Values and responsibilities
Contributing to global policy frameworks
IKI Small Grants, just like the overarching IKI itself, operates within the global framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). GIZ supports the selected IKI Small Grants projects to align their diverse approaches and activities with national transformation processes and climate policy initiatives. IKI Small Grants projects therefore contribute to the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of the respective country, anchored in the Paris Agreement, or to the goals of the CBD to counteract the dramatic global loss of living natural resources. The activities of IKI Small Grants also contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Local initiatives for tailored solutions
Sustainable climate and biodiversity actions thrive best in a world where people think globally and act locally. IKI Small Grants supports active stakeholder involvement and local approaches to tackle threats caused by climate change and biodiversity loss. IKI Small Grants projects valorise local experiences as well as the integration of indigenous and traditional knowledge while recognising the diverse interests, circumstances, and socio-cultural contexts in specific local or national settings.
Strengthening gender justice
Gender justice plays an important role within the IKI Small Grants programme. Projects are therefore asked to reflect on their actions regarding the effects on gender justice and to explicitly address existing imbalances.
Safeguards
Many projects of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) have to cope with difficult contexts and conditions in the partner countries. Poverty, lack of participation, limited rule of law, low protection standards for workers or the rights of minorities must always be taken into account. Against this backdrop, the IKI wants to ensure that the measures carried out by the projects do not have any negative effects on the people, their living conditions, and nature.
IKI Small Grants follows the very same approach: Applying a ‘do no harm principle’, the programme aims to avoid or mitigate possible negative consequences of project activities. In addition, the application of the IKI safeguards is intended to enhance the quality of the projects and contribute to an overarching sustainability agenda. Safeguards are environmental and social standards that are intended to avoid potential negative impacts of projects on people or the environment, for example, the protection of human rights, compliance with occupational health and safety standards, the conservation of biodiversity, the prevention of environmental pollution or the protection of cultural assets in project work.
For example, if a project supports the set-up of a protected area to conserve biodiversity, questions like these could arise: Will the local population suffer a loss of income because hunting or gathering rights are restricted? Is there a risk of people being displaced or resettled? How can possible negative effects for the people concerned be avoided? Regardless of the project, be it on waste or electromobility, questions on the far-reaching consequences of the project activities could always arise.
IKI Small Grants safeguards are based on the Performance Standards on Environment and Social Responsibility of the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The IFC Performance Standards cover the following aspects:
- Working conditions
- Resource efficiency and prevention of pollution
- Health, safety and protection of people
- Land Acquisition and Resettlement
- Biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of living natural resources
- Indigenous communities and marginalised groups
- Cultural heritage
For information on the specific implementation of IKI Small Grants safeguards in the funding lines ‘International Calls’ and ‘Funding Institutions’, go to the Implementation section.
Compliance and Complaints Mechanisms
To finance small-scale, local, or regional climate and biodiversity action, IKI Small Grants implements or supports calls for proposals and funding lines. To support the best project ideas and the most suitable organisations, it is essential to establish transparent rules and requirements that apply to the management of IKI Small Grants as a programme, the applying organisations, the selection process, and the implementation of projects by the selected organisations.
To ensure and continuously improve the programme’s high quality, its implementation is based on the principles of fairness and transparency, conformity to rules and compliance with the law. These principles are directed externally to applicants and project implementing organisations and internally to the management of IKI Small Grants.
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, as the mandated organisation for implementing IKI Small Grants, is responsible for ensuring that these principles are followed. For further information visit the resources about GIZ’s Compliance Management System here.
If there is information about serious violations of our internal principles of conduct, the internal regulations and applicable laws are enforced. The GIZ whistle-blower portal serves as anonymous entry channel. In particular, the following violations can be reported:
- Corruption and bribery
- Embezzlement, fraud, misappropriation
- Conflicts of interest
- Sexual misconduct and sexual exploitation
- Violations of human rights
In case of (potential) negative social and/or environmental consequences from IKI Small Grants projects, or improper use of funds, please refer to the IKI Independent Complaint Mechanism. The complaints mechanism is based at Zukunft – Umwelt – Gesellschaft (ZUG) gGmbH, the federal Goverment’s overall project management agency for the IKI funding programme.
The Independent Complaint Mechanism contributes to:
- monitoring and improving the environmental and social outcomes of projects
- avoiding unintended negative impacts of projects
- supporting the appropriate use of public funds
- complying with international good practice