Blogpost
Kläger*innen

Anyone who violates another person’s fundamental rights by emitting greenhouse gases bears a double legal duty: First, to put a stop to this harm so that the (fundamental) rights of others are not undermined. Second, polluters have to account for the protection of those at risk as well as the damages that still occur. In order to enforce these legal obligations in Germany and internationally, Germanwatch supports three climate lawsuits.

News
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India has a huge potential for solar energy. Accordingly, the Indian solar targets of 100 GW by 2022 are ambitious. The realization of these targets still require foreign investment in the Indian solar sector. The Multi-Actor-Project of Germanwatch and TERI and further partners seeks to gather stakeholders from civil society, financial institutions and government bodies as well as research organisations in order to identify de-risking instruments for foreign solar investments in India.

Blogpost
Blogpost

The Paris Agreement sets out the ambitious task of aligning all financial flows with its goals to avoid the worst impacts of warming. Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) have an important role to play in making this goal a reality.

Publication
Raising the Game on Paris Alignment
Six Memos on the Multilateral Development Banks’ Paris Alignment Approach
The Paris Agreement sets out the ambitious task of aligning all financial flows with its goals to avoid the worst impacts of warming. Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) have an important role to play in making this goal a reality. Their development mandates, technical expertise, and track record on climate finance mean that MDBs can lead the way by helping developing countries avoid fossil fuel-intensive development pathways, by developing the necessary standards and investment criteria to assess the alignment of investments with the Paris Agreement’s goals, and by helping to mobilise increased volumes of climate finance.
Publication
Deckblatt der Stellungnahme
Ab nächstem Jahr soll die Verordnung zur verantwortungsvollen Beschaffung von Zinn, Wolfram, Tantal und Gold (3TG) aus Konfliktregionen in der EU in Kraft treten. Die meisten EU-Staaten sind derzeit daher mit der Ausarbeitung entsprechender Umsetzungsgesetze beauftragt. Die ersten Entwürfe, darunter auch aus Deutschland, sorgen nun allerdings für massive Kritik seitens europäischer Entwicklungs- und Menschenrechtsorganisationen, darunter auch Germanwatch. Die vorliegende Stellungnahme wurde von Nichtregierungsorganisationen aus ganz Europa unterzeichnet.
Press Release
Pressemitteilung
Press Release of 28 civil society organizations, including Germanwatch

The EU Regulation on the responsible supply of tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold (3TG) from conflict-affected and high-risk areas (CAHRA) is a crucial first step towards supply chains free from human rights abuse. The EU Regulation on the responsible supply of 3TG from conflict-affected and high-risk areas (CAHRA) was approved in 2017 and will enter into force in 2021. Before this date, the EU member states need to adopt measures to ensure the implementation of the Regulation. However, the first implementation measures being discussed by member states risk diluting the efficacy of the Regulation by concealing the list of companies subjected to it.

Blogpost
Blogpost
Claudia Saller (ECCJ), Julia Otten & Johanna Kusch on why the German government should give the mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence agenda a real push, both at home and in Brussels.
Publication
Mining Production, Territory and Conflict in Colombia
Artisanal gold mining in Colombia is associated with the financing of armed conflicts. The adoption of the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation in 2017 has raised attention to respective challenges. One of the world's largest gold smelters, the Swiss smelter Metalor, has consequently withdrawn from small-scale mining business. However, as the following study argues, the link between artisanal gold mining and the financing of armed conflicts in Colombia is much more complex. At the same time, small-scale mining faces criminalization by national legislation. A general boycott of this sector by major smelters can further marginalize the artisanal mining sector in favor of international mining companies. At the same time, the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation excludes many serious human rights violations, such as violent expulsions and massive environmental destruction by large mining companies destroying the livelihoods of local populations.
Publication
Russia’s second largest solar power plant in Samara region.
Due to the global decarbonisation transition, Russia is likely to lose its coal, oil and maybe even natural gas export markets in the EU over the next 30 years. In this analysis, Oldag Caspar discusses the impact of the EU climate targets on the Russia-EU relations and the prospects of a Russia-EU decarbonisation cooperation that is beneficial for both sides.
News
The main objective of the LIFE funded project "UNIFY: Bringing the EU together on Climate Action" is to facilitate the effective and early transition of EU Member States to low-carbon and resilient economies. The consortium partners of the project are focusing on three key policy processes: 1. the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) 2. the national and long-term climate strategies (Long Term Strategy - LTS) 3. the EU budget (Multiannual Financial Frame - MFF)