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Germanwatch Blog

From policy to impact, get the expert take on the issues shaping our world.

Illustration zum Blogbeitrag

International climate co-operation Blog post | 25.06.2025

Eyes on Beijing

China’s course will determine the direction of global climate policy. Europe can still take appropriate diplomatic measures.

Eine Solaranlage in der Wüste von Südafrika

Economy, Finance & Trade Sustainable Finance Blog post | 12.06.2025

Separation is Futile

Climate and development finance are often conceptually separated, even though they are two sides of the same coin. In the third part of our blog series on the Fourth UN Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Seville, we explore why the original promise of ‘new and additional’ climate finance has been broken and how we can ensure that Seville does not become a setback in global climate and development policy.

Eine vierstöckige Superyacht, die auf dem Meer schwimmt

Economy, Finance & Trade Sustainable Finance Blog post | 04.06.2025

Love Is in the Air – But so Are Emissions

A reform of the global tax system is urgently needed in order to distribute burdens fairly and to achieve climate and development goals. In the second part of our blog series in the run-up to the Fourth United Nations Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Seville, we analyse the extent to which the super-rich and some under-taxed industries in particular are fuelling the climate crisis. Moreover, we show why the issue of tax reforms could be the key to a successful FfD4.

Papst Leo XIV.

Economy, Finance & Trade Sustainable Finance Blog post | 21.05.2025

Restructure Debt, Fund Climate Action

In many countries of the Global South, the debt burden weighs on public budgets and prevents investments to improve climate resilience. On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis’ Laudato si’ encyclical, we analyse in this blog post how closely the climate and debt crises are intertwined. We show that it is now, in the run-up to the Fourth United Nations Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), that the German government must take responsibility by helping to reshape the international financial architecture.

Solar panels in the African desert

Climate International climate co-operation Blog post | 24.01.2025

Access for whom? World Bank’s Mission 300 risks prioritising profits over people at Africa Energy Summit

The Africa Energy Summit on 27 and 28 January 2025 in Tanzania is a cornerstone of Mission 300. It aims to bring electricity to 300 million people in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. Though commendable at face value, we believe Mission 300 risks fuelling the debt, climate, and democracy crises, and might have little impact for sustainable development if five core issues are not resolved in its making.

A member of security walks outside the venue for the COP29

Sustainable Finance Blog post | 16.12.2024

Climate policy in times of crisis

On 23 November, the 29th UN Climate Conference came to a close in Baku. In this blog article, our Germanwatch experts report on the difficult negotiations, detail the most important decisions, and draw conclusions on the climate conference in times of crisis.

UN climate conferences Blog post | 07.11.2024

Resilient and sustainable food systems

From heavy rainfall to rising sea levels, there is no doubt that the climate crisis is having a significant impact on global food security. At the same time, agriculture is contributing to climate change. Food systems will therefore also be discussed at COP29 in Azerbaijan. Germanwatch is calling for this issue to be prioritized and is following the negotiations on site. What should the international community achieve in Baku?

Banks to the left, trees to the right

Climate finance Sustainable Finance Blog post | 07.11.2024

Assessing projects’ Paris alignment

In 2023, six multilateral development banks have reached their self-imposed deadlines for the alignment of their projects with the Paris Agreement. We have analysed 60 of their projects and present the somewhat sobering findings in our blog post – with recommendations for greater transparency.

Die Zwischenverhandlungen fanden vom 3. bis zum 13. Juni in Bonn statt

UN climate conferences Blog post | 15.08.2024

SB Debrief

The 60th session of the Subsidiary Bodies (SBs) took place in Bonn in June 2024. This debrief provides a summary of the key discussions and outcomes from the session across the (negotiation) topics discussed, including the Mitigation Work Programme, Just Transition, Adaptation, Loss and Damage, Climate Finance, Global Stocktake, and Agriculture and Food Security. Additionally, it contextualises these developments within the big picture and offers a perspective on the upcoming expectations for COP29.

Habeck auf dem Weg nach Südkorea ud China

International climate co-operation Blog post | 21.06.2024

Habeck must prioritise China's climate policy

The global energy transition is unattainable without China. Therefore, Robert Habeck should emphasise climate policy relations during his visit to Beijing. Here are six proposals for pragmatic co-operation between Germany and China to benefit climate action.

Bloggers

Christoph Bals

Chief Policy Officer

Jan Burck

Senior Advisor – Low-Carbon Strategies & Energy, Project Lead Climate Indices (currently absent)

Oldag Caspar

Head of Division – German and European Climate Policy

David Eckstein

Senior Advisor – Climate Finance and Investments

Dr. Anja Carolin Gebel

Policy Advisor – Development Banks and Climate

Julia Grimm

Senior Advisor – Climate Finance and Adaptation

Cornelia Heydenreich

Head of Division – Corporate Accountability

Klaus Milke

Honorary Chairman Germanwatch and Chair of the Foundation for Sustainability

Stefan Rostock

Head of Division – Education for Sustainable Development, Promoter for Climate & Development in North Rhine-Westphalia

Laura Schäfer

Head of Division – International Climate Policy

Rixa Schwarz

Senior Advisor – Climate and Development – India

Dr. Manfred Treber

Special Advisor - Climate Science and Transport

Lutz Weischer

Head of Policy Berlin (currently absent)