up to 3 billion NOK a year
Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI)
E-mail: postmottak@kld.dep.no
Phone: +47 22 24 57 11
Through its International Climate and Forest Initiative, the Norwegian government aims at supporting efforts to slow, reduce and eventually halt greenhouse gas emissions resulting from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD+). As the world fights to avoid dangerous climate change, REDD+ is gaining recognition as one of the timeliest, most significant and most cost-effective tools at our disposal. The Norwegian Climate and Forest Initiative's main objective is to reduce and reverse the loss of tropical forests and contribute to a stable climate, protect biodiversity and enhance sustainable development. Two sub-goals include: i) contributing to sustainable land use; and ii) contributing to reduced pressure on forests from global markets.
Norwegian government
NORAD has contracted independent evaluators to provide real-time evaluation services to NICFI from 2010 to date. The approach involves a range of evaluation activities to be periodically repeated during the life of the Initiative, as well as stand-alone evaluations of specific thematic or geographic areas. It allows NICFI to draw early lessons and allow corrections to be made in ‘real time’.
In 2014 a strategic evaluation of NICFI was carried out by Johathan Lash (World Resources Institute) and Georges Dyer (Hampshire College and Principal, Greenland Enterprises). The purpose of the evaluation was to provide a high-level strategic review of NICFI, highlighting strengths and weaknesses in the past, key elements of its current status, and possible threats and opportunities in the future. It is separate from, but complementary to, the real-time evaluation program conducted through NORAD.
The core team of NICFI is based in Oslo within the Ministry of Climate and Environment, formally organised as a division of the Ministry. However, the team also includes special envoys for climate change and forest based at embassies in a number of key partner countries.
NICFI cooperates with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant ministries, and draws on climate- and forest-related expertise from multilateral organizations, NGOs and research institutions.
The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) manages funds for civil society support and scientific institutions.
Recipients of funds under the Initiative must contribute to reaching one or more of the Initiative's three goals. They shall take place and/or have an effect in countries eligible to receive development assistance in accordance to OECD's DAC list. Geographic and thematic areas of priority are laid out in the yearly propositions to the Norwegian Parliament. Actors who contribute towards the Initiative's goals can be awarded funds, but priority will be given to efforts based on existing or planned processes for reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation firmly anchored at government level in the relevant country.
Countries eligible to receive development assistance in accordance to OECD's DAC list
Those who fulfill the conditions for applying for grants can send an application to the Ministry of Climat and Environment, Norad or an embassy managing a part of the grant. See also Norads homepage for more information.