3 October 2008: During a meeting with UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Achim Steiner, at UNEP’s headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, German Federal Minister for the Environment Sigmar Gabriel announced that his country will increase its funding for the organization’s work on clean energy and climate proofing vulnerable economies.

Gabriel specified that the additional US$18 million will be raised by auctioning emission certificates on the European carbon market, will be provided over three years. The funds will be used in UNEP projects supporting: developing countries’ clean energy and energy efficiency efforts; adaptation in vulnerable economies; and developing countries’ capacity in international climate negotiations.
Thanking Germany for its contribution, Steiner stressed the importance of “demonstrate[ing] on the ground how a future agreement in Copenhagen can deliver real and tangible benefits for developing countries and thereby a basis for achieving the objectives of a global response to climate change.” [UNEP Press Release]