Water scarcity and drought are among the serious consequences of climate change.

    Climate change and development policy

    Climate policy and development policy are inextricably linked. Climate change has severe consequences for people, communities and ecosystems. Climate change is hitting countries that have in the past contributed little to its causes particularly hard, including many countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania, which are often referred to as countries of the Global South.

    Germany is working with these countries to develop solutions, for instance with a view to making cities and agriculture more resilient to climate change, reducing hunger, securing reliable water supplies, developing sustainable energy systems and protecting vital natural resources. Global climate action is an expression of international solidarity and, simultaneously, an important form of crisis prevention, because the impacts of climate change can exacerbate existing conflicts, increase tensions within societies and destabilise entire regions. Heat waves, droughts and extreme weather events affect, above all, vulnerable population groups in our partner countries – but also people in Europe. That is why cooperation and mutual learning in areas such as technology, innovation and adaptation to climate risks are in the interest of all of us. Globally just climate policies help to create a liveable and fair world for current and future generations, and to protect human lives.

    The German Development Ministry (BMZ) is working closely with its partner countries, as these countries often lack the requisite resources to reduce emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Together, we are strengthening the capacities of local people, communities and institutions to meet the challenges of climate change. Strong alliances are important, as no country in the world can deal with these challenges by itself. Such cooperation opens up new economic opportunities for all those involved, including Germany – for example through the involvement of German companies in sustainable investment, through technology transfers, and through the development of new markets.

    Many countries in the Global South are already faced with the twin challenge of striving to improve social and economic living conditions for large swathes of their populations while simultaneously responding to the increasingly noticeable impacts of climate change. In the long term, it will only be possible to overcome poverty and inequality if climate action and sustainable development are combined. This requires the reduction of emissions and a just transition to a climate- and resource-friendly economy. This principle of a just social-ecological transformation is embodied in the term “just transition”. It means that no one should be left behind on the path towards a climate-neutral, resilient and socially just economic and social system. New technologies and resource-friendly business models offer opportunities for sustainable prosperity – provided that everyone benefits. The BMZ assists people and institutions in its partner countries in tackling this necessary transition actively and on their own terms. In this way, Germany is contributing towards the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, both in its partner countries and nationally.

    Challenges

    • Just Transition: making sure that the transition towards climate-neutral economies and lifestyles is just

      In order to keep the impacts of climate change within manageable limits, we need to ensure that lifestyles and economies worldwide become climate neutral by mid-century. It must be ensured, based on cooperation with emerging economies and developing countries, that this transition will be socially just (Just Transition). No one should be left behind on the path towards climate neutrality and climate justice.

      A woman in Burundi reads by the light of a solar-powered table lamp.

    • Stopping global warming: reducing greenhouse gas emissions

      The emission of carbon dioxide needs to be reduced rapidly and drastically so as to halt the increase in global average temperatures (“decarbonisation”). This will require protecting natural carbon sinks such as oceans, forests and wetlands. Agriculture, for instance, will have to be restructured in order to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide.

      Solar plant and coal-fired power station in Ulan Bator, Mongolia

    • Enhancing resilience: adapting to climate change

      Climate change threatens countless people's livelihoods – and this threat will increase further in future. That is why the support provided by the BMZ is not limited to climate change mitigation and measures for a just transition towards climate-neutral economies and lifestyles but also includes assistance for its partner countries' efforts to adapt to those consequences of climate change that have become unavoidable.

      Construction of a embankment on the banks of the Mayur River in the town of Khulna in south-western Bangladesh

    • Loss and damage protection: improved support for vulnerable countries

      More and more frequently, climate change is causing loss and damage worldwide – especially in countries in the Global South. That is why Germany initiated the Global Shield against Climate Risks during its G7 Presidency in 2022. At the annual global climate change conferences, too, Germany has been working to improve the ability of vulnerable people and countries to respond to climate change-induced loss and damage.

      A road in the Caribbean nation of St Lucia was washed away after heavy rain.

    What we do

    As at: 02/09/2026