Vera Künzel

Vera Künzel’s area of expertise is the dealing with the impacts of climate change, especially for the most vulnerable people and communities, with a focus on climate-related loss and damage and climate change adaptation.

In this field, she follows the UNFCCC negotiations, deals with the framework conditions and the implementation of climate risk insurance at regional level and analyses weather-related damage events and their impact on states worldwide as part of her work on the Climate Risk Index.

Background:

• since 2017: policy advisor for climate change adaptation and human rights, Germanwatch
• 2014-2017: assistant to the Political Director, Germanwatch
• 2012-2014: policy advisor One World Network NRW
• Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in Political Science/International Relations and Sociology: RWTH Aachen University and University of Münster

Focus of Work:

• UNFCCC negotiations on climate-related loss and damage
• climate risk insurance for the most vulnerable
• implementation of a human rights-based approach
• climate-induced migration and displacement
• climate risks (Climate Risk Index)

Projects:

• head of the cooperation project "Climate Policy Agenda 2019/20: Strengthening civil society for ambition, implementation and protection for the most vulnerable" with Bread for the World
• multi-actor partnership on human rights-based implementation of climate risk insurance in Kenya (focus on African Risk Capacity) with Transparency International
• (co-)author of the Germanwatch Climate Risk Index