Entwicklung & Klima

The Briefing Paper on the 12th meeting of the Executive Committee (ExCom) of the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage from 12-16th October 2020 is mainly directed at persons interested in the discussions on Loss and Damage within the UNFCCC process.
The meeting will take place in the middle of the Covid-19-crisis that comes across with severe challenges for vulnerable groups but also in regards of keeping up climate diplomacy.

African Risk Capacity (ARC) is a specialised agency that follows the vision of: “protect the livelihoods of vulnerable people in Africa against the impact of natural disasters through home-grown, innovative, cost-effective, timely and sustainable solutions.” As a regional, African-owned, and African Union (AU)-led insurance pool, ARC is an essential component of a more comprehensive approach to anticipatory climate risk management. It covers the issues of financial risk management through risk pooling and transfer. Contingency planning is a central part of ARC insurance, and a precondition to purchasing a policy. The specific advantage of an ex-ante mechanism such as this is its fast availability of support; thus, ithelp avert suffering.

Long-term stability and prosperity in the Western Balkans is closely interlinked with the fate of the EU. A positive development in the region and the maintenance of good relations are in the EU’s strategic interest. Geopolitical interests continue to compete in the Western Balkans: China is increasingly rivalling ideas of international solidarity and co-operation offered by the EU. This has become most apparent during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis that followed. The new momentum of recently extended financial support should be the starting point for a more serious cooperation with the Western Balkans on the energy transition. The German EU Presidency in the second half of this year should focus on making energy transition partnerships a reality. This is an opportunity that the EU should not miss.

The conflict between the US and China over leadership in the coming world order is becoming more intense - and forcing the EU to clarify its own relationship with China. Co-operation on climate policy can play a key strategic role in this process. It is therefore high on the agenda of the German EU Council Presidency in the second half of this year.

The 11th meeting of the Executive Committee of the Warsaw Inernational Mechanism took place at the beginning of the corona crisis and therefore faced severe organisational challenges. It was held virtually, which posed challenges like internet connectivity problems and lack of possibilities for inclusive participation. Topics of this meeting were for example to discuss inter alia COP25 outcomes like the establishment of the “Santiago network on loss and damage” and the "Expert Group on action and support".
The report covers the key expectations for the meeting, the outcomes, the special corona context as well as recommendations on the way forward and necessary next steps.

The outcome of the World Climate Conference (COP25) in Madrid, held 2 to 15 December 2019, clearly shows the strengths and weaknesses of the Paris Agreement. It shows that the days of cosmetic climate policy are over, but also that the coordinated resistance of the brakemen is growing as a result.

Severe heat waves, drought and flooding: Extreme weather events are massive challenges especially for poor and vulnerable countries - but also high-income countries are threatened more and more by climate risks. The Global Climate Risk Index, published today by the environmental think tank Germanwatch, shows that in 2018 industrialized countries like Japan and Germany were hit hardest by heat waves and severe drought. The Philippines were hit by the most powerful typhoon recorded worldwide in 2018.

In this paper young Arab authors from the MENA region (Middle East/North Africa) outline their vision for the future development of the energy sector in their countries. The energy sector is the world’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. However, as technologies rapidly improve and prices drop, many renewable energy options have emerged. The MENA region possesses large natural potential for solar and wind energy. Moreover, the region has another important resource: its youth. In order to achieve a successful energy transition, all countries need agents of change, who bring along innovation and motivation – exactly what young people can achieve.

Under the motto "Time to act", the 25th Conference of the Parties (COP25) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will take place from 2 to 13 December 2019 in Madrid, Spain, under Chile's presidency. After all, it is finally time for action in the logic of the UN negotiations. Following the decisions of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015 and its implementation rules last year, nothing stands in the way of decisive action.

Multi-Actor-Partnerships offer an approach to address complex challenges through cooperation between actors from civil society, politics, the private sector and academia. The short film outlines the relevant framework conditions and criteria for a successful partnership. An example from India illustrates the advantages of this approach.