Go Green: Climate and environment action

Climate change and environmental degradation are a threat multiplier for displaced people. Therefore, one of DRCs crosscutting organisational principles is to Go green.

DRC commits to respond to the global climate crisis and environmental degradation by increasing the adaptive capacities of people affected by conflict and displacement and by ensuring that our own conduct is nature-positive.

Climate change is the defining crisis of our time and disproportionately impacts the world’s most vulnerable people: those whom we serve. By making green thinking and action an organisational priority, DRC acknowledges that climate change is a global phenomenon that increasingly interacts with the drivers of refugee movements. DRC must address climate change systematically and ambitiously to address the current trends.

People affected by displacement need a strong advocate to ensure protection. Empowerment of the most marginalised will help to ensure that they will not be left behind in global climate action. In particular, stronger efforts are required to obtain data-based evidence for how we can include – rather than exclude – people affected by displacement.

In light of this, DRC will sharpen its focus on climate adaptation in programmes. We will aim to increase the climate resilience of those we serve. We will carry out initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint of our operations. And we will advocate for the rights of persons affected by displacement and conflict in situations negatively affected by climate change or environmental degradation.

DRC's climate action

Framework for Climate and Environment

The Framework on Climate Change and Environment explains DRC's ambitions to respond to climate change and environmental degradation in contexts of forced displacement. It elaborates our ambitions and commitments to tackle the displacement challenges that are already being amplified by climate change, and to mitigate and prepare for those to come.

Climate change is a global phenomenon that “increasingly interacts with the drivers of refugee movements” and disproportionally affects developing countries, which today host 80% of the world’s refugees and displaced persons. People affected by displacement, therefore, need a strong advocate to ensure protection and empowerment of the most marginalised, and that they will not be left behind in global climate action.

Climate change and environmental degradation can be threat multipliers as climate-related risks may exacerbate conflict dynamics and increase the impact of other drivers of conflict and fragility. Through this framework, DRC is underlining the importance of addressing displacement in the context of climate change as we work to ensure protection of forcibly displaced people.

We do this in our three core pillars:

We created a catalogue of selected DRC initiatives about our climate and environment action!

Climate change is a global issue that increasingly intersects with the drivers of conflict and displacement. In several regions where the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) operates, the global climate crisis presents severe challenges for the populations DRC aims to assist.

DRC has therefore committed to taking climate action across our organization, focusing on the three pillars of adaptation, mitigation and advocacy. In this Catalogue we showcase some of the DRC's Green Initiatives in the fields, encompassing a wide array of projects with varying scope, duration, funding, and focus areas.

We invite you to explore the Catalogue (below), follow the QR codes and links to learn more about the projects, and reach out to discuss new possibilities! 

Read the Greening DRC

We signed the Climate Charter for humanitarian NGOs and work towards our commitments!

The recent DRC Climate and Environment Framework and the DRC Strategy 2025 define the direction for DRC in the years to come, in line with our commitments under the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations. 

The Climate crisis affects all of us, but the most marginalized communities are the most affected by the consequences. Therefore, humanitarian NGOs play a key role, taking action to address the climate crisis and its effects. The Climate Charter for humanitarian NGOs intends to provide a clear vision and principles to guide humanitarian action in the face of the climate and environmental crises.

Have a look at the Climate Charter on climate-charter.org

It is our priority to address climate change and environmental degradation systematically and ambitiously across the organisation. DRC becomes a key advocate and stakeholder for people affected by displacement in the humanitarian sector.

Lillah Emmik Sørensen, Global Climate and Environment Advisor

DRCs Climate and Environment Actions

At DRC we are taking climate and environmental actions within the the three core pillars of our Climate and Environment Framework:

  • Adaptation in Programmatic Response,
  • Mitigating DRC’s Environmental and Climate Footprint, and
  • Advocacy for Displaced Persons in the Context of Climate Change.

These three pillars shape our response to the climate and environment crises and their interaction with forced displacement.

Further, resilience to climate shocks, environmental degradation and displacement is often very low in fragile and conflict-affected contexts, and disproportionately affects the world’s most vulnerable.

In this context, the relationship between climate change, conflict, poverty, and persecution greatly increases the complexity of humanitarian crises, refugee emergencies, as well as protracted displacement situations. In effect, the climate lens is becoming increasingly important for a humanitarian organization like DRC.

