1 March 2013: The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC) launched the UNDP Black Sea Climate and Business Initiative (CLIMBIZ), a regional partnership for action on sustainable development in the Black Sea region, and the CLIMBIZ Challenge, with the support of the Austrian Development Cooperation and BSEC.

CLIMBIZ aims to mainstream climate change and the green economy into policy development, and to conduct climate change vulnerability and impact assessments. Second, CLIMBIZ promotes green and inclusive business solutions for climate change, environmental protection and poverty reduction that can be scaled and replicated. Third, it aims to strengthen multi-stakeholder dialogues and support a green, inclusive marketplace through the establishment of a regional forum for climate change and the green economy.

The CLIMBIZ Challenge, a “Scaling Challenge for Social and Environmental Enterprises,” will support small-scale, locally-driven enterprises that integrate environmental and social benefits into their business models in the Black Sea region. The Challenge aims to identify environmental and social entrepreneurs to address poverty reduction and climate change. CLIMBIZ will support winning entrants to scale and replicate their enterprise by providing business support, including planning and skills development, and networking opportunities with investors and others.

Eligible countries are: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, the Russian Federation, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine. The application deadline is 5 April 2013. UNDP, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) serve as the implementing partners of the Challenge. [CLIMBIZ Website] [CLIMBIZ Challenge] [UNDP Black Sea Website]