Dossier

EU27 at COP26 - Green perspectives

The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung's European Union office at the COP26

Our COP26 diary

COP26 diary #4: A Global North greenwash festival? - Thoughts on communication around COP26 from a first-time attendee

COPs are a time of a plethora of announcements, pledges and initiatives by countries, businesses and financial institutes. It is hard to keep up and even harder to distinguish between newsworthy reason for hope and old wine in new bottles. Lisa Tostado reports on the climate “communication nightmare” of welcoming progress while emphasizing the persistent astronomical gap to what would be Paris Agreement-compatible.

By Lisa Tostado

COP26 diary #3: The most inclusive COP ever? - Thoughts on representation at COP from a first-time attendee

COP26 diary

COP26 was supposed to be the “most inclusive COP ever”. Lisa Tostado reports on why the promised cannot be considered fulfilled and where inclusion and representation remain an issue to be addressed urgently.

By Lisa Tostado

COP26 diary #2: The heartbreak is hard to bear - Thoughts on climate justice at COP from a first-time attendee

COP26 diary

Inequalities are striking in the climate crisis. Lisa Tostado unpacks them and reports on the action on payment of climate debt at the COP26 in Glasgow.

By Lisa Tostado

COP26 diary #1: Carefully orchestrated procrastination? Thoughts on the beginning of COP from a first-time attendee

COP26 diary

Lisa Tostado unpacks some basics in the first report during her attendance at this year’s COP26 in Glasgow.

By Lisa Tostado

Analyses and contributions

“Glass less than half full” – Glasgow climate finance outcomes leave much room for improvements despite some wins

Analysis

As in many previous global climate summits, progress on core climate finance issues at COP26 in Glasgow proved to be key to break negotiation deadlocks in overtime and to reach, often inadequate, compromises in a package deal delivered as the Glasgow Climate Pact. Outside of the formal negotiations a dizzying array of new financing initiatives were announced. Skepticism is warranted regarding their staying power, accountability, and impact beyond the Glasgow PR blitz that promised some action but no systemic rethinking.

By Liane Schalatek

Deferred not defeated: the outcome on Loss and Damage finance at COP26 and next steps

Analysis

Finance for Loss and Damage was a critical issue in the lead up to and at COP26. While the outcome in the Glasgow Climate Pact was underwhelming—a push by developing countries to establish a Glasgow Loss and Damage Facility could not overcome developed countries’ strong resistance—the momentum gained on this issue, if not derailed, can lead to more success at COP27 in Egypt.

By Liane Schalatek and Erin Roberts

False solutions prevail over real ambition at COP26

Analysis

COP26 in Glasgow started with a plethora of declarations. But in the end it failed to deliver on the real and immediate action needed to avoid climate catastrophe, and to address the demand for justice and equity for those most impacted by climate harms.

By Erika Lennon, Sébastien Duyck and Nikki Reisch

The fossil fuel industry has a stake in the majority of known carbon dioxide removal technologies' projects

Analysis

The fossil fuel industry tries to present carbon dioxide removal technologies as a safe and effective technical solution to climate problems. However, they have not been proven to be safe and effective. Although the technologies have been extensively subsidized and promoted for several decades – with both public and private funding – there has been no significant progress in their development. Many projects have been abandoned due to high costs or technical problems.

By Anja Chalmin

Jutta Paulus on COP26: “For leading by example, we must achieve our European Green Deal goals”

Interview

Lisa Tostado interviewed Green MEP Jutta Paulus her about her expectations and initial assessment concerning this year’s COP26, as well as the on role of the EU and particularly Germany in international climate negotiations.

By Lisa Tostado

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Geoengineering in the European Union

E-paper

The notion of geoengineering includes a wide array of technologies that seek to intervene in and alter earth systems on a large scale – a “technofix” to climate change. There are many reasons to be wary of these technologies. They do not address the underlying causes of climate change themselves, anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, thereby delaying the implementation of a transition away from fossil fuels. Moreover, as they are very pricy, they redirect funding and investments away from real climate solutions.

pdf

Neither Climate Nor Jobs

Study

A continuing insistence on nuclear will be detrimental to our ability to power a Just Transition: while the jobs it creates are few and primarily for the highly skilled, its enormous costs will likely result in austerity policies.

pdf

Broken Promises - Developed countries fail to keep their 100 billion dollar climate pledge

Analysis

At COP26 in Glasgow, past failures and shortcomings in climate finance mobilization and delivery must be ruthlessly addressed by presenting an implementation plan for future improvements.

