möller, Manager of the Nordic Climate Facility, presented information related to the 7th call, including eligibility and selection criteria, as well as guidance on how to apply. “To date, three Icelandic organisations have received NCF funding. With this road show, we hope to attract a larger number of Icelandic companies and other organisations to apply for funding in future calls,” says Möller. “Setting up collaboration with Promote Iceland through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been a great opportunity to reach a wider audience among Icelandic organisations, and we hope to continue this fruitful collaboration with both institutions in the future.”
Research firm Matís talked about their experiences and lessons learnt from their project currently implemented in Tanzania with financing from NCF’s 4th call for proposals. The project has built energy-efficient fish-smoking kilns with a wide range of positive results. Compared to the traditional open fire smoking method, the kilns need less firewood and help avoid the emission of unhealthy particles. Because the quality and productivity are increased, the communities can sell the processed fish at a higher price. As women are largely responsible for managing and maintaining the kilns, they have become more empowered within their communities. Therefore, when finalised, the project is expected to contribute to several of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG1 - No Poverty, SDG2 - Zero Hunger, SDG4 - Good Health and Well-being and SDG5 - Gender Equality, as well as SDG13 - Climate Action by helping to decrease deforestation.
The event was part of the NCF roadshow to launch the 7th call and similar events will be held in Stockholm and Copenhagen in the upcoming week.
NCF is a challenge fund which provides funding for innovative climate projects in low-income countries. It is financed and administered by the Nordic Development Fund. The theme for the current call for proposals of NCF is “Climate as Business - Testing Innovative Green Business Concepts.” Nordic companies and organisations can seek funding under NCF together with at least one partner in the country of implementation. Concept note applications can be submitted between 28 August and 29 September 2017. For more information about NCF and the 7th call for proposals, visit the NCF page.