Climate Fund

National governments play a key role in defining a country’s position on and response measures to climate change. However, in many states scientists, business representatives, the media, and civil society also shape the political discourse with regard to environmental protection policies. The German Federal Foreign Office believes in the importance and value of promoting an interdisciplinary and inclusive dialogue on these issues in other countries in order to raise awareness of the need for far‑reaching environmental protection measures, support bilateral dialogue on this issue, and identify opportunities for cooperation with Germany in this field.

Between 2011 and 2013 the Federal Foreign Office was able to draw on funds from the Federal Government’s Special Energy and Climate Fund to finance bi- and multilateral dialogue on environmental protection. Since 2014, the resources from the Climate Fund have been incorporated into the Federal Foreign Office’s regular budget for this specific purpose. Since then, the Climate Fund is an initiative under the auspices of the German Federal Foreign Office and an important instrument of the German Federal government’s environmental foreign policy or “climate diplomacy.” The German diplomatic and trade missions abroad use the funds to organize projects in their host country to encourage the transition to lower carbon dioxide emitting economies.