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EU climate policy and carbon pricing Blog post | 05.04.2023

Priorities for the EU’s climate diplomacy in 2023

On Friday, 10 March 2023, the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) adopted its conclusions on climate and energy diplomacy for this year, entitled: ‘Bolstering EU climate and energy diplomacy in a critical decade’. In this blog post, we present the key priorities to which the Council agreed and highlight the areas where the EU needs to provide more clarity and increase its ambition.

Discussion teaser poster

International climate co-operation Blog post | 29.03.2023

The implementation of JETP in Indonesia from the perspective of civil society organisations

Indonesia's Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) is one of the outcomes of the G20 Summit that Indonesia hosted in 2022. The partnership is an agreement between Indonesia and the countries of the International Partners Group (IPG). It aims to mobilise finance for Indonesia to decarbonise and phase out the construction and operation of coal-fired power plants. The Indonesia Research Institute for Decarbonisation (IRID) and Germanwatch hosted a focus group discussion with CSOs including relevant research institutions on 18 January 2023 in Jakarta. The discussion was held to obtain feedback and input from CSOs working on topics related to the JETP.

Focus group discussion flyer

International climate co-operation Blog post | 29.03.2023

Fossil fuel subsidy reduction and redirection: Is Indonesia ready?

Fossil fuel subsidies have long been a subject of discussion for the G20. As one of the G20 countries, Indonesia needs to prepare for the removal and redirection of fossil fuel subsidies without creating long-term negative impacts, especially in socio-economic terms. The Indonesia Research Institute for Decarbonisation (IRID) and Germanwatch confirm the need for G20 countries to reduce and shift fossil fuel subsidies. As this requires the readiness of G20 developing countries, on 19 January 2023, IRID and Germanwatch hosted a group discussion focused on Indonesia.

Focus group discussion flyer

International climate co-operation Blog post | 29.03.2023

Ensuring continuity of Indonesia’s core themes and interests in the G20

In 2022, Indonesia had the opportunity to host the annual G20 Summit, where the energy transition played a major role. The summit produced two key documents on energy, namely the Bali Roadmap and the Bali Compact. Both documents are expected to serve as a reference for G20 countries to achieve a just energy transition, even after Indonesia’s G20 presidency. The Indonesia Research Institute for Decarbonization (IRID) and Germanwatch acknowledge that this is important in order to avoid that dialogues at the G20 Summit start from scratch. For this reason, a focus group discussion took place in Jakarta on 25 January 2023. The discussion was limited to invitees.

Focus group discussion flyer

International climate co-operation Blog post | 29.03.2023

Financing Loss and Damage: lessons learnt from various initiatives

Extreme weather events are increasing in intensity and frequency due to the impacts of climate change. Without appropriate intervention, Loss and Damage will be inevitable, despite efforts at adaptation, mitigation, and even disaster risk management. To understand how Loss and Damage financing will be discussed after the G20 Summit led by India and after COP27, the Indonesia Research Institute for Decarbonisation (IRID) and Germanwatch hosted a focus group discussion on 11 January 2022. The event aimed to gather information on different initiatives on Loss and Damage financing, including access modalities, challenges, and coping strategies.

Fig. 1. Overview of global climate tipping points (Own Illustration, based on PIK 2017).

Dealing with the impacts of climate change Blog post | 16.02.2023

Tipping points and their impact on human security

Climate tipping points are thresholds in the Earth’s climate system. When passed, this system experiences abrupt and typically irreversible changes. In this blog series, we take a look at four of the most treacherous tipping points: the Amazon rainforest, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, Coral Reefs, and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. We also provide an overview of their physical nature and their impact on human security, including the important issue of loss and damage, a topic which became a major discussion point at COP27.

Fig. 4. Amazon drought: Big river boat trapped on a sand bank East of Barreirinha, during one of the worst droughts ever recorded in the Amazon in 2005 (Daniel Beltrá / Greenpeace).

Blog post | 16.02.2023

Human security impacts of crossing the Amazon rainforest tipping point

In the first blog post of our tipping points series, we take a look at the Amazon rainforest. It is considered a climate tipping point because it may shift to a savannah or savannah-like environment given enough tree death. We will discuss the effects of deforestation, climate change, and the potential threat that crossing this climate tipping point will have on the region—and indeed elsewhere—and take a deep dive into the human and socio-economic impacts.

Fig. 3. Greenland ice sheet with melting ice flow (magnetix / Shutterstock).

Dealing with the impacts of climate change Blog post | 16.02.2023

How the Atlantic Ocean circulation could reach its switch-off tipping point

In the second blog post of our tipping points series, we take a look at the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation; a phenomenon in the Atlantic Ocean which brings heat from the southern to the northern hemisphere. By discussing how the relative freshening of the waters in the North Atlantic in response to the melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet will change this circulation, we will explain the potential threat that crossing this climate tipping point will have on the global distribution of heat and precipitation. Furthermore, we will take a look at the associated human and socio-economic impacts.

Fig. 1. Coral Bleaching at Magnetic Island in the Great Coral Reef (Victor Huertas / Greenpeace).

