African countries receive $1.1bln climate financeSix African countries will receive 1.1 billion dollars in grants or low-interest loans to help a switch to cleaner energy and cope with the impacts of climate change, the World Bank announced here on Thursday. South Africa will receive 500 million dollars to support its goals of generating four percent of its electricity needs from renewable energy by 2013, improving energy efficiency by 12 percent by 2015 and providing a million households with solar water heating over the next five years, it said. Egypt will get 300 million dollars to improve its power sector and urban transport in Cairo Transport in Cairo comprises an extensive road network, rail system, subway system and maritime services for the more than 15.2 million inhabitants of the city. Cairo is the hub of almost the entire Egyptian transport network. , while Morocco will receive 150 million dollars to boost a fund aimed at leveraging investment in energy security and low-carbon growth. Mozambique, Niger and Zambia will each receive between 50 and 70 million dollars in a pilot initiative aimed at crafting "resilience strategies" against the impacts of global warming. "All (three countries) share dramatic risks in potential loss of land, life and livelihoods as a result of climate change," the World Bank said in a press release. The money was agreed by trustees of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF (1) (Common Intermediate Format) A standard video format used in videoconferencing. CIF formats are defined by their resolution, and standards both above and below the original resolution have been established. The original CIF is also known as Full CIF (FCIF). ), it said. This is a scheme run jointly by the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank Asian Development Bank A financial_institution established in 1966 to reduce poverty in the Asia-Pacific region. The bank is headquartered in Manila, Philippines and consists of 61 member countries. , the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Bank targeted at Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. , the Inter-American Development Bank Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) international organization founded in 1959 by 20 governments in North and South America to finance economic and social development in the Western Hemisphere. , International Finance Corporation as well as the World Bank. The CIF, launched in 2008, has current pledges of more than six billion dollars. The announcement was made on the sidelines On the sidelines An investor who decides not to invest due to market uncertainty. on the sidelines Of or relating to investors who, having assessed the market, have decided to avoid committing their funds. of the UN climate meeting in Barcelona. The session is scheduled to wrap up on Friday ahead of the December 7-18 negotiations in Copenhagen designed to lead to a post-2012 global pact on climate change. 
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