Intergovernmental Partnerships in Climate Change Mitigation: Toward a Strategic Orientation

Abstract

Over the past 15 years, Germany has developed a range of formal intergovernmental partnerships with the aim to implement and accelerate climate action beyond its borders. The current government has expanded an already diverse portfolio of partnerships. Since these partnerships are developed and managed by different ministries and cover specific aspects of climate action, the question emerges what these partnerships aim to achieve (geo-)strategically and how to strengthen them given rising global emissions and budgetary constraints. Key Findings: Germany relies for the implementation of its climate foreign policy strategy on strong partnerships. Based on a review of government documents - including the new Climate Foreign Policy Strategy - and official government communication, we identify four strategic priorities of Germany’s foreign policy in climate change mitigation: accelerated, concerted decarbonization; security of energy supplies; market access and economic opportunities; just sustainability transitions. The German government should use its longstanding experience to position more holistic thinking of Earth system stability into different policy fields. The sustainability considerations in the National Security Strategy and cross-cutting references in the Climate Foreign Policy Strategy provide a relevant framework to explore co-benefits for e.g. emissions mitigation, biodiversity protection and human health. Germany should integrate labor migration policy into its partnerships for the European Green Deal implementation. Providing vocational training and supporting higher education in the sustainability sector together with focused labor migration could benefit both partners.