COP 27: Climate Change Conference in Sharm El Sheikh Dossier From 6 to 18 November 2022, the 27th UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) will take place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. This COP puts a focus on the support of the countries of the Global South by the richer industrialised countries, which are responsible for most of the greenhouse gas emissions. The poorer countries are demanding financial compensation for the massive losses and damage already caused by the climate crisis. Meeting the Paris 1.5 degree limit requires a rapid phase-out of coal, oil and gas, not empty "net zero" promises that rely on risky technologies or compensation mechanisms. Moreover, COP27 comes against the backdrop of the human rights crisis and the repression of civil society in Egypt.
Africans ready to take the bull by the horn to COP27 Commentary Africa will host international climate talks on 6-18 November 2022 and the African Union has been busy trying to get the rest of the world’s attention on the continent's expectations in the lead up to COP27. Of course, COP27 expectations are matched only by their disappointments. However, Africans are not leaving the fate of its people to chance. By Michael Davies-Venn
Climate pragmatism or Faustian bargain? What the new US climate law does—and where it fails Analysis The Inflation Reduction Act is seen as an expression of climate pragmatism by some and a Faustian bargain with the fossil fuel industry by others. What exactly is it? By Liane Schalatek
“The keyword must be greater European capacity for action” Interview Anna Lührmann, Minister of State for Europe and Climate at the German Federal government, talks to Christine Pütz about the results of the "Actually European?! 2022" study and what the citizens expect from Germany’s European policy at this “turning point in history”. By Dr. Anna Lührmann and Dr. Christine Pütz
50 Years of International Environmental Policy Dossier The conference “Stockholm+50: A healthy planet for the prosperity of all - our responsibility, our opportunity” takes place five decades after the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment. In this dossier we do not only look back at 50 years of global environmental policy, but also forward: What can we do better now to ensure the necessary transformation still succeeds? By Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
Underscored by the algorithm: AI's impacts on labour and environment Commentary What are the impacts of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on human labour and the environment? How do legislative proposals for regulating AI in Europe and Brazil respond to these impacts beyond discussions on surveillance and automated decision-making bias? By José Renato Laranjeira de Pereira and Thiago Guimarães Moraes
Feminist perspectives on global environmental justice Dossier Environmental and climate crises are not gender neutral. They disproportionately affect people already facing multiple forms of discrimination. If feminist environmental policy is to extend beyond the effects on women, it needs to combine gender and ecological expertise. This dossier features a selection of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung's contributions over recent decades to international debates on environmental and gender justice. To combat both discriminatory power relations and resource destruction, the foundation's international offices have launched environmental projects that pursue these cross-cutting policies. By Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
Green transition in the global framework Analysis The concept of “just transition” has so far arrived in Eastern and Southeastern Europe only as a fragment of nice environmental jargon. There is a lack of protagonists strong enough to create conditions for a more powerful social and political impact. In order to act within ecological limits and remain below a warming of 1.5° Celsius, we must also consume less. Until now, consumption, like growth, has been equated with well-being and prosperity. By Vedran Horvat
Bosnia and Herzegovina: dismantling monopolies in the green transition Analysis Bosnia-Herzegovina wants to phase out fossil fuels by 2050. For the country, which is largely dependent on coal, this is a serious turning point. However, the word "transition", which is often used for this process, is rather hated by the population, because it is not associated with equality and justice, but rather with an enriching political elite. By Majda Ibraković
The mobility of families: a key factor in the transition towards emissions-free cities and transport European Mobility Atlas 2021 Small steps are necessary to implement big changes. More specifically, the steps of society’s youngest members. If the way families move shifts towards a more sustainable (and less car-centred) mode, a considerable reduction of emissions of the traffic sector can be achieved. By Hendrikje Lučić