International climate policy

Climate protection and adaptation to climate change are crosscutting tasks. They require a change of political and social direction.

Droughts, floods, storms, heat waves - the effects of climate change are already visible. Its negative consequences hit developing countries particularly hard. International climate policy therefore faces a twofold challenge: on the one hand, it must promote climate protection by reducing greenhouse gas emissions; on the other hand, it must help people and ecosystems to adapt to the effects of climate change.

The Paris Climate Agreement of 2015 is a turning point in international climate and development policy. It is the first legally binding agreement with climate policy commitments for all signatory states. The agreement provides for global warming to be limited to well below two degrees Celsius, if possible even to 1.5 degrees (based on pre-industrial levels). All 197 Parties to the Paris Accord have undertaken to submit National Determined Contributions (NDCs), which are also regularly reviewed and updated.

Only through a profound change in politics and society is it possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on the one hand and adapt to climate change on the other. On behalf of the German government and other donor organisations, GIZ supports its partners in these reforms. It strengthens the development of climate knowledge, promotes the development of organisations and accompanies political change processes. GIZ uses successful examples to illustrate that mitigation and adaptation measures bring numerous economic, social and environmental benefits.

As a crosscutting issue, climate change affects all areas of society. GIZ therefore pursues cross-sectoral approaches and involves all stakeholders, on the local and international level. GIZ adapts its advisory services to the specific situation of each partner country. The focus is on the Paris Climate Agreement and Agenda 2030 (Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs). NDC-oriented programmes and measures for sustainable development in the sense of Agenda 2030 complement each other. Specifically, the GIZ supports its partners in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to climate change, financing climate change and integrated ozone and climate protection.