Klima

South Africa is the only African country in the G20. It is challenged by a slowing, energy intensive economy, an enormous stock of ageing infrastructure in coal and very high inequality. For dealing with these challenges, South Africa needs to change its development strategy. Political momentum within the G20 could help to break the fossil fuel inertia.

The report, “Brown to Green: Assessing the G20 transition to a low-carbon economy” has been produced by Climate Transparency, and written by a range of international experts and was launched at a press conference in Beijing. With climate change high on this year’s G20 agenda, along with green finance, the assessment looks at a range of indicators on climate action, including investment attractiveness, investment in renewable energy, climate policy, the carbon intensity of both the energy and electricity sectors of the G20 economies, of their fossil fuel subsidies and their contributions to climate finance.

The millennium started with a lost decade in terms of climate protection and, as indicated in the eleventh edition of the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), global emissions were still growing in 2013. For 2014, there are signs of a slowdown or even a halt of this trend.

Today, the Peruvian farmer and mountain guide Saúl Luciano Lliuya is filing a lawsuit against the German utility RWE at the Regional Court in Essen, Germany. The reason: The energy company’s immense emissions threaten his family, his property as well as a large part of his home city of Huaraz. Climate change has caused the glacial lake to quickly grow in size, making it a risk for the Andean city of 120,000.

The G20 make up two thirds of the world population, produce four fifth of the global economic output, and account for three quarters of global Greenhouse gas emissions. The average G20 per capita emissions are nearly 11 tons of CO2e. To keep global warming below 2°C, global per capita emissions need to be reduced to 1-3 tCO2e by 2050. The study "20 Climate Action – a turning point?" gives an overview on the current situation of the G20, as well as looking for trends and future plans.

Coming soon

On the eve of the G7 Summit in Elmau, Germany, NGOs from all seven member countries call on their leaders to send a strong signal that the era of fossil fuels is over. As the world's largest industrialised countries, the G7 have a global responsibility to go further and faster to address climate change through rapid decarbonisation of their economies and providing support to the poorest.

1. FLYING GENERATES MORE CLIMATE RELEVANT EMISSIONS THAN ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY 2. THOSE GREENHOUSE GASES INCREASE GLOBAL TEMPERATURES, 3. CAUSING FURTHER EVAPORATION OF THE OCEANS AND 4. TRIGGERING EXTREME RAINFALL IN REGIONS ALREADY SATURATED WITH PRECIPITATION, 5. WHERE SOME OF THE WORST FLOODS EVER RECORDED HAVE KILLED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF LIFES!

1. YOUR LOW PRICED STEAK IS PRODUCED BY 2. CATTLE FED CHEAP CORN AND SOY, 3. GROWN IN FIELDS WHERE RAINFORESTS WERE SLASHED AND BURNT, 4. MEANING THEY ARE NOT LONGER ABLE TO GENERATE RAINFALL IN DRIER REGIONS, 5. WHERE HIGH TEMPERATURES ACCELERATE DRASTIC DESERTIFICATION AND DROUGHT!

1. THE BIGGER YOUR CAR, 2. THE MORE EMISSIONS IT RELEASES, WHICH 3. DRY OUT AGRICULTURAL REGIONS AROUND THE WORLD, 4. MAKING IT HARDER FOR SMALL FARMERS TO MAKE A LIVING 5. AND FORCING THEM TO MIGRATE TO CITIES, INCREASING THE GAP BETWEEN RICH AND POOR!