Climate change and development policy Climate and Development Partnerships

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Just Transition Internal link

The German Development Ministry (BMZ) works closely with ambitious partner countries – both through bilateral Climate and Development Partnerships and through plurilateral partnerships, for instance Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs), an initiative launched by the G7.

The aim of the partnerships is to work with partner countries on meeting the 1.5˚C target set in the Paris Agreement while making progress on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The partnerships are aligned with partner countries' national plans and strategies, for instance their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Partners are both emerging economies with high levels of greenhouse gas emissions and developing countries that are especially engaged in climate action.

Through Climate and Development Partnerships, Germany has been building strong alliances in order to tackle the global challenge of climate change, as this takes international cooperation – no country can meet this challenge by itself.

Achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda and of the Paris Agreement requires substantial levels of investment. The idea of the partnerships is therefore to pool financial commitments, thus increasing the volume of funding, for instance by involving the development banks, the private sector and philanthropic organisations.

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NDC Partnership Internal link

Another important partnership is the global NDC Partnership set up by the German government and international partners.

That Partnership's extensive network has over 260 members and provides support to developing countries and emerging economies as they implement their climate goals while simultaneously making progress on the SDGs.

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20 January 2025 Joint article on Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, UK, USA and the European Commission. External link

The global energy transition is one of the key prerequisites for successfully combating the climate crisis. In order to lend impetus to this transition, the G7 countries have initiated Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs). Under these partnerships, they work with countries whose energy policies are critically important for global climate action – with the goal of replacing fossil fuels and ensuring that the transition to renewable energy is socially just.

There are JETPs with South Africa (2021), Indonesia and Viet Nam (2022), and Senegal (2023).

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German development cooperation with Indonesia Internal link

Indonesia, an important partner country of Germany and an archipelago, is especially affected by the consequences of climate change. At the same time, Indonesia has a high rate of economic growth and is one of the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters. This means that an energy transition in Indonesia is especially important for reaching the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement.

The JETP launched in November 2022 paves the way for Indonesia to accomplish an ambitious energy transition. The group of international partners is co-chaired by Germany and Japan. It also includes Canada, Denmark, the European Union, France, Italy, Norway and the United Kingdom. Together, they work with Indonesia to accelerate the country's coal phase-out and expand renewable energy generation.

As a co-chair, Germany has assumed special responsibility for Indonesia's energy transition. Cooperation with the private sector plays an important role in this endeavour. One joint public and private financing endeavour is the Saguling floating solar power plant in Java, the island that is home to more than half of Indonesia's population. The power plant will increase solar-based power generation in Indonesia by 13 per cent, save emissions and thus make an important contribution to Indonesia's energy transition.

Within the framework of the Climate and Development Partnerships agreed at intergovernmental level, the BMZ works together with partner countries to support their efforts to achieve their climate goals. Such partnerships currently exist with Pakistan, Rwanda, India, Peru, Kenya, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Brazil, Mozambique, Morocco and Bangladesh, and a regional partnership has been launched in the Western Balkans.

In addition to cutting greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation to the impacts of climate change is a key topic in the bilateral Climate and Development Partnerships. The focus areas of cooperation are aligned with partner countries' priorities, such as energy, natural carbon sinks such as forests and peatlands, sustainable agriculture, and urban development.

The starting point is the recognition that a green and just transition is a task for the whole of society. Such a transition can only succeed if all political, economic and social sectors and groups are appropriately involved. The Climate and Development Partnerships therefore extend beyond intergovernmental cooperation alone and include civil society, the business community and academia.

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Participants gathered in Dubrovnik, Croatia, on 14th and 15th October 2025 for the Second Ministerial Meeting on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans Six.

In its regional Climate and Development Partnership with the Western Balkans, Germany works closely with regional organisations, governments, civil society and the private sector in the direct neighbourhood of the EU, addressing topics such as energy, climate and circular economy. As climate and environmental challenges know no borders, this Partnership is geared both towards cooperation within the region and towards cooperation between Germany and the Western Balkans. The Partnership combines political dialogue with Technical and Financial Cooperation so as to foster the implementation of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans (External link) and to further the process of EU integration. The goals of the Partnership are carbon neutrality, stronger climate resilience and less pollution in the region, in line with EU standards. In order to achieve these goals, the Partnership supports reforms that foster clean air, increase renewable energy generation, make cities more resilient and sustainable, and strengthen biodiversity conservation.

Activities under the Partnership range from the regional to the national all the way down to the local level. At the regional level, support is being provided for joint strategies and standards and cross-border cooperation. Activities at the national and local levels support the practical implementation of these broader approaches. For example, 168 kilometres of new transmission lines have increased the generation and transboundary sale of electricity, improving interconnectivity within the region. Small local projects are providing practical evidence in everyday life of what the energy transition is all about. This includes solar panels that provide power for schools and preschools in Albania and public buildings in Kosovo and Serbia. Projects also include energy efficiency measures in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Montenegro. These local projects reduce emissions and operation costs and strengthen the local infrastructure by making it cleaner, more inclusive, and more resilient.