Climate change and the environment

Climate change around the world is creating new challenges for those involved in international development. © CCO

The impact of climate change has no geographical boundaries. It affects everyone, all over the world, and is particularly hard on those whose livelihoods depend directly on the natural environment. Climate change is one cause of poverty, hunger and natural disasters.

Climate change around the world is creating new challenges for those involved in international development, since poor countries and population groups are much harder hit than prosperous ones. Climate change hampers development and jeopardises the progress that has already been achieved. For this reason, climate change mitigation and management are increasingly important elements of development cooperation. The SDC's Global Programme Climate Change, in particular, takes account of this trend.

Sustainable forestry

Action on forest management and land use has the potential to offset many times the current annual global greenhouse gas emissions.

Energy supply

Modern energy services and the efficient use of energy are crucial to optimised production processes and improved living conditions for people.

Funding climate protection

Switzerland incorporates climate change in its development policy and provides expertise, technical solutions and financial resources for climate protection.

Climate change adaptation

With its Global Programme Climate Change, the SDC is helping especially vulnerable population groups on several continents to adapt to climate change.

Mountainous regions

Mountains are home to one-fifth of the world's population and a source of water for half of humanity. As a mountainous country, Switzerland supports sustainable development of mountain regions.

Documents

Current projects

Object 1 – 12 of 119

Smart Packaging Waste Management

01.03.2025 - 28.02.2029

Improper  waste  management  is  widespread  in  North  Macedonia  and  a  pressing  environmental  issue  threatening public health and environment. To address it Switzerland engages with Pakomak to enhance the effectiveness,  efficiency and  transparency  of  its packaging waste  recovery system1 through  digitalization and modernization of packaging waste selection2, collection, sorting, transportation and recycling. These efforts will significantly decrease the amount of waste disposed in landfills and contribute to the Green Agenda. 


Backstopping support for SDC’s Cluster Green thematic Knowledge Networks A+FS, CDE and RésEAU

01.01.2025 - 31.12.2028

As a globally active knowledge-based organisation, SDC is critically dependent on effective and efficient knowledge management. SDC’s thematic networks sit at the heart of this endeavour, rendering an essential service across the organisation and its partners by connecting network members, collecting and processing information, and retaining and distributing knowledge. State-of-the art backstopping services are essential to this activity, as is close cooperation between SDC’s thematic networks.


Voluntary Contribution to the Adaptation Fund (AF)

01.01.2025 - 31.12.2028

The Adaptation Fund (AF) has a proven track record for implementing innovative adaptation projects, including in SDC priority countries. It supports most vulnerable communities to increase their resilience and adaptation capacities in the face of the rapidly rising impacts of climate change including extreme weather events and slow onset processes. It is one of the four climate funds that reports to the Conference of the Parties to the Paris Agreement.


Core Contribution to HEKS/EPER 2025-28

01.01.2025 - 31.12.2026

HEKS/EPER, through an extensive network of partners, engages in inclusion, equal rights, peacebuilding, and resilience by empowering people to overcome disparities and reduce poverty. The main focus is on the right and access to land and resources and their sustainable management, the right to food, agro-ecological production, inclusive markets, and climate justice and adaptation for improved resilience. Increasingly well anchored in humanitarian aid, HEKS/EPER provides emergency assistance.


Core Contribution to Swiss Red Cross 2025-2028

01.01.2025 - 31.12.2026

The Swiss Red Cross supports disadvantaged people and communities in disaster preparedness, response and recovery. It promotes equal access to healthcare particularly for the most at risk, including women, children and the elderly. SRC also engages in the field of internationaml igration.S RC's main priorityi s to strengthen Sister National Societies (SNSs) to become effective local actors tackling development challenges. SRC’s endeavours are highly relevant for the implementation of the Swiss IC Strategy 25-28.


Core contribution to Caritas Switzerland, 2025 - 2028

01.01.2025 - 31.12.2026

Caritas Switzerland is dedicated to combating poverty and providing relief assistance in 15 countries affected by disaster and crisis, while combining humanitarian aid, development and peace building. It has strong roots in the Swiss population and partners with various Swiss actors from academia and the private sector. The organisation’s international programme focuses on Income, Climate Change and International Migration – three domains that are highly relevant in the implementation of the Swiss IC Strategy 2025-28


Save the Children, Building Inclusive Resilience and Durable Solutions for forcibly displaced populations and vulnerable groups in Yobe State

01.12.2024 - 30.11.2027

Finding durable solutions for up to five hundred thousand current and formerly displaced persons (IDPs)  in Yobe State, Northeast Nigeria, is a critical step towards lasting peace and development in the region. This project, which is part of a multi-pronged SDC support to local authorities, will contribute to facilitate local  integration  and  return  of  IDPs  by  enhancing  agricultural  productivity,  providing  livelihood  and employment opportunities, strengthening community disaster risk reduction, and access to justice.   


Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Early Action in the Andes

15.11.2024 - 31.12.2027

This project aims to increasing resilience to disasters through multi-hazard early warning systems and government-led early actions. It will build on experiences in selected watersheds in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, while promoting exchange through a regional and global Community of Practice including Swiss expertise at the forefront of technological alarm systems. The initiative shall serve to influence policies and financing mechanisms necessary to successfully implement anticipatory actions.


Clean Air Project in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (CAP IGP) - Phase 2

01.11.2024 - 31.10.2028

The Indo-Gangetic Plain is the most affected region by air pollution globally with severe health, economic and climatic impacts. With Swiss expertise, this project addresses transboundary air pollution with a financial contribution to the World Bank’s regional Air Quality Management program to provide cleaner air to 680 million people, by developing states and regional plans and supporting coordinated sectoral measures by decision-makers in Bangladesh, India and Nepal.


Clean Air China (CAC) Consolidation Phase

15.10.2024 - 15.02.2026

Air pollution poses a  significant challenge  to public health, environmental sustainability and the climate particularly in Asian countries such as China. Knowing the sources of pollution is essential  to  formulate adequate policies. The Swiss Paul Scherrer  Institute  (PSI)  together with  its Chinese  partners from the Institute of Earth Environment (IEE) will transfer an innovative air pollution source identification  model  developed  under  phase  1  and  capacitate  the  cities  to  run  the  model  independently.  


Somali Resilience Programme (SomReP)

01.10.2024 - 31.12.2025

SomReP aims to foster sustainable livelihoods and increase the resilience of (agro-) pastoralist communities to climate shocks across Somalia. By supporting vulnerable communities to better cope with ecological disasters SomRep makes an important contribution to mitigate key drivers of fragility in Somalia and thereby promotes Switzerland’s interest to strengthen stability and economic develop ment in the Horn of Africa region.


Strengthening the Climate Adaptation Capacities in Georgia

01.10.2024 - 31.03.2027

Since 2017, Switzerland has contributed to national and international efforts to adapt to the increasing impacts of climate change in Georgia. It will continue to support the further development of the legal and policy  framework  for  natural  hazard mapping  and  zoning  in  2024-2027,  with  an  additional  focus  on strengthening the inclusion of women's voices, needs and capacities in disaster risk reduction. The project will also rely on the Swiss expertise on avalanche and landslide forecasting. 

Object 1 – 12 of 119