December 2022 - You are accessing an archived version of our website. This website is no longer maintained or updated. The Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform has been migrated here: https://sdgs.un.org/
December 2022 - You are accessing an archived version of our website. This website is no longer maintained or updated. The Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform has been migrated here: https://sdgs.un.org/
Main Messages
In September 2019, Heads of State and Government stated at the SDG Summit that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development could not be reached if the trend in their implementation remained unchanged. It is imperative that we finally achieve effective progress on sustainability, including climate protection over the Decade of Action.
On the basis of the decisions of the European Union and of the recent ruling of the German Federal Constitutional Court, Germany aims at a reduction of its greenhouse gas emissions of at least 65% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The German Federal Government will set yearly reduction targets in order to reach greenhouse gas emission neutrality by 2045. This needs to be accompanied by an increased effort in climate and sustainability diplomacy, based on a whole-of-government approach.
The COVID-19 pandemic and its worldwide effects have sharply increased the urgency of social and ecological transformation. It has been and remains strategically important to set the tracks for a socially and environmentally more sustainable and thus more future-proof society to pursue a better and green recovery worldwide, in Europe and in Germany. The 2030 Agenda and its SDGs as well as the Paris Agreement should serve as the guiding framework at the national, European and global levels, to redirect policies and programmes in response to the pandemic to “recover better”, guided by the principle of “leave no one behind”.
Progress in the following six transition areas is key to SDG implementation in, with and by Germany:
In its new Sustainability Strategy adopted in March 2021, coordinated by the Federal Chancellery, the German Government has identified transformative policies and measures for these six areas, which are designed to achieve measurable progress. The policies and measures are undertaken at three levels, focusing
Global responsibility is one of the principles of the German Sustainability Strategy and part of a comprehensive vision for a sustainable future in Germany. Thus, the German Federal Government aligns its international activities with the principle of sustainability. As part of the European Union and together with our European partners, Germany makes an important contribution to coping with global challenges in the long term.
The German Federal Government will continue its efforts in Germany and in its international engagement with partner countries. This commitment is reflected in our position as the second largest donor of Official Development Assistance (ODA).
Sustainable development serves as a guiding principle for German foreign and development policy. Since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, Germany has played a pivotal role in its implementation and the pursuit of its SDGs world-wide.
Peace and security, human rights and sustainable development are all interdependent. Our policy is to strengthen and promote a rules-based international order and multilateral cooperation. The German Federal Government promotes these principles i.a. through the work of the “Alliance for Multilateralism”, which we have initiated together with France and other partners.
The successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda is only possible if the effort is based on broad support from society as a whole. The Federal Government has included civil society, business and science in the process of the development of the German Sustainability Strategy as well as in the dialogue process accompanying the preparation of its voluntary national report. The transition to a sustainable Germany can only succeed if understood as a joint endeavor – that is, as a road that the federal, Land and local authorities and the various groups within society will travel together.
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 2009 NSDS Profile
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Strategy and reports
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Information in English
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2009 Indicators Profile
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Germany has promised to transform its electricity supply to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. Source: Germany has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by 2020 and by 80-85 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels. In order to achieve such a goal, Germany plans to transform its electricity supply system to a wholly renewables based electricity. The potential for reducing emissions in the electricity sector is very high, considering the energy sector holds a key function regarding GHG emissions by currently causing more than 80 % of the emissions in Germany and withi...[more]
Due to the increased awareness of the importance of tackling pollution and mitigating GHG emissions due to its impact on climate change, many cities in Europe have chosen to develop unique strategies for the transport sector. One of these is the implementation of Low Emission Zones (LEZ). Berlin is an example of a progressive and effective implementation of such a measure. Source: Shanghai Manual: A Guide for Sustainable Urban Development in the 21st Century (2010) Like many other cities, Berlin was concerned about the need to reduce emissions in the city core, and therefore designed their ...[more]
The Blue Action Fund makes funding available for the activities of national and international non-governmental organizations in their efforts to help conserve marine and coastal ecosystems with the following objectives: - The safeguarding of marine biodiversity: by creating new protected areas and by improving the management of existing ones. - The sustainable use of marine biodiversity: in fishery, aquaculture and in tourism. BMZ in cooperation with KfW Development Bank founded the Blue Action Fund as a response to the funding gap for the conservation of marine biodiversity, in parti...[more]
The Blue Angel has been a trendsetter in establishing standards for environmental conservation and sustainability for a wide range of products in Germany and beyond. Source: Der Blaue Engel The Blue Angel is the first and most well-known eco-label worldwide. Since 1978 it has set the standard for eco-friendly products and services selected by an independent jury in line with defined criteria. The Blue Angel is awarded to companies as kind of a reward for their commitment to environmental protection. They use it to professionally promote their eco-friendly products in the market. The Blue Angel...[more]
The best opportunity to slow the rate of near-term warming globally and in sensitive regions such as the Arctic is by cutting emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) – most notably methane, black carbon and some hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Widespread reductions, which complement the need for aggressive global action on carbon dioxide, contribute significantly to the goal of limiting warming to less than two degrees. Reducing SLCPs can also advance national priorities such as protecting air quality and public health, promoting food security, enhancing energy efficiency, and allevi...[more]
Between 1999 and 2003 the ecological tax reform raised taxes for engine fuels, electricity, light fuel oil and gas in small foreseeable stages. Source: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany The principle of the ecological tax reform has been to reduce the environmentally damaging consumption of fossil energy, the tax reform has raised taxes for these energy sources. This has created incentives for energy conservation, innovative energy-efficient technologies and the use of renewable energies. In this way, emissions of greenhouse gases and air p...[more]
The German Government through the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) facilitates via a range of bilateral, regional as well as global projects to the protection of coastal and marine areas in partner countries, their effective and sustainable management and long-term funding. In addition to the focus on marine protected areas, other important aspects of cooperation include the support for sustainable artisanal fisheries and certification, combating of illegal fishing, reduction of pollution and the protection of coastal population ...[more]
Over the last years Germany has significantly stepped up its commitment for biodiversity and has more than doubled finical support for developing countries in this regard. In 2013 Germany has provided over 500 Mi for the protection of forests and other ecosystems worldwide. German development cooperation thereby supports all three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity in order to protect biodiversity and at the same time foster sustainable development. Since 2008, the German International Climate Initiative (IKI) has also been financing climate and biodiversity projects in devel...[more]
Climate change is altering our world. Its consequences, including storms, droughts and floods, are particularly severe for people in developing countries and SIDS. Through development cooperation, Germany is therefore helping partner countries to face the new challenges by offering expertise, funding and practical assistance. The support by the German Development Cooperation aims at strengthening the capacities of Pacific Island Countries and regional organisations to cope with the anticipated effects of climate change that will affect communities across the region. It focuses on key economic ...[more]
Germany actively supports the sustainable development of islands. On energy, following the launch of the SE4ALL initiative by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2011, actors representing various sectors worldwide follow suit to support a broad-based transformation of the world's energy systems. Germany is one of the most active contributors to SE4ALL.Germany actively supports the framework of sustainable energy and follows, in particular, four goals (incl. SE4ALL objectives):1) providing universal access to modern energy services;2) doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency...[more]
Germany is developing a new initiative on Voluntary Family Planning with resources to be made available for family planning and reproductive health and rights as part of Germany’s ongoing annual commitment in the area of mother and child health of 300m euros per year and Germany’s commitment made in June at Muskoka of an additional 400m euros over the next five years.
Reduce pollutants from sea and land-based activities, including litter, harmful substances and nutrients from wastewater, industrial and agricultural runoff entering the world's oceans. All countries would have set relevant national targets for nutrient loadings, marine litter reduction and wastewater discharges . The planning of strategies for achieving these targets would have been commenced, through processes such as Regional Seas Action Plans and through functioning Global Partnerships on Marine Litter, Nutrients, and Wastewater Management.
A city with a long history of environmental awareness and action, Freiburg, a renowned solar and green city, has been systematically addressing the issue of climate change. Source: The ICLEI Case Study series The new Freiburg Climate Protection Strategy 2030 provides a clear focus and wide-ranging framework for local action in key areas identified for effective GHG emissions reduction. The city's focus is now on achieving the new target, with the support of an action plan, a structure established to support the implementation process and engaging its citizens.
In Germany, environmental technology is established as an economic force to be reckoned with and it pans out across the whole broad spectrum of environmental technology. Source: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany "GreenTech made in Germany" mainly focuses on increase in energy efficiency, material efficiency, waste management and recycling, sustainable mobility, sustainable water management and environmentally friendly power generation and storage. They are all key green markets of the future. Environmental technologies generated around 8% of ...[more]
The IHO capacity building programme seeks to assess and advise on how countries can best meet their international obligations and serve their own best interests by providing appropriate hydrographic and nautical charting services. Such services directly support safety of navigation, safety of life at sea, efficient sea transportation and the wider use of the seas and oceans in a sustainable way, including the protection of the marine environment, coastal zone management, fishing, marine resource exploration and exploitation, maritime boundary delimitation, maritime defence and security, and o...[more]
Healthy and productive marine and coastal ecosystems are crucial for food security, sustainable economic development, conservation of biological diversity and for tackling the effects of climate change in partner countries of German Development Cooperation. The Ten-point Plan of Action for Marine Conservation and Sustainable Fisheries launched by BMZ in 2016 - draws together ten key activities the Ministry aims to address in its development cooperation with partner countries in the marine realm and serves as a guideline for engaging in and promoting new and innovative projects and partnership...[more]
According to the MARPOL Annex VI regulations by the International maritime Organisation (IMO) and to the EU Sulphur directive (1999/33/EC and 2012/33/EC) sea going vessels are forced to burn only fuel with a reduced sulphur content or to use exhaust gas treatment systems (Scrubber) achieving the same amount of emission reduction. Since January 01, 2015 inside designated Emission Control Areas (ECA) like the whole North Sea and Baltic Sea the allowed fuel sulphur content (FSC) is 0.1% m/m. To match this regulation, inside the ECA vessels must use a much more expensive low sulphur fuel or ...[more]
IRENA has developed the SIDS Lighthouses Initiative to support the strategic deployment of renewable energy in SIDS, to bring clarity to policy makers regarding the required steps, and to enable targeted action. As a joint effort of SIDS and development partners, this framework for action will assist in transforming SIDS energy systems through the establishment of the enabling conditions for a renewable energy-based future, by moving away from developing projects in isolation to a holistic approach that considers all relevant elements spanning from policy and market frameworks, through technol...[more]
Germany uses strong financial incentives through subsidies and loans to reduce energy consumption as well as encourages the usage of renewable energy. Source: UNEP, 2008, Green Jobs: Towards decent work in a sustainable, low-carbon world "Germany has adopted a range of successful policies that eliminates barriers to renewable energy development. Especially Low-interest loans (some offered through the country's 100,000 Solar Roofs program) help overcome the obstacle of high initial capital costs. "
The proposal for a marine protected area (MPA) in the Weddell Sea (Atlantic part of the southern Ocean) was developed by Germany and was submitted by the European Union to the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). CCAMLR members have to approve this proposal unanimously. The Commission, which comprises representatives from 24 Member States and the European Union, is currently engaged in a multiannual process to develop the scientific basis for a representative network of marine protected areas in the Antarctic Ocean. The Weddell Sea is one of a total...[more]
The Maritime Research Program funds research and innovation projects regarding maritime technologies. The Program is part of the Maritime Research Strategy 2025 of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Key themes are MARITIME.green and MARITIME.safe: The development of technologies that protect the oceans and the climate and that reduce the impact of economic activities. The portfolio also comprises technology developments for safe and environmentally friendly maritime operations. Green Shipping, sustainable underwater technologies and offshore wind farms are example ...[more]
This Partnership was founded during the "International Executive Conference on Expanding the Market for Concentrating Solar Power" on 19 -20 June 2002 in Berlin. The presentations and discussions resulted in the following common understanding about the qualities of concentrating solar power (CSP) : CSP provides sustainable, clean, affordable and reliable energy supply over a range of sizes from 10 kilowatts to 200 megawatts. CSP plants have proven in more than 100 accumulated operating plant years to be the most efficient technology for direct use of the inexhaustible solar energy. CS...[more]
It aims to set in place back-stopping measures that address the needs of people and communities who are displaced from the impacts of natural hazards and the adverse effects of climate change within, and across borders.To reach this goal technical assistance and capacity building can provide the basis to increase the required awareness from the community to the political level and complement and strengthen national adaptation policy. In the event that displacement occurs, government will have institutionalised safe-guard measures that protect people who are displaced and the receiving communit...[more]
To counter the steady increase in the volume of packaging, the German government in 1991 enacted the Packaging Ordinance. Source: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), Germany This was the first comprehensive regulation to be based on the concept of material cycles. The Packaging Ordinance aims to put extended producer responsibility into practice by extending the manufacturers' and distributors' responsibility for their products. That responsibility now begins when the product is manufactured and ends when it is disposed of in an environmentally ...[more]
The overall objective of the project is to strengthen regional cooperation for the protection and sustainable development of the oceans. The current fragmented nature of marine governance is becoming increasingly incapable of adequately responding to the ever more complex impacts of human activities on marine ecosystems and developing integrated solutions. Therefore new forms of solution-oriented knowledge generation and transdisciplinary exchange are needed to find suitable responses. The Partnership for Regional Ocean Governance (PROG) that is supported by the German Sustainability Strategy ...[more]
The Powering Agriculture: An Energy Grand Challenge for Development initiative seeks to identify and support new and sustainable approaches to accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy solutions for increasing agriculture productivity and/or value in developing countries.
