Who we are
adelphi and the German Federal Foreign Office
adelphi is a leading independent think tank and public policy consultancy on climate, environment and development. Our mission is to improve global governance through research, dialogue and consultation. We offer demand-driven, tailor-made services for sustainable development, helping governments, international organisations, businesses and nonprofits design strategies for addressing global challenges.
Our staff of around 250 provides high-quality interdisciplinary research, strategic policy analysis and advice, and corporate consulting. We facilitate policy dialogue and provide training for public institutions and businesses worldwide, helping to build capacity for transformative change. Since 2001 we have successfully completed over 1000 projects worldwide. Our work covers the following key areas: Climate, Energy, Resources, Green Economy, Sustainable Business, Green Finance, Peace and Security, International Cooperation and Urban Transformation.
Partnerships are key to the way we work at adelphi. By forging alliances with individuals and organisations, we help strengthen global governance and thereby promote transformative change, sustainable resources management and resilience. adelphi is a values-based organisation with an informal culture based on excellence, trust and cooperation.
The German Federal Foreign Office states that "climate change is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century and thus also a key foreign policy task." Among its foreign policy topics are Energy Security and Climate Protection, Environmental Protection and the 2030 Agenda.
It also supports the delegation headed by the Federal Environment Ministry at the climate negotiations of the United Nations, primarily by supplying information and analyses from the German missions abroad. This information helps the German negotiators to better understand the positions of other countries and to sound out compromises.
The Foreign Office has also been playing a strong role in bringing the climate-related impacts to security into the limelight in the international arena. During its membership of the UN Security Council in 2019/2020, it has raised awareness within the UN on the impact of climate change on security policy. With its support, the Climate Security Expert Network is producing valuable risk assessments that synthesise scientific knowledge and expertise, advise on entry points for building resilience to climate-security risks, and help to strengthen a shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities of addressing climate-related security risks.
Foreign Policy Responses to Climate Change
More than a decade of partnership
Starting in 2011, the German Federal Foreign Office, in cooperation with adelphi and its partners, has reached out to stakeholders, experts and organisations throughout the world, with the aim of building support for climate diplomacy while also providing additional reasoning for concluding a global climate agreement. adelphi and its partners have played a central role in the process of analysing the international debates on climate diplomacy and security, while developing key narratives, contributing to awareness raising and capacity building efforts, and supporting international and regional dialogues on this topic around the world.
Hundreds of decision-makers and experts as well as thousands of citizens have participated in regional roundtables from Bogotá to New Delhi, executive briefings and consultations from Wellington to Port of Spain, and events at climate conferences from Durban to Doha. The objectives at the core of these activities are to share viewpoints, jointly identify priorities and develop common strategies to address climate challenges. Moreover, the activities build on the conviction that, in order to further deepen the understanding of climate change and security and to gain support for preventive action, strong political commitment is required at the global, regional and national levels.
interviews with adelphi experts
The Hague Declaration on Planetary Security - Interview with adelphi Managing Director Alexander Carius
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adelphi Head of Programme Janani Vivekananda analyses key points from the July 2020 UNSC Open Debate
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The relation between adaptation and peacebuilding - Dennis Tänzler, Director of International Climate Policy at adelphi
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"Climate change will see terrorism thrive" - Lukas Rüttinger, Senior Advisor at adelphi
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Climate change in the words of the German Federal Foreign Office
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