About

To achieve the international climate goals and make climate neutrality a reality by 2045, the German government's international climate and energy partnerships have become one of the most important instruments of Germany's climate foreign policy. Their growing network strengthens the political dialogue on climate protection and energy system transformation between Germany and more than 30 partner countries worldwide. These bilateral energy cooperations are implemented by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) with the support of adelphi, the German Energy Agency (dena), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and Guidehouse.

Climate change is fundamentally affecting the world. It is threatening our environment, resources and livelihoods. Global warming requires rapid and ambitious action to achieve the Paris climate goals and drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Different Forms of Cooperation

Climate and Energy Partnerships

Within the framework of a climate and energy partnership, Germany works with a partner country on a range of energy, climate and economic issues. Key areas include the expansion of renewable energy and its integration into the system, increasing energy efficiency, integrating common climate instruments such as carbon pricing, and managing the environmental and social dimensions of this transition. There is also an increasing focus on the security of energy supply. Partnerships are based on a signed Memorandum of Understanding.

Energy Dialogues

An energy dialogue is the precursor to a climate and energy partnership. In principle, it has the same objectives as climate and energy partnerships, but is not based on a formal declaration of intent and has no formal structures.

Hydrogen Partnerships

Germany is cooperating with a growing number of countries to accelerate the development of green hydrogen. While many hydrogen partnerships are being implemented within the framework of existing climate and energy partnerships, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action is entering into specific hydrogen partnerships with strategic exporting and importing countries. As with the energy and climate partnerships, this joint work is based on a signed Memorandum of Understanding.

Main Goals:

Energy Security

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To enhance Europe’s energy security sustainably, it needs to diversify its energy sources. This is done by laying an increasing importance on (green) hydrogen and building a well-diversified network of hydrogen import corridors to the single market, increasing supply of critical raw materials, such as the rare earths and metals necessary for the energy transition, building sustainable value chains across the globe, and increasing the amount of energy sourced from renewable energy sources. All of these have become important issues addressed in the framework of Germany’s bilateral partnerships and work to enhance the single market’s resilience.
Decarbonisation of Economies

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Reaching climate neutrality by 2045 is only possible with a decarbonised economy. Increasing power generation through renewable energy sources already allows for many sectors to be carbonised, for example the use of private citizens or small enterprises. However, the energy consumption of heavy industries is vast. Consequently, other solutions need to be found. Green Hydrogen today shows the highest potential of meeting the high energy needs required for heavy industry. Discussing hydrogen with Germany’s partners and allowing for hydrogen strategies to be formed, allows the potential of hydrogen to flourish and hence, the decarbonisation of the world’s economies to be promoted.
Promotion of Innovative Technologies

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Achieving the energy transition and curbing the effects of climate change requires innovation and developing new technologies. Ideas and ingenuity are not bound by man-made borders. Every country has shown their capacity for developing solutions for their own problems. This ability of solution-finding on one hand means that solutions can be adapted to fit other problems. On the other hand, together these solutions can be desimated across the world and built upon whilst also giving space for new ideas come from new encounters. Consequently, the climate and energy partnerships added the promotion of innovative technologies to their agenda and yearly conduct many activities to support this.

The long-standing trust and effective working structures built by the bilateral partnerships help not only to strengthen bilateral climate cooperation and advance on global climate targets, but also to overcome the challenges that Germany and its partner countries are confronted with. They are not only a platform to overcome known challenges, but also new challenges that built up more suddenly. For example, following current events energy security in terms of energy supply chains as well as the protection of critical energy infrastructure could be addressed within the framework of the energy partnerships and dialogues.

Also, in the case of Israel, the bilateral climate and energy partnership’s close cooperation allowed Germany to support Israel at critical times with shared expertise and emergency measures as regards the stabilisation of the energy system and the physical and digital protection of critical infrastructure. Thanks to their effective communication channels and well-established working structures, Germany’s bilateral climate and energy partnerships are fit to address both short-term challenges and long-term climate targets.

Apart from a regionally inclusive transition, the successful realisation of the energy transition requires the involvement of all stakeholders and demographics. Particularly the inclusion of women as one of the largest demographics is pertinent. Not only do women bring a diverse skillset to the workforce, but more importantly different perspectives that provide new solutions to old challenges. Germany’s climate and energy partnerships can address the inclusion of women in the energy sector effectively. There is an increase in visibility of committed female energy experts, international networks built, and mentorship programmes and events help bolster their expertise and visibility.