The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Kenya Climate Ventures (KCV) have launched a partnership to unlock more domestic and international capital for climate adaptation and resilience businesses across Sub-Saharan Africa. The partnership will focus particularly on early- and growth-stage climate-smart enterprises that often struggle to access finance.
Key Overview
- UNIDO and KCV signed a Joint Declaration at the Adaptation Investment Summit for Africa 2026 in Nairobi.
- The partnership aims to mobilise domestic and international capital for climate-resilient businesses.
- The cooperation focuses on early- and growth-stage climate-smart enterprises.
- UNIDO brings expertise in market development, climate adaptation and climate-resilient coffee transformation.
- KCV contributes experience in enterprise development and early-stage climate finance.
- Cooperation will cover investment frameworks, impact methodologies, market intelligence and climate finance initiatives.
- The partners will use UNIDO’s Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) tool to guide financing decisions.
- The partnership aims to support sustainable, inclusive and climate-resilient investments across Sub-Saharan Africa.
UNIDO and KCV Launch Climate Adaptation Finance Partnership
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Kenya Climate Ventures (KCV) have launched a partnership aimed at unlocking more domestic and international capital for climate adaptation and resilience businesses across Sub-Saharan Africa.
The two institutions signed a Joint Declaration at the Adaptation Investment Summit for Africa 2026 in Nairobi, creating a framework for scaling investment in climate-smart enterprises, particularly early- and growth-stage businesses that often struggle to access finance.
The partnership brings together UNIDO’s expertise in market development, climate adaptation and the climate-resilient transformation of the coffee sector with KCV’s experience in enterprise development and early-stage climate finance.
Partnership Targets Climate-Smart Enterprises
The partners intend to use their combined networks, investment instruments and access to climate finance providers to mobilise capital for sustainable, inclusive and climate-resilient investments across the region.
UNIDO brings market development and acceleration expertise from its climate adaptation project portfolio and work on the climate-resilient transformation of the coffee sector across Sub-Saharan Africa.
KCV, as a climate-focused fund manager and climate impact investor, provides experience in enterprise support and managing early-stage financing vehicles. The organisation helps to de-risk early- and growth-stage, gender-inclusive, climate-smart enterprises.
By leveraging their complementary expertise, instruments, networks and access to climate finance providers, the partners intend to strengthen the mobilisation of domestic and international capital to scale sustainable, inclusive, climate-resilient and impact-driven investments in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Focus on Climate Adaptation Finance
The cooperation builds on existing UNIDO initiatives, including the Kenya Uganda Adaptation Accelerator (KUAA) project and the ACT programme (Advancing Climate-Resilience and Transformation in African Coffee).
It also includes new initiatives such as the Africa Climate Adaptation Investment Catalyst Initiative and cooperation across the Kenyan coffee value chain.
“Advancing climate resilience and adaptation financing through existing initiatives such as the Kenya Uganda Adaptation Accelerator (KUAA) project and the ACT programme (Advancing Climate-Resilience and Transformation in African Coffee), as well as new initiatives like the Africa Climate Adaptation Investment Catalyst Initiative, and cooperating across the Kenyan coffee value chain underlines our shared commitment and ambition to scale up adaptation finance,” said Marko van Waveren Hogervorst, Programme Officer and Climate Finance Expert at UNIDO.
Joint Declaration Creates Investment Framework
The Joint Declaration provides a framework for collaboration in several areas, including strengthening investment frameworks and impact methodologies, market intelligence, joint events and the co-development of dedicated climate finance initiatives.
The cooperation also includes the co-creation and harmonisation of impact assessments.
UNIDO’s Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) tool will be applied to guide financing decisions and align investments with international best practice.
The agreement also formalises the partners’ intention to engage in each other’s platforms and forums, supporting continued exchange and alignment.
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Connecting Technical Expertise With Finance
The cooperation also illustrates the catalytic role of UNIDO’s Division of Innovative Finance and International Financial Institutions (IET/IFI).
The division acts as a strategic bridge between technical cooperation teams and public and private financial institutions.
By connecting UNIDO’s technical expertise with KCV’s early-stage finance, the partnership supports efforts to catalyse and mobilise public and private capital at scale and increase impact.
The partners aim to translate their combined expertise and financing capabilities into practical investment opportunities for climate-smart enterprises across the region.
Peer Learning and Knowledge Exchange
The partners also intend to continue bringing together investors, fund managers, development partners, policymakers, enterprises and ecosystem actors committed to advancing climate adaptation finance and enterprise resilience across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Peer learning and knowledge exchange activities will provide opportunities for these stakeholders to share experience and support the development of climate adaptation finance and enterprise resilience.
As climate finance in Sub-Saharan Africa needs to grow, the partnership demonstrates how aligned institutions can combine expertise to support enterprises and SMEs, develop markets and mobilise public and private capital.
The cooperation is also intended to advance inclusive and sustainable industrial development across the region.
KCV Highlights Regional Climate Investment
Victor Ndiege, Chief Executive Officer of Kenya Climate Ventures, said the Joint Declaration represents an important step in advancing climate adaptation finance across Africa.
“This Joint Declaration marks an important step in advancing climate adaptation finance across Africa. By combining UNIDO’s global expertise with Kenya Climate Ventures’ experience in enterprise development and climate investing, we are strengthening pathways to unlock investment, scale climate-smart enterprises and build resilient economies. We look forward to translating this collaboration into tangible impact for communities and businesses across Sub-Saharan Africa,” said Victor Ndiege.
Outlook
The UNIDO and KCV partnership provides a framework for strengthening climate adaptation finance across Sub-Saharan Africa by connecting UNIDO’s market development and climate adaptation expertise with KCV’s enterprise development and early-stage financing experience.
The partners aim to mobilise domestic and international capital for sustainable, inclusive and climate-resilient enterprises, while supporting early- and growth-stage businesses that face challenges accessing finance.
Through investment frameworks, impact methodologies, market intelligence, the CRVA tool, joint events and dedicated climate finance initiatives, the cooperation is intended to strengthen investment pathways and support climate-smart enterprises across the region.
FAQs
1. What is the UNIDO and KCV partnership about?
The partnership aims to mobilise domestic and international capital for climate adaptation and resilience businesses across Sub-Saharan Africa.
2. Which businesses will the partnership support?
The cooperation will particularly support early- and growth-stage, gender-inclusive, climate-smart enterprises that often face challenges accessing finance.
3. What areas will UNIDO and KCV collaborate on?
The partnership will cover investment frameworks, impact methodologies, market intelligence, joint events and dedicated climate finance initiatives.
4. How will the partnership guide climate investment decisions?
The partners intend to apply UNIDO’s Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) tool to guide financing decisions and align with international best practice.
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