The Urban Climate Action Program for National Development Banks (NUCA), a multinational technical cooperation initiative, has emerged as a catalyst for significant changes in the financing of low-carbon and climate-resilient urban infrastructure in five countries: Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Mozambique, and South Africa.

The National Development Banks Urban Climate Action Programme (NUCA), funded by the International Climate Action Initiative (IKI), held its initial phase workshop in Colombia, marking a milestone for the International Development Finance Club (IDFC) in its effort to strengthen the capacity of National Development Banks (NDBs) in urban climate investment finance.

Following the approval of the International Climate Initiative (IKI), DBSA is the first partner of the IDFC to honour the launch of the Urban Climate Action Programme (NUCAP).

Find below the topics tackled today and a summary of the 4 events on Public Development Banks, South Asia, Africa, green hydrogen, energy transition, cities climate finance and more. 

In May 2023, the series of country consultations as part of the IKI NUCA programme preparation phase came to an end. The week-long stays in the remaining four focus countries of the programme (Brazil, Colombia, South Africa and Mozambique) included bilateral talks, group discussions and focus groups, with the goal of identifying key gaps and bottlenecks for urban climate finance.

As an integral part of the NUCA, NDBs Urban Climate Action Programme, preparation phase, the dedicated team started the series of country consultations with a visit to the national development bank PT SMI (PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur Persero) and additional stakeholders in Indonesia.

Cities generate around 70% of the global greenhouse gas emissions and face various challenges for developing and funding climate-smart projects. National development banks (NDBs) are well positioned to support those projects, as they are ideally placed to de-risk or cover upfront costs, can provide local currency and can leverage locally adapted financial instruments.