Ecology

Corrupt politicians have been systematically plundering public budgets and natural resources in the Western Balkans for years. Increasingly, international actors are also discovering an El Dorado for dubious investments in these countries.

With the floods in northern Germany, the relaxation of the country’s debt brake is back on the agenda. But instead of always returning to the same debates, what is finally needed is sustainable reform. A new study shows what this could look like and sets out the options for financing climate protection over the short term.

Smart energy technologies can enable citizens to benefit from cheap renewable energy. They potentially optimise the use of our energy infrastructure, promising lower societal costs. However, one-size-fits-all solutions will not work when it comes to their daily use – with potentially significant risks to vulnerable households already struggling with fuel poverty. An inclusive smart energy transition should target the consumers most in need with more nuanced policies.

2023 was a particularly challenging year. With the highest number of conflicts since 1945, we saw a world at war. It was the hottest year in recorded history, with “climate records tumbling like dominoes”. Challenges don’t disappear with a new year; we know that 2024 will be demanding. This year’s super election cycle is also testimony to the resilience of democracy and offers an opportunity for like-minded states to come together to solve shared challenges. 

Deforestation — the widespread clearing of forests for various purposes — has become a critical global issue with profound environmental, social, and economic consequences. Driven by factors like agriculture, logging, and urban expansion, this destructive practice exacerbates climate change, threatens biodiversity, and jeopardizes communities worldwide. In this report, we explore the multifaceted reasons why deforestation requires immediate attention and action.

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.

In August, wildfires in Evros killed a group of people, including children, passing along a well-trodden migration route. Locals and politicians made the victims scapegoats for the disaster. First piece of our 2023 Climate Disinformation Fellowship by Giorgos Christides and Katy Fallon. Photos by Alexandros Avramidis.

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.

This article reflects on the potential links between the CAP and the proposal for a European Framework for Sustainable Food Systems (SFS). This integration is challenging, but possible. Constructive interdisciplinary dialogue and pro-active cooperation at multiple-level of governance should not be replaced by time wasting, biased strategic dialogues, as is now proposed. The upcoming European elections and future of food and farming cannot inherit this logic of postponing.

In this edition of the Böll.Thema magazine, we aim to deliver insights into emerging trends in resource extraction, associated challenges, and, most importantly, the prospects for transformation.