International Cooperation

Climate change poses enormous challenges for societies around the world. Close international cooperation is essential for achieving global climate action goals and successfully implementing the energy transition. NRW relies on global partnerships to accelerate the transformation towards a climate-neutral industry. 

Knowledge Transfer: International Exchange on Climate Action and Energy Transition  

Within the framework of international partnerships, NRW.Energy4Climate promotes the exchange of best practices and know-how on energy and climate action topics in order to be able to implement the transformation to climate neutrality more quickly. For the heat transition in NRW, it is important to look abroad in order to learn from countries such as Denmark, a country with a high share of climate-friendly heat and to support the implementation of municipal heat planning. In the mobility sector, the decarbonisation of inland navigation and, in the long term, of all freight transport in the Rhine-Alpine corridor through the use of hydrogen is the focus of international exchange. NRW.Energy4Climate coordinates the RH2INE initiative for the state of NRW. 

Imports of Climate-neutral Energy for NRW and Decarbonization of NRW Industry 

By means of international cooperation, the supply of climate-neutral energy sources and sustainable raw materials to North Rhine-Westphalia's industrial and energy sector is to be secured and diversified for the energy transition. For North Rhine-Westphalia to become a climate-neutral industrial location, large quantities of hydrogen and its derived products are necessary, as is a sustainable approach to carbon and CO2.  

The Hydrogen Roadmap North Rhine-Westphalia specifies an import quota of more than 80 per cent by 2050 and focuses on building international partnerships to meet the increasing demand. To advance the use and storage of unavoidable carbon dioxide, the state has published the Carbon Management Strategy North Rhine-Westphalia. In future, unavoidable CO2 emissions from North Rhine-Westphalian industry are to be captured and initially used in other industrial sectors or stored as a last resort. Cooperation with European pioneers such as the Netherlands, Denmark or Norway is a great help here.   

International Networking  

The state agency is closely networked with various international stakeholders such as diplomatic missions, trade associations or energy agencies and regularly organises joint expert trips and specialist events. NRW.Energy4Climate also receives many international delegations from politics, business and administration and networks the international guests with actors in NRW. 

Export Promotion  

In addition, players in the energy sector from NRW, especially start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises, are supported in establishing themselves on international markets and increasing their international competitiveness. NRW.Energy4Climate works closely with NRW.Global Business on foreign trade activities and jointly offers, for example, specialist events and company trips abroad on various energy and climate action topics. This provides companies with independent information on international potential and growth markets and enables them to establish contacts with new business partners. NRW.Energy4Climate is also present at trade fairs in Germany and abroad in order to present innovative solutions from NRW together with stakeholders and to identify ideas and partners for local projects through local exchange. 

International Climate Action 

In order to advance climate action at the international level, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia is particularly active in the context of peer learning and political exchange, for example, as a founding member and member of the steering group of the Under2Coalition. The Under2Coalition is a global community of subnational governments committed to ambitious climate action measures in line with the Paris Agreement. In recent years, it has become an influential player in international climate diplomacy.   

The state agency represents the goals and interests of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia at events at federal and EU level on energy and climate action issues.   

In addition, the NRW state government and the UN Climate Secretariat in Bonn have founded a new centre for climate education. Under the title "ACE-Hub –- Action for Climate Empowerment-Hub", the centre will offer, among other things, networking events and seminars with North Rhine-Westphalian and international experts. The offer is aimed at youth and education networks as well as leaders from the public and private sectors and will make an important contribution to the empowerment of young leaders and the international networking of stakeholders who advance climate action with know-how and ideas. NRW.Energy4Climate also supports the state government in the implementation of this project.