Climate

Discover how Germany’s ultra-wealthy pay far less in taxes than middle-class families and how this imbalance fuels carbon emissions and environmental harm. Our latest factsheet uncovers billionaires’ tax avoidance strategies, the environmental toll of their wealth accumulation, and an international proposal for a billionaires tax to advance social and climate justice. Dive in to learn what’s at stake and how fairer taxation can drive sustainable change.

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are the climate plans of countries that have signed the Paris Agreement. Every five years, these plans need to be updated, adding more ambition to reduce emissions. In this primer, we give an introduction to NDCs, their history, and describe four essentials of a good next generation of NDCs.

The New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance will be defined at COP29 in late 2024. It will shape the future of climate finance and guide Parties' efforts to finance climate action for years to come. The Goal therefore needs to highlight the importance of adaptation finance and contain strong provisions to ensure that adaptation finance flows in line with the evolving needs and priorities of developing countries, as well as the Global Goal on Adaptation of the Paris Agreement. Our policy brief details how this can be achieved.

Pakistan's vulnerability to climate change makes the country an important partner in German climate co-operation. In this policy brief, we examine Pakistan's national climate policies and their implementation challenges. We also review Germany's climate initiatives within Pakistan and anticipate potential challenges in their bilateral climate co-operation.

Over the next few months, countries will be releasing the next generation of climate plans known as National Determined Contributions (NDCs). Read our open letter detailing the '10 tests' for global leaders to stay on track and limit global warming to 1.5°C, to avoid catastrophic climate change.

Along with over 54.000 claimants, Germanwatch and Greenpeace filed a complaint before the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany to demand a climate law that protects fundamental rights and liberties as well as concrete steps to reduce CO2 emissions in the transport sector.

The creation of value through trade and processing of critical raw materials is a crucial step towards sustainable economic development in African countries. Our fact sheet provides an overview of some of the relevant initiatives in recent years. We highlight obstacles to the Africa Mining Vision and point to solutions through regional co-operation. In addition, the Lobito Corridor serves as case study to assess co-operation of African countries on building supply chains.

Just Transition is the buzzword of the hour. This policy brief outlines opportunities for international co-operation with India to facilitate a Just Energy Transition – the sustainable and equitable shift to low-carbon energy systems. Appropriate support can bolster India’s potential to become a leader in green and inclusive development models of the future.

The environment and development organization Germanwatch welcomes the agreement reached by the Foreign Ministers of Germany, France and Poland to include trilateral cooperation in climate foreign policy as one of the three pillars of the Weimar Agenda. To this end, they launched the Green Weimar Triangle yesterday. "It is a good decision to give the Weimar Triangle an additional green pillar. Germany, Poland and France are sending an important signal shortly before the European elections: climate protection should be a high priority for the EU and is a central component of security policy in Europe and the world," says Lutz Weischer, Head of Germanwatch's Berlin office.

After the EU election in June 2024, the new Commission will hold the power to demonstrate global climate leadership and reshape its partnership offer. Given the strong historical ties and growing economic relations between Africa and Europe, partnerships with the African continent must remain a focus of the EU. Our policy brief provides five recommendations for reshaping the EU’s partnership offer on energy co-operation.