Strategic Partnerships for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement (SPIPA)

About SPIPA

SPIPA, a 4.5 year global programme, pursued the ambition of supporting EU climate diplomacy efforts via a coordinated action in 15 major non-European economies by facilitating a broad-based exchange on climate policy options and good practices between the EU and non-European major economies.

SPIPA aimed to enable policy changes and to advance bilateral trade, investment and innovation in pursuit of the goals of the Paris Agreement and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), as well as to contribute to improved public awareness of the impacts of climate change, including in the business community, and of opportunities and challenges associated with the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

By fostering multiple exchanges and collaboration among national and subnational administrations, business communities, and stakeholders in academia and civil society, SPIPA has effectively encouraged and assisted major non-European economies to make their best efforts towards the goals of the Paris Agreement, harnessing international economic and political relations to move faster together towards its full implementation.

At the end of its implementation period, SPIPA stands as an important example of how tailored bilateral action (some of it implemented through multi-country actions to make use of synergies) can help to foster greater climate diplomacy efforts.

SPIPA Quick Facts

• Total budget of 26.18 million EUR for the period March 2018 to August 2022
• Target countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Republic of Korea (South Korea) and the United States
• Funding from the EU’s Partnership Instrument (80%) and the International Climate Initiative of the German Federal Government (20%)
• Implementation by delegation agreement with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

SPIPA Background

The 2015 Paris Agreement, complemented by the 2018 Katowice climate package, provides the essential framework governing global action to deal with climate change and steering the worldwide transition towards climate neutrality and climate resilience.

In 2017, when the SPIPA Programme was designed, the adoption and quick ratification of the 2015 Paris Agreement had created considerable momentum for climate change action. Quick action was deemed crucial by scientists, placing great focus on what action was necessary on the part of the key emitters of greenhouse gases. This was re-emphasised with the 2016/17 geopolitical paradigm shift that included the United States (US) announcing its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement (which it then re-joined in 2021).

While ambitious from the outset, and covering not only a broad range of countries and stakeholders, but also a suite of climate policy topics, SPIPA over the course of its implementation adapted to the changing policy environment on the EU side (European Green Deal and Fit for 55 package) as well as to the specific country context in each of the partner country. In addition, several SPIPA partner countries went through significant domestic climate policy changes, as well as broader policy changes. These were taken into consideration in the designing and setting up of activities.

SPIPA Signature Results

• Supported EU climate diplomacy through more than 160 activities in 15 countries on topics ranging from energy efficiency and renewables, adaptation, just transition, long-term strategies, sustainable finance, green hydrogen, carbon markets and monitoring with more than 30,000 participants
• Helped establish and maintain climate policy relations with partner countries through dialogue, scientific and technical cooperation, at the national as well as the subnational level
• Contributed to key national climate policy processes and strategies through knowledge exchange between European experts and country representatives leading to ambition-raising of NDCs, improvement of long-term strategies, adjustment of market conditions for investment in renewable energy)
• Active support to exchanges between EU and partner country scientists on key climate policy topics (e.g. long-term modelling, adaptation planning)
• Built exchange platforms and networks for businesses to engage with the climate policy and the decarbonization agenda
• Deployed comprehensive communication activities on climate diplomacy themes through close cooperation with implementation partners at country level
• Contributed to advancing multi-country themes and thus the international narrative on Just transition, green hydrogen, sustainable finance
• Pre-empted joint European action and provided reference case for the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) in South Africa

EU Climate Dialogues (EUCDs)

Activities in support of EU Climate Diplomacy in SPIPA partner countries and in addition in Colombia, Egypt, Morocco, Vietnam, Turkey, Ukraine are taken forward by the ongoing EU Climate Dialogues project, funded through the European Union. If you would like to receive more information, please get in touch with:
Nelson Jorge
Inge Poelemans
Gabriele Wagner

SPIPA Playbook

The SPIPA Playbook covers key results of the four-and-a-half-year programme Strategic Partnerships for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement (SPIPA).

It describes the Programme’s contribution to the EU’s climate diplomacy efforts in two ways: by detailing key achievements attained in each participating country, and by approaching SPIPA’s work from a theme-wise perspective.

The country stories reflect the journeys SPIPA has taken in each country, whereas the theme-wise perspective offers readers key results from thematic programmes and underlines theme-based developments that were supported by the Programme’s implementation.

For both perspectives, the Playbook delves into the background context as well as relevant actions undertaken per country and theme. This is enriched by making available those publications and documents originating from activities that are available in the public space.