Strategic Environmental Dialogues
Project description
Title: Strategic Environmental Dialogues
Commissioned by: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) as part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI)
Country: Global
Overall term: 2014 to 2023
Context
Climate change, biodiversity loss, poverty and hunger as well as the elevated consumption of natural resources show that a new course of action is required on a global scale. With the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda, the international community has for the first time agreed on a comprehensive and ambitious set of objectives. The aim of the 2030 Agenda is to make global development socially, ecologically and economically sustainable and to drive forward the necessary global economic transformation. All countries – whether developing, emerging or industrialised – are called upon in equal measure to find alternative development pathways that are significantly more climate-friendly, resource-efficient and socially inclusive compared with current economic activities.
Objective
Dialogues with decision-makers from politics, academia, business and civil society in selected emerging economies contribute to a common understanding for economic development that is both environmentally friendly and socially sustainable. Germany's cooperation with individual countries and international policy processes, such as the climate negotiations, are strengthened and contribute to a sustainable transformation of the global economy.
Approach
Building on two predecessor projects of the International Climate Initiative, this project aims to continue strengthening current strategic environmental dialogues with major emerging economies (for example China and India), and to bring the dialogue to other countries, such as Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Thailand and Uruguay. The project works with its partner countries to develop prospects and conditions for global economic development that is socially inclusive and in accordance with the limitations imposed by the planet.
The project supports the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) in organising high-level environmental forums by providing expert advice and performing administrative and logistical tasks. The project also organises bilateral expert groups, international and regional conferences and carries out studies to prepare the dialogue format.
Results
The exchange and cooperation with various emerging economies on environmental issues has been strengthened. For example, in the area of policy dialogue with China, significant progress has been made on issues related to resource and energy efficiency. Following an initial joint conference in 2000, the dialogue has been continuously intensified by means of regular bilateral environmental forums. The sixth German-Chinese Environmental Forum, which was jointly sponsored by the German Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze and the Chinese Deputy Environment Minister Zhao Yingmin, took place in October 2019 and established a new focus of efforts on conserving biodiversity.
In 2014 and 2015, the Indo-German Expert Group on Green and Inclusive Economy developed proposals and recommendations for cooperation between countries in the area of economic and environmental policy. The group is made up of renowned experts from think tanks in India and Germany. Working groups were established in 2015 with the aim of consolidating and expanding the exchange of knowledge. The groups on water management, waste management, urban development, climate and biodiversity met again before the third Indo-German Environmental Forum in February 2019 in New Delhi.
In 2015, the German-Brazilian Climate Protection Declaration provided fresh momentum for environmental policy cooperation, particularly in the areas of forest conservation and renewable energy. The first German-Brazilian exchange programme for environmental experts took place in autumn of that same year. Most recently, a training programme for managers on SDGs and environmental issues was developed in collaboration with the National School of Public Administration (ENAP) and held in December 2019.
The project was also able to advance the regional and international dialogue for sustainable development. In 2019, regional and international workshops were held in Bangladesh, Jordan and Indonesia, among others, which contributed to both the development of and awareness for the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR). Published in September 2019, the GSDR presents the global implementation status of the 2030 Agenda and provides guidance on how to achieve the sustainability goals.
