Yurivilca, Rossemary (2019). 2016 IDB Climate Finance Database. IDB Open Data. https://doi.org/10.60966/6edk-zy66

1. English

What is this dataset about?

This dataset is the 2016 IDB Climate Finance Database. It provides detailed information on the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group's investments in climate-related development activities in 2016. The goal of these activities was to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to mitigate climate change and/or to reduce vulnerability to climate impacts and support adaptation efforts.

How much did the IDB Group invest in climate finance in 2016?

In 2016, the IDB Group invested approximately $2.7 billion in climate finance. This amount represented 22% of the IDB Group’s total approvals for the year. This investment supported the IDB’s goal of increasing the share of climate change project financing to 30% of total approvals by 2020.

Which countries received the most climate financing in 2016?

The top five recipients of IDB Group climate finance in 2016 were:

• Brazil: $840.5 million
• Colombia: $541.1 million
• Bolivia: $372.6 million
• Argentina: $295.7 million
• Ecuador: $120.8 million

What's the difference between "mitigation" and "adaptation" in this dataset?

• Mitigation Finance refers to investments in activities that reduce or limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The top mitigation category in 2016 was Cross-cutting Issues ($997.5 million), followed by Renewable Energy ($819.1 million).
• Adaptation Finance refers to investments that reduce the vulnerability of human or natural systems to the impacts of climate change. The top adaptation category was Crop and Food Production ($255.8 million).
• Dual Finance activities are those that have simultaneous mitigation and adaptation benefits.

Does the project-level data include the entire IDB Group?

The detailed project-level files in this dataset only contain data from the IDB and IDB Lab. Figures from IDB Invest are included in the summary tables but not in the project-level datasets.

How was the climate finance portion of each project calculated?

The climate finance amounts were estimated using the Joint Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) approach (JMA) for tracking climate finance.

What is this dataset about?

This dataset provides detailed climate finance data from the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) for 2016.
It documents the IDB Group’s investments in projects and activities aimed at mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change across Latin America and the Caribbean.

How much climate finance did the IDB Group provide in 2016?

In 2016, the IDB Group invested approximately $2.7 billion in climate-related activities, representing 22% of total project approvals that year.
This investment advanced the IDB’s institutional goal of allocating 30% of total approvals to climate-related financing by 2020.

Which countries received the most climate financing?

According to the 2016 climate finance data, the top five recipient countries were:

• Brazil – $840.5 million
• Colombia – $541.1 million
• Bolivia – $372.6 million
• Argentina – $295.7 million
• Ecuador – $120.8 million

These figures represent both public and private sector investments supporting low-carbon growth and resilience initiatives.

What types of projects were financed?

Projects in the climate finance data are classified into three categories:

• Mitigation finance – projects that reduce or limit greenhouse gas emissions, such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable transport.
• Adaptation finance – projects that help communities and ecosystems adapt to climate change, such as water resource management and climate-resilient agriculture.
• Dual-benefit finance – projects that contribute to both mitigation and adaptation outcomes.

What did climate finance support the main sectors in 2016?

In 2016, the largest share of mitigation finance was directed to:

• Cross-cutting issues – $997.5 million
• Renewable energy – $819.1 million

The leading adaptation finance category was crop and food production, with $255.8 million in investments.

Which IDB Group entities are included in this dataset?

The project-level files in this dataset contain data from the IDB and the IDB Lab.
IDB Invest figures are included in the aggregate tables but not in the project-level data.

How were climate finance figures estimated?

The climate finance data were calculated using the Joint Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) methodology for tracking climate finance.
This standardized approach ensures comparability across institutions and years.

How can researchers and policymakers use this dataset?

Users can analyze trends in climate finance allocations, explore sectoral and regional investment patterns, and evaluate the impact of IDB Group financing on climate mitigation and adaptation efforts across Latin America and the Caribbean.

What are the limitations of this dataset?

While the IDB Climate Finance Data 2016 provides a comprehensive overview of the Bank’s climate-related investments, several limitations should be noted:

• The dataset focuses on approved financing, not on disbursements or implementation outcomes.
• Project-level data include only the IDB and IDB Lab, while IDB Invest figures appear only in aggregate tables.
• Classification of activities as mitigation, adaptation, or dual-purpose follows the Joint MDB methodology, which may differ slightly from other institutional or national frameworks.
• The dataset captures climate finance for a single year (2016), limiting its use for time-series analysis without reference to other years’ data.

Users should interpret results with these methodological and coverage constraints in mind when conducting comparative or longitudinal studies.

What is the citation for this dataset?

Inter-American Development Bank (2025). IDB Climate Finance Data, 2016. IDB Open Data.
https://data.iadb.org/dataset/idb-climate-finance-2016