New Partnership To Boost Voluntary Climate Action

The UN Climate Change secretariat and the Foundation Development and Climate Alliance are strengthening their collaboration to further promote additional voluntary climate action through a Memorandum of Understanding, signed on 21 January.

The agreement defines the terms of a closer cooperation between the two entities, so as to promote additional voluntary climate action and an increased commitment of non-State actors to sustainable development in the context of the 2030 Agenda. This will be achieved through joint initiatives for advocacy, education and networking, as well as incentives to measure, reduce and compensate greenhouse gas emissions through credible, robust carbon credits. Activities will also include public information and outreach and recognition to sustainable development and climate protection actors.

Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC secretariat said "The decisions on carbon markets taken at the Glasgow Climate Change Conference are important milestones to implement the Paris Agreement. The private sector plays a key role in taking and funding climate action and I am glad to strengthen our collaboration with the Foundation to support this."

Peter Renner, Chairman of the Board of the Foundation Development and Climate Alliance: "National climate protection pledges and measures are fundamental, but they are not enough. We need effective projects in emerging and developing countries that promote development and save CO2 in order to achieve the 1.5 degrees target. I am pleased that in the UNFCCC Secretariat we have a strong partner with whom we can work together to achieve the global goal beyond Germany's borders."

About the Alliance for Development and Climate Foundation

Founded in 2018 by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Development and Climate Alliance links sustainable development projects with global climate protection and now counts 1,200 supporters. The companies, institutions and private individuals associated in the alliance improve their climate footprint, at the same time help to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) thus contribute to better living conditions for people in countries of the Global South. In 2020, supporters of the alliance offset a total of 3.6 million tons of CO2e through sustainable projects. This corresponds to a share of well over 10 percent of the total German voluntary carbon market.