How fossil fuel money stalled Britain’s commitment to net zero Commentary Britain’s right-wing news outlets have sown doubt on the viability of net zero, and the government has pushed back targets and issued new licences for North Sea exploration. Hazel Healy explains how a group of influential think tanks whose donors and board members profit from fossil fuels have systematically undermined climate science and renewable technologies. Their connections to No 10 enable them to sway the Prime Minister and his ministers. By Hazel Healy
COP 28: Climate Conference in Dubai Dossier COP28 is being held under the banner of the urgently needed global energy transition: More and more governments and international civil society are calling for a global agreement on a rapid, comprehensive and just phase-out of all fossil fuels - coal, oil and gas. At the same time, there is a great risk that carbon capture and storage (CCS) and other risky technologies and carbon offsetting mechanisms will be promoted at COP28 in order to delay and water down the fossil fuel phase-out. This dossier contains analyses and comments on the most important negotiating points. By Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
Laundering captured carbon: how CCS produces more oil Analysis Though many authors write that captured CO2 can and is being safely buried deep underground in geologic formations or depleted oil and gas reservoirs, most articles fail to mention that the overwhelmingly single biggest use of all captured CO2 is to directly produce more oil. By L. Michael Buchsbaum
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
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
22nd Foreign Policy Conference Online conference The aggravating climate crisis has made the implementation of the Paris Agreement a central issue in German and European foreign policy. Nevertheless, the integration of climate and foreign policy is still fraught with uncertainties, both in its geostrategic and in its operational dimension. The 22nd Foreign Policy Conference of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung will focus on current debates at the intersection of foreign and climate policy and assess the prospects for a new carbon-neutral foreign policy.
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
“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