Ethiopia’s commitment to low-carbon climate-resilient development has been hailed by the international community. And rightly so: despite negligible contributions to global emissions, the country’s rapid development over the last decade has not compromised on protecting its citizens and environment from the impacts of climate change. By extension, Ethiopia is helping to protect the whole planet.

This case study explores the foundations of Ethiopia’s ambitious climate policy, how it rose to meet national and international priorities, and what has helped this work flourish despite the challenges of implementation. Drawing on interviews, policy documents and the authors’ own in-country and intergovernmental experiences, this case study presents lessons from Ethiopia that can support any developing country seeking to climate-proof its future.