Germany’s climate diplomacy push in need of improvement – report

Germany’s climate diplomacy initiative has made a promising start in some respects, but leaves much to be desired overall, according to a report by the NewClimate Institute. While noting that the government’s initial plans have faced setbacks due to the war in Ukraine and subsequent energy crisis, the report calls for further reforms to ensure that Germany implements “a coherent, consistent, and effective foreign climate policy”. These include impactful engagement with international partners, as well as ambitious domestic efforts “in order to lead by example”. To that end, “climate embassies” in partner countries could better coordinate German initiatives abroad. The institute also takes issue with the government’s focus on importing fossil fuels and its neglect of the transport sector.

“To strengthen international credibility and maximise climate diplomacy soft power, it is also essential to implement ambitious climate action ‘at home’,” the report states. “Here, the current government is sending mixed signals. While there is clear progress with regard to announcements of new measures to expand renewable energy, a dash for gas, including potentially oversized import infrastructure and a clear lack of ambition to meet climate targets in the transport sector undermine Germany’s potential to serve as a role model for others.” The report warns that other key areas for improvement have yet to be addressed, such as international climate finance mobilisation, which has stagnated. The government should do more to align international public finance, including export credits and development finance, with the Paris Agreement, it adds.

Germany’s coalition government, consisting of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), came to power last year with an ambitious agenda aimed at making climate diplomacy a priority of international activities.