Strategic Partnerships for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement (SPIPA)

Project description

Title: Strategic Partnerships for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement (SPIPA)
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU)
Co-funded by: European Union (EU)
Country: Global
Overall term: 2018 to 2022

Context

Climate change is a global threat that requires a decisive and confident response from all communities, particularly from major economies that represent roughly 80 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The 2015 Paris Agreement complemented by the 2018 Katowice climate package, provides the essential framework governing global action to deal with climate change and steering the worldwide transition towards climate-neutrality and climate-resilience. In this context, policy practitioners are keen to use various platforms to learn from one another and accelerate the dissemination of good practices.

To improve a geopolitical landscape that has become more turbulent, the EU set out in 2017 to redouble its climate diplomacy efforts and policy collaborations with major emitters outside Europe in order to promote the implementation of the Paris Agreement. This resulted in the establishment of the SPIPA programme in order to mobilise European know-how to support peer-to-peer learning. The programme builds upon and complements climate policy dialogues and cooperation with major EU economies. 

Objective

By fostering exchanges and collaboration among national and sub-national administrations, business communities, academia and civil society stakeholders, the SPIPA programme has encouraged and assisted EU and non-European major economies in progressing toward the Paris Agreement goals, harnessing international economic and political relations to move quicker collectively towards full implementation. 

Approach

Specifically, the SPIPA programme aims to:  

  • Facilitate exchanges on climate policy options and good practices between the EU and non-European major economies with a view to enabling policy changes. Upstream policy dialogues can relate to policy instruments for climate change mitigation (Article 4.2, Paris Agreement), the elaboration of climate strategies (Article 4.9, 4.11 and 4.19), setting up climate transparency systems (Article 13.7), and adaptation measures (Article 7.9);
  • Advance bilateral trade, investment and innovation in pursuit of the goals of the Paris Agreement and of nationally determined contributions; 
  • Contribute to improving public awareness, including in the business community, of challenges and opportunities associated with the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

As one of the strongest proponents of international climate ambition and action, the EU has irreversibly pegged its own economic future to a net-zero emission model. The 2030 legislative framework and long-term vision for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate-neutral economy constitutes advanced and comprehensive policy statements that provide European stakeholders with a clear sense of direction and predictability. However, being responsible for less than 10 per cent of global emissions, the EU efforts to tackle climate change can only succeed if other major economies are effectively moving in the same direction.

SPIPA quick facts

  • Total budget of 25 million Euros for March 2018 to February 2022;
  • Target countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea and the United States;
  • Funding from the European Union’s Partnership Instrument (80 per cent) and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU) in the context of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) (20 per cent);
  • Implementation by delegation agreement with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

Additional information