Climate fund expert at GIZ

Marius Kaiser is based in Bonn, but often travels to the countries he supports. ‘Travel is one reason why my job is so appealing to me.’

When asked about his career, Marius Kaiser avoids the term ‘climate finance’ – it’s too obscure for his liking. ‘I tend to talk about climate change mitigation and explain that we are helping countries gain access to international funding for protecting the climate.’ This applies in particular to the USD 10 billion pot of the international Green Climate Fund. Institutions in developing countries have to be accredited to access this fund. This is a complex process, and Kaiser guides them through it. The climate finance expert joined GIZ in 2013, but his interest in the topic was kindled long before then – at the latest during his studies in Edinburgh and Oxford, where he specialised in climate policy and renewable energy.

He then worked on international climate change mitigation projects in the private sector. Kaiser is based in Bonn, but often travels to the countries he supports, including Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Namibia and Viet Nam. ‘The travel is one reason why my job is so appealing to me.’ He believes that he has benefited greatly from the access to ministries and in-depth insights into working methods in these countries. In his line of work, a good cross-section of knowledge is vital: from climate science and climate-friendly technologies to financing and political frameworks.

published in akzente 2/17