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The Middle East conflict affects the core objectives and work of Germanwatch in various ways, even if we do not work on this conflict specifically. Our deep shock at the unchecked escalation of the Middle East conflict and the humanitarian catastrophe that ensued have prompted us to comment on this conflict again after our comments of October and November 2023. With this text, we want to answer how we feel about the conflict and what we expect and demand from those responsible in Germany in terms of foreign and domestic policy.

Sinnbild: Digitales Netz breitet sich über Landschaft aus

Shutterstock / metamorworks

The climate crisis and democracies under pressure – just two of the EU’s many challenges that the two-edged sword of digitalisation both alleviates and aggravates. On the one hand, the production, use, and disposal of data centres and digital devices is causing a sharp rise in greenhouse gas emissions and raw material consumption worldwide. On the other, digitalisation is required to build decentralised renewable energy systems or to transition to a circular economy.

Read more about Bridging Digitalisation and Sustainability

Open letter to EU Heads of State

Alle fünf Jahre kommen die Staats- und Regierungschefs der Europäischen Union (EU) zusammen und legen die politischen Prioritäten für die nächste Legislatur in der Strategische Agenda fest. Ein Monat vor Annahme der Agenda 2024–2029 wendet sich ein breites Bündnis von zivilgesellschaftlichen Akteuren, Unternehmen und Organisationen an die Staats- und Regierungschefs. Sie fordern in einem offenen Brief eine Strategische Agenda für eine klimaneutrale, grüne, faire und soziale EU.

03.05.2022

Multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) in Germany aim to strengthen corporate due diligence. Their dialogue formats primarily bring together governmental, economic, and civil society actors based in Germany. They therefore tend to exclude, or only selectively involve, stakeholder groups (rights holders) who are (or may be) adversely affected by corporate activities. This paper illustrates the different dimensions of meaningful rights holder engagement in MSIs and highlights best practices developed by different German MSIs, thus showcasing how MSIs can contribute to due diligence implementation, at least in theory.

Germanwatch welcomes initiative by France, Poland and Germany for a strong climate foreign policy / Further development now needed for more climate policy coordination between the three countries, including for the implementation of the European Green Deal

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.

Read more about Green Weimar Triangle should become a driving force for EU climate policy

For full respect for international law and the human rights of all in the Middle East conflict

Bridging Digitalisation and Sustainability

Shaping the EU's Future: Recommendations for the EU Strategic Agenda 2024–2029

Ensuring Effective Rights Holder Engagement in Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives

Green Weimar Triangle should become a driving force for EU climate policy