Dealing with the impacts of climate change Blog post | 16.02.2023

Coral Reefs could pass their point of no return this decade

In the third blog post of our tipping points series, we take a look at Coral Reefs. Often referred to as rainforests of the sea, coral reefs form some of Earth's most diverse ecosystems. The rapid demise of many of the world’s coral reefs this past decade is one of the clearest indicators that things are going very wrong. We will take a look at the nature of coral reefs, how and why they are now considered a climate tipping point, and consider many of the human and socio-economic impacts we can anticipate in the decades ahead.

Foto von Mohamed Seenen / Climate Visuals

Dealing with the impacts of climate change Blog post | 16.02.2023

West Antarctic Ice Sheet tipping point: a risk for millions in coastal regions

In the last blog post of our tipping points series, we take a look at the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). It is a portion of the continental ice sheet on Antarctica and acts as a gigantic water storage, keeping sea levels static and coastlines intact. A collapse of the entire ice sheet would result in a global mean sea level rise of approximately 3.3 metres, and in the flooding of coastal areas and cities where hundreds of millions of people live. We will discuss the nature of the WAIS, and the effects its collapse will have on global sea level rise, and the socio-economic and human impacts.

Report | 15.02.2023

"Together for 1.5"

The LIFE TogetherFor1.5 project aims to align the EU’s climate action with the 1.5°C objective of the Paris Agreement. 13 national CSOs and CAN Europe (the leading climate NGO coalition in Europe) have been building on climate and energy policy revision opportunities, such as the finalisation of the ‘Fit for 55’ legislative package, national energy and climate plans (NECPs), and the revision of national long-term strategies.

©The Marshall Islands are facing the effects of climate change. To support climate transformation at global scale, MDBs need to align their financial flows with the Paris agreement.

Climate finance Blog post | 31.01.2023

The Multilateral Development Banks in the run-up to Paris alignment

Article 2.1c of the Paris Agreement stipulates the goal to align financial flows with climate goals.

Collage mit Portraits von Unterstützer:innen des Falls RWE

Report | 14.12.2022

7 years of legal action

Seven years ago, Saúl Luciano Lliuya from the Andean city of Huaraz (Peru) went to a German civil court to hold Europe's largest greenhouse gas emitter - RWE - accountable. What began then is now a globally respected precedent on the question of whether major emitters must pay for protecting people from climate risks. Show him your support!

Cover Open Letter

Report | 13.12.2022

Together for a Resilient and Efficient European Energy Transition

The “Fit for 55” package aims at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the EU by at least 55% (compared to 1990) by 2030. It is currently being negotiated at EU level. In an open letter, Germanwatch, together with partner organisations from Germany and France, calls for coordinated cooperation between Paris and Berlin in the ongoing trilogue negotiations,

Ein Transportschiff fährt auf dem Meer.

Report | 06.12.2022

Negotiations concluded: EU regulation on deforestation-free products

The EU Commission announced the successful conclusion of negotiations on a regulation for deforestation-free products. Companies will therefore soon have to prove that no forest is cleared for the production of certain agricultural goods and wood products. An important step – but the law also has weaknesses. Germanwatch presents an initial assessment.

Logoteppich

Report | 25.11.2022

EU Commission’s advisory group publishes the first set of sustainability reporting standards

Together with the Alliance for Corporate Transparency and a number of other NGOs and think tanks, Germanwatch has commented on the proposals of the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) in a press release. Germanwatch welcomes the adoption of the EU Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), which EFRAG submitted to the European Commission this week. Although the ambition of the standards remains limited in some areas, they represent a significant improvement for companies and users of sustainability information and address the biggest issues in the quality and reliability of corporate reporting. Please find the press release below:

Sustainable Finance Blog post | 23.11.2022

A common framework is needed to track progress towards climate goals

A ‘race to the top’ or global crawl? Despite global climate negotiations at COP27 and the G20 inching far too slowly towards the financial transformations we need to tackle climate change, country-level progress is being made. A common framework would help track that progress.

German climate policy and energy transition Blog post | 31.10.2022

German support for gas investments abroad is mostly not compatible with the Paris Agreement

Since 2015, Germanwatch and NewClimate have collaborated in developing criteria to assess the compatibility of investments with global climate goals. This blog summarises some of our ideas and explains to what extent support for fossil fuels abroad jeopardises Germany's climate commitments and the Paris Agreement.

Blogpost

Climate finance Blog post | 31.10.2022

Myth Buster no. 3: Climate action in the agriculture and land use sector undermines food security? - Wrong!

This blog is part of a series debunking ‘myths’ about trade-offs between climate action and development. It is intended for decision-makers, practitioners in multilateral development banks, as well as civil society and the interested public, providing them with evidence to disprove widespread misconceptions about trade-offs climate action and development. It also gives recommendations for how multilateral development banks can contribute to strengthening the link between climate action and development, thus encouraging win-win elements instead of trade-offs.

Logoteppich: NGOs, die den Brief unterzeichnet haben

Report | 11.10.2022

Open letter: A bold and transformative Social Climate Fund is needed, now more than ever

A reform of the emissions trading system (ETS) is currently being discussed at EU level. Proposed by the European Commission, this includes the extension of carbon pricing to the sectors of road transport and buildings, as well as the supplementary launch of a Social Climate Fund (SCF) for social compensation. In an open letter, Germanwatch, together with 37 other organizations, calls for the new ETS not to be seen as a further burden for Europeans, but as an effective response to the energy and climate crisis.