EU development programming for biodiversity and climate must heed people’s voices

The EU is the world’s largest aid donor and a major political actor with a strong influence over global policies. The EU recognises civil society as an essential actor in policy making and implementation, specifically in the development sector. Therefore, it is committed to maintaining an inclusive political dialogue with civil society organisations (CSO) at both the regional and the national level.

European non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working on development, climate, the environment, and social justice welcomed the external dimension of the European Green Deal1 in 2019 as it could be used as a tool to align the EU’s global development, climate and biodiversity policies.

The programming of the Neighbourhood, Development, and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – which was launched in November 2020 - can truly shape coherent EU support and funding for human development, governance, gender justice, climate, and biodiversity.