Publications

The first Global Stocktake revealed that global efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C are insufficient, with COP29 failing to deliver significant progress. Now, it is high time for policymakers to correct course through concerted efforts. We explain the GST process and the political dynamics around it at COP29 and present six key steps for the route to third generation NDCs.

Indonesia elected a new president in 2024 amidst growing geopolitical and climate challenges. The new leadership offers opportunities to enhance co-operation with the EU, particularly in energy transition and climate policy. Civil society plays a crucial role in advocating for justice-driven collaboration and inclusive approaches. Yet, challenges remain, including uneven partnership dynamics, limited progress on the Just Energy Transition Partnership, and the need for stronger mutual trust.

The steel industry has embarked on a demanding transformation. Politicians are supporting the sector with large subsidy packages and the development of the necessary energy infrastructure. In addition to making hydrogen and renewable energy available in sufficient quantities and at affordable prices, work is also needed to establish the climate-friendly lead markets of the future.

In this policy brief, we explore emerging opportunities for a people-centred transition in India, with a clear focus on enhancing Indo–German co-operation in climate action, renewable energy, and sustainable development.

To achieve the European Union's climate neutrality targets and strengthen the global competitiveness of European net zero industries, the EU needs a Clean Industrial Deal that supports the decarbonisation of the current industrial base while strengthening net zero innovation and manufacturing through a well-designed policy mix and sufficient funding.

How can we ensure that financial commitments lead to transformative, measurable outcomes? This question comes into focus as the global community charts a path toward the New Collective Quantified Goal for climate finance beyond 2025. Our CFAS policy brief identifies these gaps and explores ways to improve impact measurement, including recommendations for COP29 to incorporate robust, transparent methodologies into the NCQG.

Financing digital services almost exclusively through personalised advertising poses considerable risks to democracy, social cohesion, informational self-determination, climate and national security. The new European Commission should take digital fairness seriously and push for a ban on personalised advertising to bolster alternative advertising models.

Published annually since 2005, the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) is an independent monitoring tool that tracks the climate mitigation performance of 63 countries and the EU. It aims to enhance transparency in international climate politics and enables comparison of climate mitigation efforts and progress made by individual countries.

Floods, heatwaves, and record temperatures have seen the climate crisis reach a new peak in 2024. However, there have also been positive signs. The energy transition, for example, is gaining momentum across the world, forward-looking technology such as energy storage systems and heat pumps are becoming increasingly competitive, and the demand for coal, oil, and gas could soon fall. Nevertheless, political measures need to be implemented quickly to achieve the Paris Agreement goals. The policy paper answers the most important questions about the UN climate talks and makes clear what Germanwatch expects from the negotiations.

COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, offers a pivotal chance to build on the historic agreements made at COP28, where nations committed to transition away from fossil fuels, triple renewable energy capacity, and double the energy efficiency improvement rate. To drive a just and lasting energy transition, COP29 must send a powerful message for the ambitious, equitable, and timely implementation of the COP28 energy package. In this context, our briefing paper presents key actions for an ambitious energy outcome at COP29.