Climate Change

As a strategic plan for a prosperous, competitive, and climate-neutral economy, the European Commission (EC) has laid out its Green Deal with the aim of becoming the world’s first climate-neutral continent. We cooperate with civil society partners and other stakeholders to support a truly transformative implementation of the Green Deal in Europe’s land sector. By fostering national policy reforms, innovative solutions and progressive networks across Europe, raising awareness, and facilitating participation of rural communities, farmers, and other practitioners, we work towards a just transition and coherent political frameworks. The global ramifications of Europe’s food system, through supply-chains, trade regulations and shifts in supply and demand patterns, are a key component of this work. 

The climate crisis is amplifying social and environmental challenges, thus constituting an ever-higher risk to the stability of societies. This is especially true for Sub-Saharan Africa: Soils, water, and ecosystems are vital for the livelihoods of people and the climate, but they are under extreme pressure due to rising demand, unsustainable land use, and the growing impact of climate change. The foundation works with international and local partners in select regions of Sub-Saharan Africa to support climate resilient development and regenerative, equitable land use and food system models that create sustainable livelihoods for rural communities. Focus topics include land restoration, equitable access to land and land tenure rights, and participatory formats to address conflicting interests and create synergies from local to landscape level.