Global climate action

Reaching climate goals together

Climate change does not stop at borders and spares no country.

The climate crisis can only be solved if all countries in the world work together.

This is why the EU and its member states are actively committed not only to taking action at EU level but also to supporting partners worldwide in reaching their climate goals.

The EU and all its member countries have signed and ratified the Paris Agreement – the global deal to limit global warming and fight climate change.

They have set an example in climate action by making the goal of climate neutrality a binding commitment for the EU.

Yet, the EU accounts for only 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions – and its share is decreasing.

It is crucial that other countries in the world step up their work to limit global warming and reduce their emissions.

Green diplomacy

Climate change is a central element of the EU’s external policy and diplomatic work.

The EU engages on climate with partners at different levels:

• policy dialogue in bilateral and multilateral settings
• international negotiations and agreements, like the Paris Agreement
• trade policies
• alliances and partnerships, like the green alliance with Japan

In its bilateral relations with non-EU countries, the EU shares its expertise on climate policy and encourages partners to take bold action against global warming. It provides targeted support, where necessary, to the most affected countries to assist the transformation of their economies.

In multilateral fora, the EU takes active part in the global negotiations at the conferences of the parties (COP). It has been at the forefront of international agreements on climate policy, such as the Paris Agreement.

• The role of the Council in the Paris Agreement

Climate finance

Fighting climate change requires substantial financial resources both within the EU and beyond its borders.

Under the Paris Agreement, developed countries have committed to mobilising $100 billion (around €90 billion) every year to support developing countries.

The EU and its member countries are the largest provider of public climate finance in the world. In 2024, the European Union and its 27 member states contributed €31.7 billion in climate finance from public sources and mobilised an additional €11 billion in private finance to support developing countries in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change.

These financial resources support mitigation and adaptation actions in EU partner countries worldwide to help them reduce their emissions and build resilience against the effects of climate change.

More than a third of the EU’s budget for support to neighbouring and to developing countries is earmarked to step up efforts on climate change.

See also