Climate Posts

Solar panels in the African desert

Climate International climate co-operation Blog post | 24.01.2025

Access for whom? World Bank’s Mission 300 risks prioritising profits over people at Africa Energy Summit

The Africa Energy Summit on 27 and 28 January 2025 in Tanzania is a cornerstone of Mission 300. It aims to bring electricity to 300 million people in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. Though commendable at face value, we believe Mission 300 risks fuelling the debt, climate, and democracy crises, and might have little impact for sustainable development if five core issues are not resolved in its making.

Image of open letter

Report | 22.04.2024

Germany, Poland, and France: The Weimar Triangle needs to turn green

The EU’s ability to enact ambitious climate policies relies on effective leadership and demonstrated commitment from influential Member States. Representatives from leading think tanks, environmental NGOs, businesses, and scientific institutions in France, Germany, and Poland, are calling for the establishment of a 'Green Weimar Triangle' to renew trilateral climate dialogue among the three countries.

Banner "We <3 Klimaseniorinnen"

Report | 16.04.2024

A historic day for climate mitigation

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) makes legal history with its landmark rulings on three climate litigation cases. The court made clear that climate change poses a major threat to human rights as protected by the Human Rights Convention. Every state is responsible for safeguarding the lives of its citizens from the climate crisis. A precedent that has an impact on all EU member states, including Germany. An analysis by Roda Verheyen and Gerd Winter.

Kleinbauer Saúl Luciano Lliuya

Report | 24.11.2023

8 years of climate lawsuit against RWE

Today, eight years ago, the Peruvian mountain guide and small farmer Saúl Luciano Lliuya filed his civil lawsuit against RWE at the regional court in Essen in Germany. What began back then has now become one of the world's most recognised precedents for the question of whether individual major emitters must pay for protection against climate risks.

Saleemul Huq

Report | 02.11.2023

The world loses a great champion of climate justice

We at Germanwatch are grateful to Saleemul for the initiatives and memories we shared, learning from each other and him, and his commitment to a more climate-friendly world. The memory of him will give us additional energy to stand up for the concerns of those particularly affected by climate change, even in times of multiple geopolitical crises, and to advocate for key building blocks of climate justice such as Loss and Damage and the 1.5°C limit. Thank you, Saleem!

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.

Key Priorities for Cooperation between Africa and Europe

Report | 14.02.2022

Joint CSO Statement for EU-Africa Summit towards a Green and Equitable EU-Africa Partnership

On the sixth African Union (AU) and European Union (EU) Summit on February 17-18, 2022, African and European Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have written a statement for a transformative and equal partnership between Africa and the EU with civil society involvement.

Joint statement new EU Corporate Sustainable Reporting Directive

Report | 21.04.2021

EU Commission presents proposal for new EU Corporate Sustainable Reporting Directive

On 21 April 2021, the European Commission published its proposal for a new EU Corporate Sustainable Reporting Directive (CSRD). In a joint public statement, Germanwatch and other NGOs associated with the Alliance for Corporate Transparency welcome many aspects of the proposal, including the development of mandatory sector-specific EU sustainability reporting standards.

Lüke Recktenwald auf Langeoog

Report | 22.07.2020

„It is important that we do something now to protect our future"

Lüke Recktenwald is a real "islander". His family has been living on the North Sea island of Langeoog for four generations and runs a hotel and restaurant. Whether Lüke will be able to live and work on the island in the future like his parents is uncertain, as Langeoog is increasingly threatened by the climate crisis. In this interview he tells how he experiences the climate and health crisis on the island and why he decided to go to court to demand climate protection.

Report | 14.12.2018

The new EBRD energy strategy: Still a long way to go for aligning the Bank’s investments with the Paris Agreement

On December 13, the Board of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) adopted a new strategy for the energy sector. The strategy will have an impact on the use of billions of Euros of public funds in the energy sector. Unfortunately, the strategy represents a missed chance to truly align all investments by the banks with the goals of the Paris climate agreement. Although the strategy has made progress compared to the previous energy strategy, it is far less ambitious then the precedent set by the World Bank in 2017 that excludes all financing of upstream oil and gas activities.

The climate case: Saúl gegen RWE. Gletschereis schmilzt. Verantwortung wächst.

