Scaling Up Urban Climate Transition

Development Banks & Cities Partnering to Lead Sustainable Change

The NUCA Programme is designed to empower Development Banks & Cities from emerging countries to accelerate local funding for Low-Carbon Climate-Resilient Urban Infrastructure Projects.

Development Banks leading the way to an urban future

5

Years

Duration
5 years
from 2024
to 2028

10

Implementation Partners

Implemented by
Regional/National
Development Banks
across 5 countries

20

M€

20 Million €
funded by the IKI
International
Climate Initiative

+100

Cities

Fostering climate
ambition in over
100 secondary
cities

The NUCA Programme is developed by the International Development Finance Club Facility (IDFC Facility), with the financial and technical support of the IKI International Climate Initiative and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and is implemented by the AFD on behalf of the International Development Finance Club (IDFC).

NUCA’s mission

By 2028, NUCA Programme will be recognized as a trustworthy and efficient game changer in Urban Climate Finance.

Urban areas are both the challenge and the solution to climate change, generating 70% of global CO2 emissions while driving 80% of global GDP. Yet, municipalities struggle to access financing, and NDBs aim to develop support for climate projects. NUCA bridges this gap by fostering partnerships between banks and cities, providing knowledge, tools, and financial mechanisms to co-design and implement transformative urban climate projects.

National Development Banks (NDBs) will have strengthened their capacity for urban climate finance and advisory, committing significant funding to climate-resilient urban projects. This will unlock additional investments from diverse local and international public and private sources, driving long-term impact.

NUCA’s core pillars

Strengthening
NDBs’ technical and
institutional core
capabilities

Funding
investments and institutionalizing
sustainable results

Co-creating,
sharing,
and implementing
knowledge

Key expectations

Through NUCA’s support, Development Banks will lead sustainable urban transformation by integrating climate considerations, fostering collaboration, and ensuring long-term impact.

Embedding climate
considerations
in R/NDBs urban
financing frameworks

Creating pipeline
of bankable urban
climate projects
leading to R/NDB
funding commitments

Enhancing
the capacity
of national and
international
stakeholders
on climate
urban projects