
Closing the Delivery Gap: Alliances for Climate Action on the Ground
Monday June 1, 2026 10:45 - 11:45 CEST FORUM (lower level)
Lecturer:Speakers: Carsten Schneider, Ingrid Hoven
As progress in international climate action slows, the gap between commitments and delivery widens, raising the question of how ambition can still be turned into results in practice. We are at such a juncture, where sustaining momentum will increasingly depend on how a broader set of actors engage. In particular, much of this effort will need to happen at the local level, where implementation takes place and where climate and social challenges intersect most directly. Civil society, philanthropy, and development cooperation organizations all have a role to play in supporting and strengthening these efforts. What kinds of alliances are needed to make this possible? And how can climate and social goals be balanced in the process? This session examines what meaningful bottom-up climate action requires in practice, how decentralized initiatives can expand and connect, and how these efforts can be designed to be inclusive and locally driven, ensuring that those most affected by climate change are not only beneficiaries but active participants. It also considers how governments and international organizations can enable this by supporting, connecting, and strengthening these efforts. The session examines what it takes to activate local action and move beyond a patchwork of initiatives. It asks how alliances can mobilize resources and support locally led solutions, particularly in the Global South, while ensuring that those most affected have a real say. The central question is how different actors can engage more effectively to turn commitments into tangible outcomes on the ground.
Lecturers
Lecturer
Carsten Schneider Speaker
Federal Minister for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety
Federal Government
Ingrid Hoven Speaker
Managing Director
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)