Report | 09.07.2018

No agreement on experts - now court will select them

In the trial of the Peruvian mountain guide Saúl Luciano Lliuya against the energy company RWE before the Higher Regional Court of Hamm, the court has now announced that it will select the experts for the taking of evidence itself.

Al Gore, The Climate Reality Project

Report | 09.05.2018

Al Gore and the Climate Reality Project to train new climate activists in Berlin

Applications are now open for the three-day training, where former US Vice President and Climate Reality Founder and Chairman Al Gore will train people from around the world to become Climate Reality Leaders and take action to address the climate crisis. This will be the first such training in Europe since 2013. The training offers the chance to learn directly from Al Gore and a lineup of renowned climate scientists and communicators on how to inspire action and lead their communities in fighting for a sustainable future powered by clean energy.

Piktogramm Gerichtsdokumente

Report | 13.12.2017

Court documents of the 'Huaraz Case'

Germanwatch provides unauthorised English translations of the most important court documents of the Huaraz case. Moreover, court documents of the defendants party have been summarized and translated into English. Recent documents will be uploaded on a current basis.

Huaraz FAQ

Report | 23.11.2017

QUESTIONS and ANSWERS regarding the CASE OF HUARAZ

On this page you can find the answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions about the case of Huaraz.

Huaraz, Palcacocha, Peru

Report | 17.08.2017

YURAQ JANKA - A journey to Palcacocha

This is a transmedia project about individuals, communities and organizations facing the impacts of climate change in the Cordillera Blanca in Peru. Next to the climate lawsuit of Saúl Luciano Lliuya, this project shares insights from the 1941 glacier lake outburst flood in Huaraz as well as from the workers living at the camp below the Palcacocha glacier lake.

Report | 17.07.2017

Canada: Local government demands fossil fuel companies to pay their fair share of climate costs

The District of Highlands, a Southern Vancouver Island municipality (Canada) sent a "Climate Accountability Letter" to 20 of the world's largest fossil fuel companies – demanding them to pay their fair share of the climate costs suffered by the District. This initiative follows the approach of the climate lawsuit "Saúl Luciano LLiuya against RWE" which is supported by Germanwatch.

Logos Germanwatch Mercator

Report | 11.06.2017

G20 Climate Leadership? Voices from the Global South

The G20 summit in Hamburg is coming up soon. What we expect from the German G20 presidency is clear: the G20 must move forward combating climate change despite the destructive US-position. Ambitious G20 plans for the global energy transition and the implementation of the Paris Agreement are crucial. Due to their economic significance the G20 states must lead by example. Representatives of the international civil society will present the situation in developing and emerging countries and their asks to the G20. In addition, we will report back from the international civil society (Civil20) summit on June 18/19th in Hamburg.

Foto: Pressekonferenz in der Ukraine

Report | 02.08.2016

Germanwatch Visits Conflict and Coal Region of Donbas, Ukraine

The Donbas is extremely important now and in upcoming decades for two things: securing peace in Europe and the energy transition from oil, gas and coal to energy efficiency and renewable energy. In order to improve a solution to the current conflict in the Donbas through new economic perspectives, Ukraine and Germany/the EU should urgently and significantly enhance cooperation on the low-carbon transition of the Donbas. The Germanwatch conclusions in detail here.

Logos GW and Perspectives

Report | 14.02.2016

Viewpoint: "Cropping and cashing: institutional solutions for synergetic climate finance for mitigation and adaptation in agriculture"

For many developing countries ensuring food security remains a key development challenge, often aggravated by climate change impacts.

Unternehmenserklärung, B.A.U.M. Germanwatch Stiftung 2°

Report | 09.12.2015

Paris is the global decarbonisation turning point

[Unauthorised translation of the German original: http://germanwatch.org/de/11433] The conference in Paris has impressively confirmed the growing international consensus that was last demonstrated at the 2015 G7 summit in Germany. Governments around the world are now serious about taking decisive action well before the end of the century to phase out fossil fuels in accordance with the findings of climate science. We welcome the clear commitment made by large industrial countries to undertake the necessary transformation of their energy systems by the middle of the century. This undertaking is now more feasible than ever thanks to declining costs for renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.