Information for decision makers

Cover COP24 Vorbereitungspapier

UN climate conferences | 20.11.2018

Addressing the 1,5°C challenge: Enhanced climate action, predictable finance, strong implementation guidelines

The 24th Conference of the Parties (COP24) will be held from 2 to 14 December 2018 in Katowice, Poland. The task for this summit is to show that, even with political headwinds, the international community is able to respond to the increased urgency of the climate crisis. With a package of three decisions, COP24 will be a success. In this Background Paper, Germanwatch sums up its expectations towards COP24.

Cover Brown to Green Report 2018

International climate co-operation | 14.11.2018

Brown to Green Report 2018: The G20 transition to a low-carbon economy

The Brown to Green Report is the world’s most comprehensive annual review of G20 climate action, assessing progress on decarbonisation, climate policies, finance, and vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. The report is published annually by Climate Transparency, a global partnership of 14 climate research organisations and NGOs from the majority of G20 countries, many from emerging economies. Germanwatch is one of the main authors.

Cover The future role of the Adaptation Fund in the international climate finance architecture

Climate finance | 11.10.2018

The future role of the Adaptation Fund in the international climate finance architecture

In this paper, we explore the Fund’s role in the future climate finance architecture, taking into account past and current debates in international climate negotiations. The paper also seeks to inform these debates, particularly discussions related to operating modalities, safeguards, and governance of the Adaptation Fund.

Cover Energy in Jordan

International climate co-operation | 10.10.2018

Energy in Jordan

This paper was written by young Jordanians to outline their vision for the future development of the energy sector in Jordan. The authors have a common and crosscutting vision, which is to achieve in Jordan an integrated, affordable, sustainable, efficient, independent energy system with 50% of renewable energies in the national energy mix by 2038.

Cover Working Paper Aligning Investments with the Paris Agreement

Climate finance | 28.09.2018

Aligning Investments with the Paris Agreement Temperature Goal

This working paper by Germanwatch and NewClimate Institute studies how Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) can operationalize their commitment to align financial flows with the Paris Agreement, focusing on alignment with the Paris temperature goal.

Cover: Climate Litigation and Loss&Damage

Dealing with the impacts of climate change | 21.03.2018

The significance of climate litigation for the political debate on Loss&Damage

Loss and damage (L&D) due to climate change impacts is already a reality for many people, especially the most vulnerable. So far, there is no prospect of sufficient financial support for dealing with actual L&D within the climate regime (UNFCCC). Where international climate diplomacy doesn’t advance, affected people start to take the legal avenue to address the problem of L&D. Based on this assessment, this paper analyses the status quo of international climate change litigation, revealing how the current court cases are turning an abstract risk of climate claims into a concrete one.

Logoteppich Germanwatch WWF Fossil free Suedwind Fair Finance Institute Klima Allianz

EU climate policy and carbon pricing | 01.01.2018

Joint statement on the Final Report of the EU High-Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance (HLEG)

We welcome the recommendations of the EU Commission’s High Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance (HLEG). The HLEG’s final report represents hitherto the most comprehensive plan to systematically integrate sustainability aspects into the financial system of the European Union.

Cover: 2017 Report: The Global Energy Sector and Human Rights

Corporate Accountability | 21.11.2017

Report 2017: The Global Energy Sector and Human Rights (executive summary)

This executive summary of the report by Germanwatch and MISEREOR is all about energy – a sector that is inextricably linked to globalisation and is associated time and time again with human rights violations. The study explores the question of whether and to what extent German business and the German Government have implemented the demands of the UN Guiding Principles to date.

Cover: CCPI 2018

UN climate conferences International climate co-operation | 01.11.2017

The Climate Change Performance Index 2018

Under the Paris Agreement, for the first time climate action was anchored in the context of international law. This requires countries to make their own unique contribution to the prevention of dangerous climate change. The next crucial step to follow this agreement is the rapid implementation by the signing parties of concrete measures to make their individual contributions to the global goal. For the past 13 years, the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) has been keeping track of countries’ efforts in combating climate change. The varying initial positions, interests and strategies of the numerous countries make it difficult to distinguish their strengths and weaknesses and the CCPI has been an important tool in contributing to a clearer understanding of national and international climate policy.

Cover: The Hamburg G20 Summit Outcome on Climate and Energy

International climate co-operation | 01.07.2017

The Hamburg G20 Summit Outcome on Climate and Energy

The world has passed the ‘Trump Test’ on climate. At the G20 Summit in Hamburg, all 19 partners with the exception of the new U.S. Administration stood united in their support for the Paris Agreement and its swift implementation. Jointly developed and accepted by the 19 partners, the Climate and Energy Action Plan for Growth identifies issues that need to be addressed for the implementation of the Paris Agreement and provides a list of G20 action items for future cooperation.

Contact persons

Christoph Bals

Policy Director