Germanwatch-Blog

One of the greatest challenges the new government in Argentina is currently facing is the ongoing energy crisis. In response, the South-American nation has started to rapidly expand renewable generation. This strategy also pays off internationally for Argentina, who will take over the G20 presidency from Germany in December 2017.

„Grüne“ Investitionen haben weltweit Konjunktur. Auch die G20 hat den Finanzsektor als Wegbereiter für eine globale Wende zu mehr Umwelt- und Klimaschutz entdeckt. Was kann die am 1. Dezember beginnende deutsche G20-Präsidentschaft dazu beitragen, das globale Finanzsystem in den Dienst nachhaltiger, klimafreundlicher Entwicklung zu stellen?

Boris Schinke, Senior Advisor Energy and Development, interviewed Safa Al Jayoussi, head of the Climate and Energy campaign of the NGO "Indyact" based in Lebaon and Jordan. She is also the co-coordinator of the Climate Action Network Arab World.

India made the world news today, on October 2nd - Gandhi's brithday, a special day for India - by submitting its ratification of the Paris climate agreement to the United Nations. With India formally joining the agreement, it not only accepts its obligations under the agreement, but also brings the agreement one step further towards entry into force. Ratification by India signals a new, more active role, in international climate policy, building on progress achieved at the domestic level. The coming years will be crucial to confirm India's development path in a greener and more sustainable direction. Partnerships with countries like Germany will be essential to enable this transformation.

Langfristiger Klimaschutz lebt von einem "Mix" an Instrumenten: Grenzwerte, Verbote und Planungsvorgaben. Solange die Preise aber nicht annähernd die ökologische Wahrheit sagen, wird es schwierig, die etablierten fossilen Technologien und Prozesse aus dem Markt zu drängen. Unter den G20-Staaten abgestimmte CO2-Mindestpreise wären ein guter Anfang.

China is the host of this year's G20 summit. This more active role of China in global governance is a reflection of a changing world. The Hangzhou summit also reflects another significant change: Climate action and sustainable development are no longer considered side discussions, but are centrally on the G20 agenda. The G20, traditionally a forum to discuss financial stability and economic policy, are beginning to reflect the fact that unsustainable development and unmitigated climate change are huge risks to a stable and prosperous world economy.

Sie repräsentiert zwei Drittel der Weltbevölkerung, vier Fünftel des globalen Bruttoinlandsprodukts und ist verantwortlich für mehr als drei Viertel der Treibhausgasemissionen: Die G20 - die Gruppe der großen Industrienationen und wichtigsten Schwellenländer - ist entscheidend für das schnelle Inkrafttreten und die tatsächliche Umsetzung des Pariser Klimaabkommens. Am 4. und 5. September kommen die Staaten im chinesischen Hangzhou zum Gipfel zusammen - und die Vorstellung, dass die G20 sich nur um Wirtschafts- und Finanzthemen kümmern sollte, ist überholt. Die Klimapolitik ist eng mit diesen Themen verknüpft und gehört dort ganz oben auf die Agenda.

The Nansen Initiative, which ended in 2015, developed a comprehensive "Protection Agenda” over the course of 3 years, which to date has been endorsed by over 100 countries. Although not producing new legal regulations, the initiative was pioneering in that it was the first intergovernmental process to work on protecting people displaced across borders by disasters and in the context of climate change. Its focus on exploring existing political instruments in order to close the protection gap has made for a solid foundation for further work. Now next steps are to be taken.

In this blog Lisa Junghans, Policy Advisor for Climate Change, Adaptation & Urban Transformation, discusses the opportunities for cities under the GCF, and how achieving a paradigm shift needs bundled power from all sides.

Within two generations our entire energy system needs to be carbon free for the world to avoid dangerous impacts of climate change. This transformation needs to happen first in developed countries then in all countries soon afterwards. With the majority of the world’s population residing in urban areas releasing more than 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the necessity for cities to take centre stage in addressing climate change is without doubt. Cities are often hotspots of climate vulnerability, hosting masses of marginalised and poor people that have little to resist floods, cyclones, and storms. Experts often talk about the need for an urban transformation towards low carbon and climate resilient development. In practical terms, such a transformation requires a significant makeover and adjustment of urban structures, its organisation, and its residents’ lifestyles.