Press release International climate finance 2024: Germany remains reliable partner in global climate policy

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In 2015, the international community agreed in the Paris Agreement that the industrialised countries would assist developing countries and emerging economies in their climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. For the period up to 2025, a target of 100 billion US dollars per year has been established for this support.

29 September 2025 | In 2024, Germany met its commitment for international cooperation on climate change mitigation and adaptation, as illustrated by the latest figures reported to the European Commission today. Germany's international climate finance last year totalled 11.8 billion euros, of which 6.1 billion euros came from the federal budget. This means that Germany has delivered on the international pledge it had made to provide at least six billion euros a year in budget funds for international climate finance. Moreover, Germany has been able to mobilise, for the first time, over one billion euros in private funding for investment in climate action.

Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan said, “Germany remains a strong supporter of the Global South, even in difficult times. Climate change affects everyone. It knows no borders. This means that we must jointly invest in climate action worldwide, both through public and through private funding. Germany has led the way with a new record amount. After all, climate action means a secure future, economic stability and peace. The more we do together today, the better we will be able to protect future generations. This is also my message to the forthcoming international Climate Change Conference in Brazil.”

Minister for the Environment and Climate Action Carsten Schneider commented, “Germany maintains its spirit of solidarity and stands by its commitments to international cooperation. That is an essential basis for successful negotiations at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Belém. Climate action can only succeed if countries can be trusted to keep their promises. We are seeing encouraging figures in the mobilisation of private investment. Electricity from wind and solar power is becoming cheaper and therefore needs less support from the public purse. This means that in future we can direct more of our limited public funds towards climate change adaptation. We will be discussing that issue in Belém as well.”

Background information

In 2015, the international community agreed in the Paris Agreement that the industrialised countries would assist developing countries and emerging economies in their climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. For the period up to 2025, a target of 100 billion US dollars per year has been established for this support.

The figures for 2024 that are now available show that Germany's contribution to the international pledge of 100 billion dollars was 11.8 billion euros. This amount includes mobilised and private funding that was leveraged through public funds. Germany has thus again contributed its fair share to international climate finance. This is its highest contribution ever.

The amount consists of budget funds and mobilised funds.

The German government's budget resources for international climate finance totalled 6.1 billion euros in 2024.

• This is an increase over the previous year's levels (5.7 billion euros in 2023).
  
• Of these funds, 79 per cent came from the budget of the German Development Ministry (BMZ). The BMZ provides support, for example, for efforts to increase renewable energy generation and improve energy efficiency. Activities in 2024 included the establishment of new climate partnerships with Mozambique and Bangladesh. In the field of adaptation, the BMZ supports developing and emerging economies in efforts such as transforming agricultural production or improving preparedness for frequent droughts and floods. The BMZ's support also includes financial contributions to multilateral funds such as the Green Climate Fund, the Global Environment Facility and the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage.
  
• The remainder of the funding came mostly from the International Climate Initiative (IKI). In 2024, that Initiative was implemented jointly by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, the Environment Ministry and the Federal Foreign Office. Examples of IKI-funded activities in 2024 include support for the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in developing countries and emerging economies – for example through efforts to create an enabling policy and financial environment for making industrial processes climate friendly and for realising sustainable transport strategies.
  
• In order to leverage even more funding, incentives for private investment in climate-friendly and biodiversity-friendly forms of doing business were increased. This also opens up markets and opportunities for German enterprises.
  
• Besides renewable energy and other climate technologies, conservation of the natural environment contributes significantly to climate action as well, for example the conservation of forests, peatlands, oceans and other ecosystems. In 2024, Germany provided about 1.5 billion euros in support of related activities, nearly achieving its target of 1.5 billion euros in climate-related biodiversity finance as part of the 6 billion euro target for climate finance. Of this funding, 1.1 billion euros came from the budget of the BMZ. Among other things, this went towards over 900 protected areas worldwide with a total area of almost 2.4 million square kilometres – more than six times the area of Germany. The remainder of climate-related biodiversity funding came mainly from the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN). The IFI-funded projects have focused on nature-based solutions, for example the implementation of national biodiversity strategies and related action plans.

In 2024, the funding mobilised by Germany totalled 5.7 billion euros. This is comprised of KfW and DEG loans and mobilised private investment.

• Mobilised KfW and DEG market funding rose by 760 million euros over 2023 levels, reaching 4.6 billion euros. This is funding which KfW, commissioned by the German government, raises on the capital market and then provides to countries in the Global South in the form of repayable loans, particularly for the energy transition, for instance solar and wind power installations and the hydrogen market ramp-up. Loans have been committed, for example, to India, South Africa, Indonesia and Mexico for water management, the expansion of local public transport services and clean energy. This enables these countries to effectively pursue a sustainable transformation of their energy and transport systems and adapt their cities to climate change, for example.
  
• In addition, KfW and DEG have been able, for the first time, to mobilise over one billion euros in private funding for investment in climate change mitigation and adaptation (2023: 475 million euros). One effect of this form of funding is risk reduction, making investments attractive for private players.

Annual figures are reported on an ex-post basis in line with internationally agreed criteria. That is why the 2024 figures have now been submitted to the European Commission. Figures for 2025 will be presented in autumn 2026.