Framework on Climate Change and Environment

2021

Ukraine: DRC's achievements in 2025

Narrowing Horizons: Contingencies, coping practices and conflict handling among South…

PARTOCA — Participatory Research Team on Community-Led Action

Ukraine: Staying warm through winter in Kharkiv Oblast

The organisation

Forced back and left behind: Conditions for urban returnees and the urgent need for local…

EU-funded humanitarian action by DRC and partners supports over 845,000 people across…

Protection of Civilians Week 2026: Strengthening protection of civilians in conflict

Manuel Alejandro Tique, trabajador humanitario del Consejo Danés para Refugiados, es…

Statement by the Danish Refugee Council on the continued detention of staff member in…

Statement by DRC on the arrest of a staff member in Venezuela

¿Qué está pasando en América Latina?: 5 tendencias que deberían preocuparnos

Protection reports: Colombia

Homebound: The horrendous journey of close to half a million Afghans forced to return…

Almost 500,000 returning Afghans in desperate need of food, shelter and employment to…

Secretary General Charlotte Slente

The DRC Resettlement Roster

Project 21 - Protection Data for Informed Actions to the Sahel Crisis

The DRC Registration Roster

The Humanitarian Response Roster

Terms of Reference Humanitarian Response Roster

Practicing regenerative resilience of agroecosystems - training video

About us

Where we work

Mama Blanche's story - IN FRENCH

Mama Lucienne's story - IN FRENCH

DRC in the Central African Republic and Cameroon

Project Description: Women and girls create the future: prevention and response to…

Statement: DRC Central African Republic

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Canadá anuncia financiación a proyectos de migración a través del IRCC, entre esos el…

Joint letter calling on EU actions

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Tale til FN’s Sikkerhedsråd af DRC Dansk Flygtningehjælp vedr. DR Congo

Speech at the UN Security Council by Danish Refugee Council in New York

International Mine Awareness Day: Buthaina's story promoting awareness about landmines

DRC strongly condemns the intention expressed by Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland…

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Ukraine: Danish Refugee Council (DRC) statement on the missile strike at a humanitarian…

Ukraine: Dansk Flygtningehjælps (DRC) udtalelse om missilangreb på humanitært…

“A Death Sentence” – Aid Agencies Warn of Israel's Assault on Gaza City

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GAZA: Leaders of major aid groups call on world leaders to intervene following UN…

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Read more about our climate action

Ukraine: DRC's achievements in 2025

Narrowing Horizons: Contingencies, coping practices and conflict handling among South…

PARTOCA — Participatory Research Team on Community-Led Action

Ukraine: Staying warm through winter in Kharkiv Oblast

The organisation

Forced back and left behind: Conditions for urban returnees and the urgent need for local…

EU-funded humanitarian action by DRC and partners supports over 845,000 people across…

Protection of Civilians Week 2026: Strengthening protection of civilians in conflict

Manuel Alejandro Tique, trabajador humanitario del Consejo Danés para Refugiados, es…

Statement by the Danish Refugee Council on the continued detention of staff member in…

Statement by DRC on the arrest of a staff member in Venezuela

¿Qué está pasando en América Latina?: 5 tendencias que deberían preocuparnos

Protection reports: Colombia

Homebound: The horrendous journey of close to half a million Afghans forced to return…

Almost 500,000 returning Afghans in desperate need of food, shelter and employment to…

Secretary General Charlotte Slente

The DRC Resettlement Roster

Project 21 - Protection Data for Informed Actions to the Sahel Crisis

The DRC Registration Roster

The Humanitarian Response Roster

Terms of Reference Humanitarian Response Roster

Practicing regenerative resilience of agroecosystems - training video

About us

Where we work

Mama Blanche's story - IN FRENCH

Mama Lucienne's story - IN FRENCH

DRC in the Central African Republic and Cameroon

Project Description: Women and girls create the future: prevention and response to…

Statement: DRC Central African Republic

Central African Republic: Empowering people through economic recovery

After years of crisis, small scale economic recovery brings hope and change in the…

Canadá anuncia financiación a proyectos de migración a través del IRCC, entre esos el…

Joint letter calling on EU actions

Letter to Commissioner Kallas, Suica and Lahbib re. occupied Palestinian territory and…

Tale til FN’s Sikkerhedsråd af DRC Dansk Flygtningehjælp vedr. DR Congo

Speech at the UN Security Council by Danish Refugee Council in New York

International Mine Awareness Day: Buthaina's story promoting awareness about landmines

DRC strongly condemns the intention expressed by Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland…

DRC strongly condemns Finland's announcement to withdraw from the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban…

Sudan’s internally displaced: Samia’s journey

“We had nothing but hope”

From the darkness of isolation to the light of hope

Fraudulent website misusing DRC’s name and logo

Emergency response to wildfires in Latakia, Syria

Ukraine: Danish Refugee Council (DRC) statement on the missile strike at a humanitarian…

Ukraine: Dansk Flygtningehjælps (DRC) udtalelse om missilangreb på humanitært…

“A Death Sentence” – Aid Agencies Warn of Israel's Assault on Gaza City

Reaktion på FN’s Undersøgelseskommissions konklusion om Folkedrab i Gaza midt i…

GAZA: Leaders of major aid groups call on world leaders to intervene following UN…

Immediate reaction to UN Commission of Inquiry’s conclusion on genocide in Gaza amid mass…

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