By Liane Schalatek

Mobilizing resources urgently for climate action: overcoming longstanding challenges and learning from Covid-19

E-paper

The Covid-19 pandemic has shown that countries can marshal significant resources quickly and at scale in an emergency. The climate crisis requires no less. Only when longstanding issues of climate finance are resolved, can the international system ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable people, communities, and countries can make the necessary changes the whole world needs.

By Mohamed Adow

Artificial distinction between climate change adaptation and development restricts access to climate finance for developing countries

E-paper

Urgently addressing the growing impact of climate change in developing countries, especially on the most poor and marginalized people and communities, requires a better understanding of what constitutes adaptation, how it applies in local contexts, and how to increase the quantity and quality of financing provided for such measures.

By Harjeet Singh and Indrajit Bose

With a one-year delay, the 2021 UN climate change conference (COP26) is scheduled to take place from 31 October to 12 November 2021 in Glasgow, under the presidency of the UK. For the first time since the Paris Agreement, signatory states must submit updated and more ambitious greenhouse gas reduction pledges. Will they help closing the so far big gap between necessary reductions and reality? What are ways to achieve them in a socially and gender-just manner? What financing contributions are needed to support developing countries? What false solutions must be avoided? We explore those questions in various contributions, with a focus on the EU.

Related dossiers and blogs

The EU's Fit-for-55 package: The European Green Deal's fitness test

The Paris Agreement five years on

Nuclear Power in Europe: 35 Years After the Chernobyl Disaster

Related publications

Meat Atlas 2021

Atlas

There is hardly any other food that pollutes our environment and the climate as badly as meat. However, no government in the world currently has a concept of how meat consumption and production can be significantly reduced. But if the sector continues to grow as it has up to now, almost 360 million tons of meat will be produced and consumed worldwide in 2030. With ecological effects that are hard to imagine.

European Mobility Atlas 2021

Atlas

Sustainable transport and mobility are key to tackle the climate crisis and to achieve the targets of the European Green Deal. However, transport today accounts for nearly 30 percent of the CO₂ emissions within the European Union. How can the EU reduce its transport and mobility emissions while connecting citizens, creating green jobs and leading the innovation in the sector?

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Sustainability at risk

E-paper

The findings of this joint policy brief challenge the flawed underlying assumptions of the original EU Joint Research Centre (JRC)’s assessment, published in April 2021, which concluded that nuclear energy is detrimental neither to people nor to the environment. These concern chiefly four aspects: the role of nuclear energy for power generation in the EU27; nuclear waste management; the risk assessment of nuclear technologies; and nuclear proliferation.

pdf

Nuclear: not the answer to the climate emergency

Factsheet

The debate in France today on choosing the electricity mix is set against the backdrop of an ageing production infrastructure that is earmarked for replacement. So, what electricity mix is the answer? And does the country need to build new nuclear reactors in order to have decarbonised electricity?

pdf

A Societal Transformation Scenario for Staying Below 1.5°C

Study

To stop climate change, we have to limit global warming to 1.5°C. But can we still achieve this target? And if so, what pathways can society take in transiting towards a climate-just economy?

pdf

Pricing carbon

Study

Both in Germany and internationally, the debate on the pricing of greenhouse gas emissions is experiencing a renaissance. However, an enlightened and realistic discussion of ways and means is needed so that CO2 pricing instruments can play a stronger role in climate policy. In this study, climate and energy expert Felix Chr. Matthes of the Öko-Institut examines the relevant elements of a CO2 pricing strategy. He gives an overview of design criteria and mechanisms of action.

pdf

Why the European Green Deal needs ecofeminism

Report

This report maps the gender gaps and opportunities in the EU’s flagship European Green Deal. It explores how, though gender issues affect environmental policies and vice-versa, they are not integrated into the European Green Deal, and provides recommendations on how to move from gender-blind to gender-transformative environmental policies. These include intersectional and gender equal environmental objectives, moving towards a feminist economy of well-being and care and ensuring the use of gender mainstreaming methodologies in environmental policies.

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Amazonia today

Study

The rate of deforestation in Amazonia during the Bolsonaro era has risen dramatically, now also spurred by the Covid-19 crisis. This publication takes closer look at the complex social, economic and political causes of deforestation and land degradation in the so-called "lungs of the planet".

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Insect Atlas 2020

Atlas

Insects are a fundamental part of the basis of life in our world. The extent of insect mortality in Germany, in Europe and worldwide is therefore dramatic. The Insect Atlas 2020 explains why the industrial agricultural industry in particular is threatening the habitats of insects so massively, what ways out are possible, and many other exciting aspects. It provides data and facts about beneficial and harmful insects in agriculture, formulates criticism of the overly hesitant policy to protect them.