Strengthening civil society in the implementation of national climate policies in Georgia, Colombia and Ukraine

The participation of stakeholders from civil society in defining more ambitious NDCs is necessary to improve strategies and to implement them in a transparent and participatory way. However, these stakeholders usually lack the resources to influence the implementation and improvement of NDCs. The project strengthened the stakeholders’ capacity to articulate and introduce their climate policy demands in the NDC implementation process. In the partner countries, the project supported selected organisations and groups to participate in climate mitigation plans, the drafting of climate-relevant laws for NDC implementation, and the discussion on ambitious climate policy. The project also layed the foundations for the systematic engagement of civil society in climate policy issues in the partner countries and institutionalised the dialogue between decision-makers and other stakeholders.

Project data

Countries: Colombia, Georgia, Ukraine
IKI funding: 4,533,852.28 €
Included preparation phase: 124,644.71 €
Duration: 07/2018 till 03/2025
Status: completed
Implementing organisation: Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) e.V.
Implementing Partner: Association Green Alternative

CENSAT Agua Viva (Friends of the Earth Colombia)

Center for Environmental Initiatives Ecoaction - Ukraine

Greens Movement of Georgia / Friends of the Earth - Georgia

Unabhängiges Institut für Umweltfragen e.V. (UfU)
Online: https://www.bund.net/themen/klimawandel/iki-projekt/

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State of implementation/results

November 2024: UNFCCC COP 29 in Baku, participation in a panel discussion in the German Pavilion on the design of the new NDCs and civil society participation.
NDC networking meeting with approximately 50 people during the UNFCCC COP 29.
In the eight-part podcast "[Insert Solution here]. Climate meets Democracy", BUND discusses ideas and solutions that actively address the climate crisis and promote democratic principles. With guests from science and practice from different regions of the world, each episode explores a new topic. All episodes: www.ufu.de/…

3rd Multi-stakeholder workshops for journalists, environmental activists, local authorities, and civil society representatives on the topic of "Cooperation for Sustainable and Future-Proof Development: Challenges and Opportunities for Local Communities."
Webinar on National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs), the EU's new planning tool, energy poverty, and public participation in climate policy development.
Two-day regional hybrid conference on good practices in climate action from local to national level, focusing on best practices from EU countries, challenges, and opportunities for local climate action in Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine, and Moldova.
At a meeting with Georgian political parties on NDC and NECP priorities ahead of the elections, some political parties promised ambitious climate action.

Continuing the development of the transmedia project "We are the Earth" (link in Spanish: somostierra.info), which aims to encourage young urban residents, in particular, to reflect on their role in the climate crisis through various multimedia tools (a comic, 13 audios with "letters from the future," and a section with "signs" where we highlight other ways of inhabiting the planet).
Three workshops were held with civil society organizations and civic leaders from different regions to understand the NDC and contribute to its update.
Around 40 environmental leaders were trained on climate and biodiversity issues in anticipation of the CBD COP16 on biodiversity and the UNFCCC COP30 on climate action.
Meetings with members of Congress to discuss environmental justice issues.

Completion of ten local green recovery projects supported by Ecoaction.
In 2024, Ukraine adopted its first climate framework law. Ecoaction actively contributed by providing expert recommendations and promoting alignment towards the 2050 climate neutrality goal.
Publication of the fourth edition of the report on the impact of wars on the climate (Link in English: en.ecoaction.org.ua/…).
Organization of the "Bottom-Up" environmental education camp for over 50 environmental activists from various regions of the country (Link in Ukrainian: en.ecoaction.org.ua/…).
At the UNFCCC COP29 Ecoaction presented methodological guidelines for estimating conflict-related greenhouse gas emissions (Link in English en.ecoaction.org.ua/…). This work contributed to raising international awareness of conflict-related climate damage. Ecoaction also participated in various events on the sidelines of UNFCCC COP29, including discussions on climate justice, green recovery, and the role of civil society in climate policy.

Latest Update:
05/2025