Category: IDDRI

Germany's post-crisis recovery plan: some stimulus for the climate
Covid-19 / IDDRI

Germany’s post-crisis recovery plan: some stimulus for the climate

The German post-crisis recovery plan was unveiled by the coalition government on the night of June 3-4. With a total volume of €130 billion, and therefore much higher than initially expected, it provides for nearly €35 billion for climate-friendly investments, particularly in the transport sector and in the development of a hydrogen industry, partly based on the proposals made by Agora Energiewende.1 Although the initial assessment is rather positive, efforts are still required, particularly in the buildings sector, for the acceptability of renewable energies or the reduction of electricity taxation. The recovery plan as presented sends a strong signal regarding the direction the German economic and climate policy will take, as the country will take over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union as of July. 

Is teleworking a driver towards more sustainable lifestyles?
Covid-19 / IDDRI

Is teleworking a driver towards more sustainable lifestyles?

The lockdown period related to the Covid-19 pandemic was marked by the requirement to teleworking for those who could do so. The possibility of its large-scale development burst into the public debate. This blog post gives an overview of the associated issues, and suggests ways to explore in a broader way the possible impacts on our lifestyles of a generalisation of teleworking.

EU recovery plan: towards a greener recovery?
Covid-19 / IDDRI

EU recovery plan: towards a greener recovery?

The need for a greener recovery geared towards meeting environmental targets and climate neutrality, a subject of intense debate since the beginning of the crisis, is at the heart of the European recovery plan announced this week. The acceleration of the Green Deal is presented as one of the two pillars that should guide the European economic recovery, alongside the digital transition.

Health crisis and climate emergency: an opportunity to accelerate the diversification of oil companies' activities?
Covid-19 / IDDRI

Health crisis and climate emergency: an opportunity to accelerate the diversification of oil companies’ activities?

The years preceding the health crisis linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, marked in particular by the oil counter-shock of 2014 and the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015, saw the emergence of (weak) signals of diversification of the activity and investment of certain oil companies—essentially the European majors—towards low-carbon energies. While these announcements could have a knock-on effect on the sector, they are still very insufficient in view of the effort required to initiate a rapid and profound transition of the sector towards decarbonisation,2 and are contested by several civil society actors.

Towards a sustainable European food system: for a successful operationalisation of the "Farm to Fork" strategy
Covid-19 / IDDRI

Towards a sustainable European food system: for a successful operationalisation of the “Farm to Fork” strategy

European Commission published its Farm to Fork Strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system, one of the Green Deal’s 11 components. In its general principles, the strategy sets an ambitious course for the transformation of the entire sector, in line with recent scientific findings modelling sustainable food systems. Achieving the drafted objectives will, however, require going a step further by making this strategy the reference framework for the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the deployment of industrial strategies in the food sector (particularly in the context of the negotiations of the post-Covid-19 crisis recovery plans) and the (re)negotiation of international trade agreements.

Achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: A necessary horizon for the post-crisis recovery, but how to do it?
Covid-19 / IDDRI

Achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: A necessary horizon for the post-crisis recovery, but how to do it?

The current health crisis has shown, both in its emergence and in its impacts, multifaceted and interconnected risks and vulnerabilities, both in humanitarian and social, economic and environmental terms. Most of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals are concerned, individually and above all in their indivisibility, which constitutes the core and added value of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In the context of post-crisis reconstruction, more than ever, the implementation of this universal agenda is a necessity, particularly to reduce vulnerabilities to crises by optimising the interactions between the SDGs. This post proposes some avenues.

Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: prerequisites, and opportunities for the post-Covid-19 crisis
Covid-19 / IDDRI

Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: prerequisites, and opportunities for the post-Covid-19 crisis

With a view to supporting international discussions currently taking place within the United Nations’ SDG monitoring process, and to drawing attention to the aspects of the 2030 Agenda most relevant to the global crisis response (health, food, livelihoods, etc), this Issue Brief from IDDRI intends to provide professionals in the fields of development, diplomacy and finance with a strategic in-depth understanding of the complexity and challenges embedded in the issue of financing the 2030 Agenda; it also suggests avenues for more efficient financing processes in terms of principles, instruments and partnerships.

Under what conditions can the Covid-19 pandemic be a catalyst towards more sustainable lifestyles?
Covid-19 / IDDRI

Under what conditions can the Covid-19 pandemic be a catalyst towards more sustainable lifestyles?

The measures taken to fight the Covid-19 pandemic are changing our daily lives. Many see this as an opportunity to initiate more sustainable behaviours, and even hope that this experience of imposed sobriety will be transformed into a real awareness in favour of more virtuous lifestyles for the environment.

What the Covid-19 economic crisis could change to the development finance agenda
Covid-19 / IDDRI

What the Covid-19 economic crisis could change to the development finance agenda

For the second time over the last ten years, low-income economies are confronted with the challenge of overcoming a macro crisis they did not spark and for which they have disproportionally poor capacity to cope with compared to high-income countries. In this context, development finance institutions (DFIs) have an important role to play, both during the crisis and for the recovery.

The urgency of the crisis and a time to reflect together
Covid-19 / IDDRI

The urgency of the crisis and a time to reflect together

The crisis linked to the CoVid-19 epidemic now plunges all societies in the world into a state of exception and a strange war made of both a sanitary emergency and a suspended time, for an indefinite period. Each individual and each organisation is now making arrangements until further notice, with the shared feeling of a long period of uncertainty and deep questioning about the very foundations of our societies, our economies, and our ways of living together: our view of the world will necessarily be profoundly modified.