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Protecting the climate
Climate change and development: the challenge
The impacts of the greenhouse effect are being felt all over the world. As the prime contributors to climate change, the industrialised countries must accept particular responsibility for climate protection. However, their efforts to limit climate change will not succeed without the participation of the developing countries. Sustainable and globally effective solutions can only be realised in the context of international cooperation.
As a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Germany is committed to assisting the developing countries in adapting to the impacts of climate change and financing climate protection measures.
In 2009, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) provided around one billion euros for climate protection and adaptation in developing countries, and plans to increase these resources further.
Mitigation and adaptation – key terms in the international debate
There is now a worldwide consensus that global warming should be limited to a maximum of 2 degrees Celsius. In order to achieve this target, the current continuous increase in emissions must be halted and a reduction in emissions must be achieved by 2020. Appropriate ways of achieving this reduction include measures which help to increase energy efficiency and boost the use of renewable energies. Such actions are known as "mitigation".
Some climatic changes can no longer be avoided, so adaptation to these new conditions is required. This can include restructuring of processes in the worst-affected sectors, notably agriculture, forestry, fisheries and water resources management. Additional human and institutional capacity building is also required to facilitate the development of appropriate adaptation strategies and disaster reduction tools.
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