Ecology

Germany voted and Europe held its breath. Despite the bleak economic performance and outlook of Germany, the promise of ‘economy-centred election campaigns’ never materialized. Yet the list of economic policy homework for the new government is long and urgent. The possibility to form a two-party government of the Christian conservative CDU/CSU and social democratic SPD now needs to be translated into political action – in both Germany and the EU.

The European Commission finally unveiled the Clean Industrial Deal, a competitiveness-driven approach to decarbonisation, aimed at securing the EU as an attractive location for manufacturing, including for energy intensive industries, and promoting clean tech and new circular business models. We asked MEP Michael Bloss (Greens/EFA) what to expect, and how to conciliate competitiveness with just transition.

Three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Paul Hockenos compares the efforts of the EU and the US in view of weaning from Russian fossil fuels. On the ground, Ukraine’s transition to distributed renewables already rhymes with resilience against the aggressor.

Boosting passenger train transport is key for reducing greenhouse gas emissions of transport and for accelerating Europe’s energy transition. Are EU railways on track? Establishing a fair picture of the state of Europe’s passenger railways is a hard task. It is essentially a question of whether you see the train as half full or half empty. Jon Worth reports.

After years of setbacks, the UK is finally pushing ahead with two carbon capture and storage projects. While there is scepticism about the technology, says Ros Taylor, its supporters argue the cost is justified if the UK means to reach net zero.

Brace for impact: Trump is moving full-speed ahead with his reactionary agenda. Signing over 100 executive actions, he has declared the border with Mexico a national emergency, lifted restrictions for oil and gas drilling, withdrawn the US from the Paris Climate agreement and the World Health Organization, weakened AI safety regulation, and more.

On the campaign trail in 2024 and since the November election, former president Donald Trump has not let up in denying the tie between fossil-fuel use and global warming. His supporters include the world’s largest petroleum companies and they are expecting to be paid back. But it won’t happen on ‘day one,’ as he claims. 

Climate and species protection is indispensable – and costs money. Germany must not shirk its responsibilities in these areas by invoking the debt brake. Sources of financing are available – the next federal government should use them.

2024 was the year of the vote; more than 100 countries, representing nearly half of the global population, held elections this year. 2025 will be the year of political work, with governments implementing the policies and promises made. In this context, one central question is emerging: What is the role of the state and government in an era defined by profound political, economic and environmental challenges? And what capacity do governments have to deal with them?

Roderick Kefferpütz, Director of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung EU talks to Reinhard Bütikofer. He was Member of the European Parliament for the Green/EFA group for 15 years, from 2009 to 2024. During his time at the European Parliament, Reinhard Bütikofer focused on foreign affairs, international trade, and EU-China relations. He served as the chair of the EP delegation for relations with China and was a long-standing member of the delegation for relations with the United States. As Co-Chair of the European Green Party from 2012 to 2019, and as a Leader of the German Green Party from 2002 to 2008, he played an important role in shaping Green policies in Europe. In this episode, they delve into his insights on evolving global challenges, the trajectory of Green EU policies, and the future of EU-China relations, in a conversation filled with reflections, and strategies for addressing pressing global issues.