Sino-German Climate Change, Green Transition Programme and IKI Interface
As the world’s largest annual emitter of greenhouse gases, China’s success in reducing emissions and meeting its climate goals is essential for achieving the goal of the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. China aims to peak its emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. While these targets provide a clear direction towards decarbonisation, challenges persist in further developing and implementing the legal and regulatory framework as well as supporting policies. As a major economy, trading partner and leading provider of many green technologies, China’s climate policy decisions also directly affect global markets, supply chains and the conditions for the green transition in Germany and Europe.
Against this backdrop, the Sino-German Climate Change, Green Transition Programme and IKI Interface project provides a platform for strategic Sino-German climate cooperation at national and subnational levels. It facilitates policy and technical dialogue on the implementation of climate targets, including China’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and relevant policies and measures under the 15th Five-Year Plan (FYP), while enabling both sides to exchange experiences on regulatory approaches and practical implementation.
As major export-oriented economies and key trading partners, China and Germany face common challenges and opportunities on their transformative journey towards a low-carbon economy. In this context, the project facilitates cooperation and exchange between Chinese, German and European representatives from government, academia, think tanks and the private sector to improve climate policies, develop practical solutions to cut emissions, and advance climate action. Through policy and technical dialogues, it fosters mutual learning and contributes to GHG mitigation, early emissions peaking and long-term decarbonisation. German and European experiences and perspectives can feed into relevant Chinese policy discussions, while German stakeholders gain insights into Chinese regulatory approaches, implementation experience and technological developments. This strengthens mutual understanding and creates opportunities for both sides to identify shared priorities and deepen cooperation on climate policy and the green transition.
Beyond bilateral cooperation, the project also acts as the interface for projects under the German government’s International Climate Initiative (IKI) active in China, providing a hub for networking, knowledge sharing, and communication across the IKI portfolio in China.
The Sino-German Climate Change, Green Transition Programme and IKI Interface is a bilateral project of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) commissioned by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) and cooperating with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China (MEE) as political partner on Chinese side. Implementation is led by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. In addition, the project works with several sectoral partners from China and Germany as well as provincial Departments of Ecology and Environment and local think tanks to facilitate research, technical exchange and practical cooperation on climate action.
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Community event in Beijing discusses gender-responsive approaches to climate and environmental cooperation
As consequences of climate change, biodiversity loss or environmental degradation affect women and men differently, gender equality is increasingly considered an indispensable dimension of effective climate and environmental governance. International frameworks such as the “UNFCCC Gender
Fostering networking and collaboration: the IKI Interface Workshop 2026
China is one of the priority countries of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) with an active portfolio of over 15 IKI projects. The “Sino-German Climate Change Cooperation – NDC Implementation” program serves as the knowledge hub for the IKI in China, promoting networking and exchange among IKI projects and facilitating exchange with political partners. In this role, it invited to this year’s IKI China Interface Workshop held on 20 and 22 January 2026 in Beijing.
Three Climate Change Adaptation Guides for Practitioners released
As climate change impacts intensify across regions and sectors, the need for practical, implementable adaptation guidance has never been greater. In response, a new three-part series of Climate Change Adaptation Guides for Practitioners has been released to support policymakers, planners, and practitioners in designing and implementing effective adaptation actions. The three guides introduce international best practices and provide action-oriented guidance and practicable for (local) policy development.
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