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Norwegian climate initiative

Norway has pledged up to 3 billion NOK a year to help save the world's tropical forests while improving the livelihoods of those who live off, in, and near the forests.

Read more about why

Real-Time Evaluation of Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative

The initiative has been subject of a real-time evaluation since 2010. This resulted in several evaluations linked below. The initiative continues to be evaluated through a second phase of real-time evaluation which began in 2015.

How the Climate and Forest Initiative is organised

  • The Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment (KLD) conducts Norway's Climate and Forest initiative.

  • The Norwegian support goes to a complex portfolio consisting of both bilateral agreements with large forest countries, large multinational organizations and civil society.

  • Norad manages significant parts of the NICFI funds under the climate and forest initiative on behalf of the Ministry of Climate and Environment.

  • Norad conducts guidance and quality assurance for the ministry and for embassies involved in the initiative. Norad also has a special responsibility for monitoring the developmental effects of the investment.

  • Norad is responsible for the initiative's grant scheme for civil society.

NICFI project descriptions

Map that shows 11 focus countries for support to civil society through NICFI 2016-2020

Visit out digital world map to learn more about the climate and forest projects supported by Norad: See which organisations we support, where they work and what outcomes they hope to achieve. 

In the map you find information about all the projects from the 2013-2015 portfolio. Information about the entire 2016-2020 portfolio will soon be available.

NICFI 2021-2025: Call for proposals

Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI) launched in 2020 a call for proposals for funding for civil society organisations for the grant period 2021-2025. The call is now closed, and proposals are under assessment.

Sustainable Settlers in the Amazon
The farmer Paulo Evaristo belongs to one of hundreds of families in the state of Pará in the Amazon who are trained in the use of better techniques and methods to farm. It has changed the lives of Paulo and his family.
Bonde i indonesisk lokalsamfunn som har fått rett til egen skog
Court ruling puts customary-based communities on the map
A historic constitutional court ruling in Indonesia grants indigenous communities formal rights to their forest.
Wajapi - Guardians of the Amazon Rainforest with GPS
A historic constitutional court ruling in Indonesia grants indigenous communities formal rights to their forest.

10 years of Norway's Climate and Forest Initiative

2018 marked that ten years since Norway launched Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI). Norway’s Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg announced at the UNFCCC Climate Change Summit COP13 that Norway would allocate up to 3 billion NOK annually to reduce deforestation.

While the initiative was originally thought to last until 2020, the Norwegian government has since promised to extend it through 2030. Norway has so far supported efforts to reduce deforestation in more than 70 countries.

One of the main results was the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015, in which world leaders agreed on an ambitious new climate change agreement.

Partly due to activities financed through NICFI since 2007, efforts to reduce deforestation was specifically mentioned in the Paris Agreement. Reducing deforestation will also be an important instrument to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement.