Strategic energy partnerships as the solution to global decarbonisation
Climate protection is central to preventing many crises. At the same time, climate protection measures offer great growth potential and opportunities for sustainable development. With the United States once again withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, strategic alliances and reliable partnerships are becoming even more important in order to secure long-term progress in climate protection.
Energy transition as a global issue
Ten years after the Paris Climate Agreement, in which the international community committed to limiting global warming to significantly below 2 °C, the global energy transition is more in focus than ever before. Since the energy sector is the largest source of greenhouse gases worldwide, transforming this sector is crucial to effectively reducing global emissions and meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.
This year's climate conference (COP30) is taking place in Belém, Brazil, in the heart of the Amazon region. In addition to protecting natural carbon sinks such as the rainforest, the global energy transition is one of the core objectives. The aim is to double global energy efficiency and triple renewable energy capacity by 2030. Expanding sustainable energy sources and establishing broad supply chains are essential to achieving this. Energy partnerships provide the strategic framework for combining global cooperation and driving forward the energy transition internationally.
Renewables as growth drivers
The good news: the global energy transition is progressing faster than ever before. Already today, nearly one-third of global electricity comes from renewable sources. Solar energy is becoming the cheapest source of energy worldwide and is creating new development opportunities in many countries. However, for the energy transition to succeed, there is more to be done: electricity grids need to be expanded. At the same time, simplified approval procedures are necessary to reliably integrate renewable energies into the supply systems. In addition, investments in technologies such as sustainable hydrogen, storage solutions and renewable heating systems are required to allow for the decarbonisation of important sectors like industry, transport and buildings.
Reliable alliances as drivers of innovation
This is precisely where energy partnerships come in. They form a constantly growing network between Germany and partner countries that want to transform their energy systems and industries for a sustainable, economically attractive and secure energy transition. The idea is simple: working together as equals to overcome the challenges of the future and the energy transition. As a central component of the German government's energy and climate policy, they promote political dialogue, the exchange of technical expertise and the ongoing development of framework conditions. This is based on various formats for direct exchange. From energy days and delegation trips to workshops and training courses. At these events, participants from ministries, authorities, professional associations, research institutions, business and civil society have the opportunity to network and share technical expertise and practical experience – valuable insights they have gained on the road to climate-friendly transformation.
The energy partnerships also support pilot projects and the implementation of key technologies to reduce industrial emissions. These include, for example, sustainable hydrogen, photovoltaics and wind energy.
In doing so, they are setting the course for a fundamental transformation of the energy sector and the decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries such as steel and chemicals. Cutting emissions in these sectors is key to limiting global warming.
In addition to industry, the transformation of the buildings sector is also coming into focus: around 70 percent of global greenhouse gases are caused by cities. A sustainable energy supply therefore has a particularly significant impact on urban living spaces, transport infrastructure and heat supply. Energy partnerships support this change through the use of sustainable German technologies in local demonstration projects and create suitable framework conditions. At the same time, this strengthens market access for German suppliers.
Diversity as an opportunity for the energy transition
Each partner country is at a different starting point: some remain heavily reliant on fossil fuels or face regulatory hurdles, while others already integrate high shares of renewables into their power mix. This diversity opens up multiple pathways and opportunities. What unites them all is the drive to accelerate the energy transition and to find solutions that stand the test of time.
Country-specific solutions are needed here. The experts in the energy partnerships develop these in close cooperation with their local partners. In this way, they support climate protection on the one hand and create new growth impulses for the economy on the other. After all, a holistic energy transition requires the interlinking of politics and business. Energy partnerships are thus a strategic building block for a resilient, sustainable and fairly structured global energy world.