Still on track? The UN Climate Conference has to prove that the Paris Agreement is working

Five years after the Paris Climate Agreement entered into force and one year after the COVID-enforced hiatus, the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (“COP26”) will convene in the Scottish city of Glasgow on 31 October. At long last! Amongst its most important tasks will be advancing the implementation of the Paris Agreement by resolving the remaining issues surrounding its rules for implementation.

Supporting the Global South in tackling climate change: where is the G20 heading?

A recent IAI study has argued that several shortcomings in the climate and development finance systems undermine the capacity of countries in the Global South to tackle climate change¹. Insufficient resources, lack of focus on adaptation, inadequate management of climate risks, the vicious circle between indebtedness and climate vulnerability are some of the major obstacles.

ETTG paper DIE/ECDPM/ACET - Green Transitions in Africa–Europe relations: What role for the European Green Deal?

Green Transitions in Africa–Europe relations: What role for the European Green Deal?

Europe–Africa relations are facing a double challenge – the COVID-19 pandemic puts social and economic systems under strain at a point when the consequences of the climate crisis are being increasingly felt on both continents. Within Africa and Europe, debates have started about recovery measures to address the pandemic’s short and medium-term socio-economic consequences. A key question in these debates is how to “build back better” and use the crisis to promote green transitions and move towards more sustainable development pathways.

COVID-19 in the Arctic. How the EU’s new Arctic policy should take account of the pandemic

COVID-19 in the Arctic. How the EU’s new Arctic policy should take account of the pandemic

“What happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic. It affects us all.”
The EU intends to play a pioneering role in the future, armed with a “clear and coherent Arctic policy”. If this is to succeed, the EU will need to take the lessons learned from the pandemic into account because COVID-19 has exacerbated existing inequalities and challenges in the region, particularly in terms of infrastructure and healthcare.

EU recovery plan: towards a greener recovery?

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.

A chance to build a better future. From COVID-19 to climate action

A chance to build a better future. From COVID-19 to climate action

The lockdowns in response to the outbreak of COVID-19 have had immediate effects on the environment and caused a dip in global CO2 emissions. Germany may even reach its climate target for 2020 according to forecasts. However, there is no reason to be cheerful. The pandemic and its consequences may seriously set back climate action around the globe.

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

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.