German and Philippine governments launch TRANSCEND Project to address climate change and biodiversity loss

Representatives from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), led by Parliamentary State Secretary Mr. Stefan Wenzel; the German Embassy Manila led by Ambassador Dr. Andreas Pfaffernoschke; the GIZ led by Country Director Immanuel Gebhardt, and key officials of Philippine government agencies, launched a Php 2.23B project to contribute to the climate and biodiversity initiatives of the country -- the Transformative Actions for Climate and Ecological Protection and Development (TRANSCEND) project is a bilateral project between the Federal Government of Germany, funded through the International Climate Initiative (IKI), and the Republic of the Philippines.

It aims to support the ongoing efforts of the Philippine government in combating climate change and biodiversity loss. The project has been designed to align with both international and national climate and biodiversity agendas, contributing to the National Adaptation Plan, Nationally Determined Contributions, and the Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

Scheduled to run from this year until 2029, the Project’s areas of focus span biodiversity conservation, urban ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), energy efficiency in micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises, low carbon public transportation, and governance.

Political partners include the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Transportation, the National Economic and Development Authority and the Climate Change Commission, as the main political partner.

Harnessing the strengths and expertise of different organizations, the project will be implemented by a consortium led by Conservation International Philippines, Rare, UN-Habitat, and UNIDO. GIZ will lead the consortium and oversee the transportation and governance components, as well as the project's interface function to ensure synergy with other IKI-funded projects in the country.

The Project will also collaborate with the Foundation for Philippine Environment, Clean Air Asia, the International Council for Clean Transportation, the Wuppertal Institute, the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, Climate Analytics, and the UP Center for Women's and Gender Studies, to leverage the expertise of various organizations and political partners to strengthen the whole-of society approach.