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The Greening EU International Cooperation Toolbox replaces the 2016 guidelines ‘Integrating the environment and ‘Integrating the envi- ronment and climate change into EU international cooperation and development’. It consists of a core section and annexes that offer more detailed guidance and tools.

The toolbox reflects new EU policy priorities such as the Global Gateway and the European Green Deal, as well as the growing urgency to accelerate the green transition and environmental and climate action. Alignment to key international commitments is also at the core of this toolbox, primarily to the the Paris Agreement and the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).

These require a significant shift in the way environment and climate action is treated action is treated in international partnerships. Whereas avoidance and minimisation of adverse impacts on the environment and climate is a basic requirement reflected in the ‘do no harm’ (DNH) and ‛do no significant harm’ (DNSH) principles, alignment to environmental and climate objectives is fundamental, and positive contributions to environ- mental sustainability, climate resilience and low carbon development should be encouraged as a starting point for all actions.

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Purpose and target group. The toolbox targets staff in EU Delegations and European Commission head- quarters involved in international cooperation, as well as implementing partner organisations and partner countries. The green transition is a shared responsibility of everyone working in all sectors and across all regions and instruments. Potential contributions to climate change mitigation and adaptation, environ- mental sustainability and disaster risk reduction must be considered a starting point in the identification and formulation of each programme and every action and investment. Interventions that bring a positive contribution should be prioritised, while those offering limited such opportunities should ensure compliance with the ‘do no harm’ principle, usually operationalised through the ‘do no significant harm’ principle.

Achieving the green transition is a shared responsibility involving all EU services

This document provides practical guidance and tools to align EU international cooperation with environmental and climate objectives and to help partners engage in transformative change. It covers the whole intervention cycle (from programming to evaluation) and the different implementation modalities.

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