Sino-German Cooperation on Climate Change - Climate Partnership Project

In the framework of the Chinese Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) under the Paris Agreement, the project supports the improvement of climate policies in the 14th Five-Year Plan (FYP) until 2025 through structured dialogues and knowledge exchange on climate-related topics. Activities are utilizing the results of the 17_I_312_CHN_G_Partnerschaft_Klima EE Phase 3 and strengthen the competences of Chinese partners on climate cooperation in third countries and on sustainable finance/climate finance at the national level. In addition to partners within the respective climate departments, the project will engage with relevant line ministries, agencies and institutions in both countries.

Project data

Countries: China
IKI funding: 7,900,000.00 €
Duration: 11/2020 till 04/2026
Status: open
Implementing organisation: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Political Partner: Ministry of Ecology and Environment - China
Implementing Partner: Climate Investment and Finance Association (CIFA) - China

German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)
Online: https://climatecooperation.cn/project-activities/sino-german-cooperation-on-climate-change-climate-partnership/

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State of implementation/results

With the support of the Climate Partnership, high-ranking experts from China and Germany have been exchanging ideas in six working groups since December 2020 as part of the Sino-German Track 2 Dialogue (T2D) organised by the National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation (NCSC) and the German Environment Agency (UBA). The results of the working groups are presented annually at joint events during the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties.
The T2D Steering Committee, chaired by Mr XU Huaqing, Senior Scientist at the NCSC, and UBA President Prof Dirk Messner, meets twice a year, alternating between Germany and China. The climate partnership supports the organisation of the meetings and the exchange in the working groups. The last steering committee meeting took place in Potsdam in October 2024. Another meeting will be held in China in April 2025 to facilitate dialogue on topics relevant to climate negotiations. T2D experts were also part of a side event in the China Pavilion at COP29 to present the results of a T2D working group on energy security.
The project promotes the exchange of expertise between experts from China, Germany and the EU on various topics related to sustainable climate finance. This is done through a series of activities, including the workshop series with the Institute of Finance and Sustainability (IFS) and Climate & Company as well as study tours, during which Chinese delegations meet with banks and research institutions, e.g. Deutsche Bank, KfW, Climate Analytics, and the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. Specialised studies are also funded to improve mutual understanding of policy frameworks.
With the support of the China Investment and Finance Association (CIFA), the project organises training for decision-makers and financial market players in China on topics such as climate finance practices, environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) policies and practices of financial institutions, taxonomy and disclosure of sustainability information.
To promote youth engagement on climate issues in China, the project has established the NextGen Climate Dialogues. State Secretary Jennifer Morgan, Prof. Dirk Messner and Dr Bill Hare, CEO of Climate Analytics, opened the series with lectures at three renowned Chinese universities. The talks promote open dialogues and learning opportunities for students to engage them in critical climate-related issues.
In addition to the climate dialogues, the climate partnership organises climate study camps together with Tsinghua University and the Technical University of Munich. The first study camp will take place in Beijing in September 2024.
In November 2024, the project organised a trilateral China-Germany-Thailand workshop on capacity building in sustainable finance, which was attended by more than 70 participants from Thai ministries, local regulators, the financial sector, academia and think tanks.

Latest Update:
12/2025