HSC At Hamburg Sustainability Conference, participants from across the world provide input and strengthen international cooperation

Development Minister Reem Alabali-Radovan said, “At a time when nationalist tendencies are jeopardising international cooperation, the Hamburg Sustainability Conference stands for the spirit of cooperation that binds the world together. Hamburg sends out a strong signal for solidarity and cooperation, an encouragement to us all. For two days, around 1,600 dedicated individuals and experts in their field have breathed new life into the promise upon which international cooperation is founded: that it is better for all of us if we pull together – instead of focusing solely on our own interests. The Hamburg Sustainability Conference has made progress on concrete solutions for some of the key challenges that we must face in the future: for cities of the future that will be liveable places for more and more people despite climate change, for the common fight against inequality or for artificial intelligence that benefits all people.”

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Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC) Internal link

The Hamburg Sustainability Conference was launched last year at the initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and the Michael Otto Foundation. Now the world has again come together in Hamburg. Some 1,600 participants from more than 100 countries gathered for the Conference – decision-makers from politics, the private sector, civil society and academia. More than 60 meetings were held to discuss key global challenges and also agree practical steps to tackle them. Participants developed ideas which they will take from Hamburg to key international processes, such as the current United Nations reform process, the UN Conference on Financing for Development in Sevilla at the end of June, and the next climate COP in Brazil in November.

Examples of initiatives and alliances taken forward at HSC 2025

An alliance for getting cities ready for the future

It is expected that, 20 years from now, 70 per cent of the world's population will be living in cities. This requires huge investments in areas such as urban infrastructure, transport and buildings, and also adaptation to extreme weather events, which are becoming more and more frequent. Yet cities are often finding it particularly hard to mobilise the requisite funding. That is why the German Development Ministry (BMZ) and the World Bank launched an alliance in order to make headway on the investment effort needed. The alliance also includes UN Habitat, the Asian Development Bank, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Switzerland, Luxembourg and the Agence Française de Développement.

The 2025 Conference also saw the launching of a network for cities worldwide, especially in Africa. It will enable its members to consult on how to better attract private investment, to share information on innovative financing models and regional alliances, and to enter into new collaborations.

Bringing together public and private investors – SCALED (Scaling Capital for Sustainable Development)

At the first Hamburg Sustainability Conference in October 2024, participants launched the new Hamburg Sustainability Platform, which brings together private and public sector players with the goal of mobilising private investment. The Platform is geared towards standardising financial products and thus facilitating the combination of public and private investment, so as to generate significant additional capital to finance sustainable projects in developing countries and emerging economies. At HSC 2025, further partners joined the Platform – the Zurich Insurance Group and AXA. The initiative also announced that it would rename the Platform. It will now be called SCALED – Scaling Capital for Sustainable Development. And it is launching concrete activities. In order for the standardisation work to get off the ground, a company is to be set up in the near future. It is expected to be operational by the end of 2025, enabling the initiative to start developing the first standardised financial products. Over the next few years, this effort could mobilise several billion US dollars in additional investment in sustainability.

For more information, visit https://scaledevelopment.org. (External link)

Investing in viable transport for the future – alliances for sustainable shipping and aviation

The alliances for sustainable shipping and aviation that had formed at HSC 2024 (Hamburg Declaration on Green Aviation and Hamburg Declaration on the Decarbonisation of Global Shipping) have since set up working structures, including a secretariat. This initiative has also found new supporters – Select New Energies GmbH, CAPHENIA GmbH and the DLR Institute of Maritime Energy Systems. HSC 2025 saw even closer networking among international leaders from business, banks, regulators, port operators and academia, with a view to further boosting private investment in green hydrogen as the sustainable alternative fuel of the future, and discussing ways in which producer countries in the Global South can benefit from this.

For more information, visit the Green Hydrogen Business Alliance (External link).

Responsible use of AI for more sustainability

Improving access to fair and sustainable artificial intelligence (AI) worldwide is one of the key challenges of our times. Too many people around the world continue to have no access to the benefits of digital innovation. The Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI lays down important points for the shared use of AI. The principles enshrined in the document are intended to make AI a driver of progress for all, advancing inclusion, equality and sustainable development. Significantly, the Declaration was not only signed by governments but also by representatives of civil society, academia, the private sector and international organisations. They all agreed on common principles for the development and use of artificial intelligence. One specific point is that AI should also understand the languages of local communities and take account of their cultural contexts. AI can also help, for example, to better predict extreme weather events and to enable farmers to manage their land more sustainably thanks to satellite data. The signatories of the Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the Sustainable Development Goals include governments (for example Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Canada), international organisations (such as the United Nations Development Programme, the East African Community and the pan-African Smart Africa alliance for a digital Africa), the private sector (enterprises from Africa, Asia, America and Europe, including Aleph Alpha, DEKRA and Sand Technologies) and civil society organisations such as Wikimedia and Pollicy.

For more information on the Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the Sustainable Development Goals, visit https://www.bmz-digital.global/en/news/hamburg-declaration-on-responsible-ai. (External link)

Working together for a strong UN development system

The United Nations and its support programmes, which are of vital importance for many people, are under particular pressure at present – one factor being the withdrawal of the US from many areas, which had previously been the most significant donor by far. As a visible signal of support for the UN development system, the BMZ had therefore brought together a coalition of governments at the Munich Security Conference for a joint initiative (External link). This coalition met again at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, where it found further partners and had a direct exchange with UN Under-Secretary-General Guy Ryder, including on ideas for the ongoing UN reform process. In addition to Germany, supporters of the initiative include Peru, Morocco, the UK, Ireland, Norway, Costa Rica, France and Colombia. At HSC 2025, further countries have joined the effort: Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

Jointly tackling inequality

The supporters of the Global Alliance against Inequality have joined forces in order to jointly engage at international level to reduce inequality, in fora such as the UN Conference on Financing for Development in Sevilla at the end of June and the World Summit for Social Development in Qatar in November. The Alliance is being supported by scientists from New York. They advise members and study questions such as what conditions need to be in place for inequality reduction to succeed. Alliance supporters include the governments of Sierra Leone and Norway, but also civil society organisations such as Oxfam International.

The next Hamburg Sustainability Conference will be held on 29 and 30 June 2026.
Until then, participants will work on further deepening alliances that have been agreed, finding new partners and using the ideas that have been jointly developed as input for ongoing international processes.

Click here (External link) for an overview of the high-ranking participants in the 2025 Hamburg Sustainability Conference, including German Deputy Chancellor Klingbeil, Development Minister Alabali-Radovan and Agriculture Minister Rainer, as well as numerous ministers from all over the world, 13 leaders of international organisations and about 60 CEOs.

For more information on the Hamburg Sustainability Conference and impressions from the event, visit https://www.sustainability-conference.org/en/hsc25 (External link)