Tag: Development

Mind the Gap? Sketching the relevance of the 2030 Agenda for the Green Deal and other key EU policies in the context of the COVID-19 crisis
DIE / Publication

Mind the Gap? Sketching the relevance of the 2030 Agenda for the Green Deal and other key EU policies in the context of the COVID-19 crisis

The consequences of COVID-19 will shape European policies and politics for years to come. Europe is lacking behind particularly on the SDGs related to agriculture, climate change and biodiversity and in strengthening convergence of living standards across EU member states. The pandemic has made these SDGs even more difficult to achieve by 2030, and could derail progress on other SDGs as well.

Overcoming Covid-19 and preventing new crises. What role will research play in the “super year” 2021?
Covid-19 / DIE

Overcoming Covid-19 and preventing new crises. What role will research play in the “super year” 2021?

2020 was dominated by a collective global crisis on an unprecedented scale, the impact of which was felt differently around the globe and in parts of society. And the Covid-19 pandemic will continue to cast its shadow this year. The fight against Covid-19 and the recovery in the economy and society are coming at the same time as several major events in international environmental and climate policy.

Challenges for the development-security nexus in EU foreign policy
IAI / Blogs

Challenges for the development-security nexus in EU foreign policy

The development-security nexus has become a central concept for the European Union (EU) and other international actors. Key EU documents recognise the importance of the link between these two main domains of EU external affairs. This is part of a wider framework of the so-called triple nexus between humanitarian aid, development and security, which the European Commission aims to enhance to better respond to protracted crises.

Advancing EU-Africa cooperation in light of the African Continental Free Trade Area
ECDPM / DIE / Publication

Advancing EU-Africa cooperation in light of the African Continental Free Trade Area

The current policy brief lays out the obstacles to both AfCFTA implementation and realisation of its full economic potential. It also explores how the EU can engage in providing targeted support and how to strengthen AfCFTA-related cooperation between Africa and the EU. The analysis and recommendations draw on a review of the literature and policy documents by the German Development Institute (DIE), the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) and the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM), as well as two online expert seminars on 17 and 24 June 2020.

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.

Geopolitical Shifts and the Post-COVID World: Europe and the Multipolar System
Covid-19 / IAI

Geopolitical Shifts and the Post-COVID World: Europe and the Multipolar System

The full extent of COVID-19’s impact on global geopolitical balances cannot yet be assessed. Nevertheless, a number of trends are clearly emerging and these have already upset a number of balances which previously seemed unchangeable. COVID-19 is evidently not the cause of such changes, which had been well underway before the outbreak, but the pandemic has become a litmus test that has further thrust these developments under the political spotlight.

UN reform and the COVID-19 pandemic – what role for the UN to better serve the world?
Covid-19 / DIE

UN reform and the COVID-19 pandemic – what role for the UN to better serve the world?

The Covid-19 pandemic not only threatens to undo development gains and reverse progress in achieving the sustainable development goals of the 2030 Agenda. It also presents an early and serious test for the reform of the UN development system (UNDS), where major reform decisions were taken in 2018 to reposition the UNDS for improved, integrated and strategic support in line with the 2030 Agenda’s interlinked nature.