Germany supports the objective of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to prevent pollution from ships including the ongoing efforts to minimize airborne emission from ships. The use of high-quality fuel is one possible way to further minimize air pollution from ships. As a pilot project the replacement building of the survey, wreck-search and research vessel ATAIR that is operated by the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) is equipped with LNG-propulsion. The new ATAIR will be able to operate 10 days using Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) only; which is the usual duration of...[more]
Source: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany The new Renewable Energies Heat Act entered into force on 1 January 2009. It stipulates that owners of new buildings must cover part of their heat supply with renewable energies. This applies to residential and non-residential buildings for which a building application or construction notification was submitted after 1 January 2009.
Source: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany The Renewable Energy Sources Act in Germany is an important driver and the most successful instrument for the expansion of renewable energies. It obliges grid operators to give priority to the purchase of electricity from renewable energies. Since 2009, the Renewable Energies Heat Act has also been promoting the increased use of heat from renewable energy sources.
The Scoping Process: Blue Oceans is part of the Research Programme MARE:N of the BMBF. It's main goal is the participation of the interested public, mainly researchers, in the thematical development of national funding programmes. Gaps and targets will be indentified and adressed during the policy process to ensure that specific and tailor-made measures of funding are implemented. Following this process the most pressing scientific topics in marine research can be identified to guarantee an effective implementation of SDG 14 as a whole. Scoping Processes ("Agandaprozesse") are a major tool wit...[more]
Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE) is a multi-stakeholder coalition among public sector, private sector, and civil society actors that aims to provide leadership and resources for catalytic action to increase the number of young people engaged in productive work. The S4YE coalition was founded, in partnership, by Accenture, International Labour Organization (ILO), International Youth Foundation (IYF), Plan International, RAND Corporation, the World Bank, and Youth Business International (YBI). The mission of S4YE is to provide leadership and catalytic action and mobilize efforts to signific...[more]
The German Government supports research addressing the sustainable use and management of living marine resources, including aspects related to the impact of anthropogenic environmental stressors such as marine pollution. An issue of growing concern in this context is the presence and effects of marine litter on marine organisms, including commercial and non-commercial fish species. The PlasM project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture aims at a better understanding of the presence and impact of plastic litter on fishes in the North Sea and Baltic Sea. The project Plas...[more]
Activities of deep-sea mining will indisputably affect the status of the environment by disturbing the seafloor and the overlying water column. The habitats of unique benthic and pelagic communities may be affected depending on the technologies used as well as on the size of the area impacted directly by mining and indirectly by the dispersion of sediment plumes and mining debris. The JPI Oceans Pilot Action "Ecological Aspects of Deep-Sea Mining" assesses the ecological impacts which could arise from commercial mining activities in the deep-sea. Core of the project are three expeditions visi...[more]
The Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) will be the first year-round expedition into the central Arctic exploring the Arctic climate system. The results of MOSAiC will contribute to enhance understanding of the regional and global consequences of Arctic climate change and sea-ice loss and improve weather and climate predictions. As such it will support safer maritime and offshore operations, contribute to an improved scientific basis for future fishery and traffic along northern sea routes, increase coastal-community resilience, and support science-i...[more]
The Green Cooling Initiative (GCI) recognizes that exchange between technology suppliers and users, as well as between the industry, public institutions and civil society is important for the promotion of green cooling technologies. Aiming at a reduction of emissions from the cooling sectors, Green Cooling combines three approaches:• promoting natural refrigerants• maximizing energy efficiency• fostering a sustainable approach to private and commercial energy consumption. Green cooling helps to protect the environment, resources and the climate and supports the use of renewable technolog...[more]
The Declaration of Saltillo is an outcome of the 1st World Encounter on Sustainable Actions: Educating Resilient Societies held in the City of Saltillo on November 24th in 2015, in partnership with the ESD Expert Network & ENGAGEMENT GLOBAL. It is now the city’s main educational instrument used to spread ESD in Institutions of Higher Education. It captures the key inputs of national and international experts on Education for Sustainable Development and young participants interested in promoting sustainability and learning from shared best-practices. Consisting in 10 key points, it is now bei...[more]
The SEED Initiative inspires, supports and researches exceptional, entrepreneurial, nascent, multi-stakeholder partnerships for locally-led sustainable development . The initiative focuses on 'business as unusual' - innovative action delivering real solutions through project cooperation among small and large businesses, local and international NGOs, women's groups, labour organisations, public authorities and UN agencies, and others working in the field of sustainable development. The SEED Initiative aims to: support outstanding and innovative start-up entrepreneurs working in partnership in ...[more]
