New approaches for climate and biodiversity action

With support from Germany’s International Climate Initiative, Benin’s National Fund for Environment and Climate (FNEC) established an initiative to finance climate and biodiversity action projects led by national civil society organisations. Through a call for proposals, FNEC identified five NGOs that each received up to 90,000 euros in funding and technical support. These local organisations implemented projects aimed at adapting agricultural practices to climate change and protecting biodiversity. Actions focused on restoring woodlands and pastures, empowering communities, and transforming livelihoods through sustainable sources of income such as fish farming and beekeeping. As a result, around 3,000 people directly benefited from the NGOs’ activities across the country, almost 3,000 hectares of land were restored, and about 20,000 tons of CO2 emissions were saved. FNEC also gained valuable experience and strengthened its capacity to implement funding programmes. For institutions like FNEC in Benin, cooperation with IKI Small Grants serves as a stepping stone to receiving funds from larger programmes. By early 2025, FNEC had secured $16 million from UN funding lines to counter the effects of climate change.
GALLERY
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT
IKI Small Grants supports FNEC to develop and strengthen its capacities as Financing Institution in the context of climate and biodiversity protection. This includes:
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- Strengthening of FNEC’s capacities regarding the requirements of the international climate and biodiversity funds in terms of project development for the mobilisation of financing;
- Strengthen the capacities of FNEC’s Committee of Experts for Environmental, Social and Gender Monitoring (CESESAG) on GCF’s environmental and social standards;
- Carry out an organizational audit of FNEC, together with an action plan to remedy the gaps identified.
- Upgrade platforms and databases for the submission and management of projects
- Training of FNEC’s executives on the monitoring-evaluation mechanism for climate change adaptation and mitigation projects
- Support the organization through exchange visits with other organisations already accredited to the GCF and the AF for knowledge sharing on projects already implemented
Dr. Appolinaire Gnanvi is the Director General of the Fonds National pour l’Environnement et le Climat, a Beninese funding organisation that successfully increased its funding budget through international cooperation. © FNEC
Project video
Dr. Appolinaire Gnanvi from Benin’s National Fund for Environment and Climate (FNEC) explains the impact of working together with Germany’s IKI Small Grants programme for local climate and biodiversity action.
Links
International Climate Initiative: How fish save sacred forests | Internationale Klimaschutzinitiative (IKI)
ABOUT THE ORGANISATION
The National Fund for Environment and Climate (Fonds National pour l’Environnement et le Climat, FNEC) is a financial instrument under the supervision of the Ministry of Living Environment and Sustainable Development in Benin. The organisation was founded in 2003 and responds to a need to support and finance initiatives related to environmental protection and climate change. The financing mechanism for programs and projects aims at the protection and rational management of the environment, the fight against the harmful effects of climate change and the promotion of a sustainable development in Benin.