15.06.2021
The European Green Deal: Working together on climate action – in Europe and around the world
The Green Deal is Europe’s response to climate change. The EU is discussing how best to achieve the Deal’s objectives with its partners – including GIZ – at this year’s European Development Days.
Europe aspires to be the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050 – and the European Green Deal is the EU’s path to achieving this vision. With its target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions, the Green Deal puts reconciling economic growth and climate action at the heart of the European agenda.
However, Europe itself accounts for less than 10 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. That’s why the European Green Deal reaches far beyond Europe’s borders. The Deal therefore aims to help countries around the world achieve the targets laid down in the Paris Agreement and promotes an ambitious environmental, biodiversity, climate change and energy policy.
A European plan with global reach
International cooperation has an important role to play here. That’s why the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is working for a green recovery both during and in the wake of the pandemic. Around the world, GIZ is supporting the countries it works with during their transition to greener, fairer and more resilient growth. In 2020 alone, these efforts have helped save 17 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions as part of almost 1,200 projects.
The European Commission and European development banks have joined forces with Germany and other EU member states to form Team Europe, which is currently devising flagship projects . More than half of these Team Europe initiatives are set to focus on implementing the thematic priorities of the Green Deal, and GIZ will support many of them on behalf of the German Government.
This year’s European Development Days (EDD) are being held under the heading ‘The Green Deal for a sustainable future’. Europe’s foremost forum for development cooperation takes place online on 15 and 16 June. As it has done at previous EDDs, GIZ will share project case studies and experiences during discussion sessions and at virtual booths. Among other issues, the event will focus on marine plastic waste, a global circular economy, sustainable financing, urban adaptation to climate change, and the importance of a Green Deal for Africa. Interested parties can sign up here and follow the discussions digitally.