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Germanwatch Blog

From policy to impact, get the expert take on the issues shaping our world.

Nebel hängt über Bäumen im Amazonas-Regenwald

Blog post | 13.03.2024

Climate Goals out of Reach if Forest Loss Continues

Deforestation was one of the crucial issues at COP28 in Dubai. The negotiation outcome underscored its importance for the first time with a goal of ending global deforestation by 2030. Notwithstanding, deforestation continues. What exactly was decided at COP28? And where is more action needed?

Ein schlammiger Lastwagen liegt nach einem Unwetter auf einer Straße

Dealing with the impacts of climate change Blog post | 21.12.2023

Unprecedented Fury: Extreme Weather Events of 2023

Scorching heat, heavy rainfalls, raging wildfires, deadly floods, and devastating storms – the manifestations of extreme weather events have become a common phenomenon around the globe. In this blog post we give an overview of the extreme weather events occurring in 2023 and show why it is imperative that nations, communities, and individuals take concerted action to mitigate the root causes of climate change, adapt to its impacts, and work towards a more sustainable and resilient future.

UN climate conferences Blog post | 18.12.2023

UN Climate Summit: The beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era has been heralded

The UN climate summit in Dubai concluded on 13 December after a 24-hour extension. While this year’s COP28 sends a strong signal overall, this should not distract from the weaknesses contained in the final decision, which could jeopardise implementation. The experts at Germanwatch have conducted an initial assessment of the negotiations, including the most important decisions and events. Their findings are presented here.

UN Headquarters Geneva

UN climate conferences Dealing with the impacts of climate change Blog post | 02.11.2023

Why the success of COP28 depends on the fund for loss and damage

The climate crisis continues to intensify worldwide. However, the main culprits of the climate crisis have so far shown a lack of financial support for dealing with loss and damage. The decision to set up a loss and damage fund at COP27 was a historic milestone after several developed countries had blocked it for many years. At COP28 in Dubai, the fund must now be made operable and filled adequately.

Hafenkräne im Halbdunkeln

Climate finance Global trade Blog post | 26.10.2023

Germany's new export credit guidelines to boost clean energy investment

Germany’s Ministry for Economic Affairs has announced new climate related sector guidelines for export credit guarantees and investment guarantees that would prevent support for almost all new fossil fuel projects from 1 November onwards. A limited number of gas projects may still receive support if they fulfil national security requirements or prove they can aid short term supply shortages, which is unlikely to be the case. Third countries are concerned about the potential drop in investment; this should be addressed by investing the billions now saved from servicing fossil fuel projects in clean energy instead.

Sign in front of the Inter-American Development Bank, BID, in Washington.

Climate finance Blog post | 12.07.2023

The IDB’s Paris Alignment approach sets out important principles but highlights concerns over timeline and rigour

In March 2023 the IDB Group published its “Paris Alignment Implementation Approach: Principles, Methodology, and Technical Guidance” (PAIA). The document is based on the joint MDB framework and lays out how the IDB plans to adapt the framework to its own institutional procedures. This blog post provides an overview on what are promising, concerning and unclear elements in the IDB Group’s general Paris alignment methodology.

Info graphic about the different stages of the DPP

Future-proof Digitalisation Blog post | 06.06.2023

Paving the way for the circular economy: The EU's Digital Product Passport

As part of the European Green Deal, the EU has committed to making European product markets more sustainable, with circularity playing a key role. To achieve this goal, the EU is planning to introduce a Digital Product Passport for a wide range of products. In the future, the Digital Product Pass could foster new market opportunities for business models that strengthen the circular economy. To do so, it must be designed in such a way that it is particularly empowering for actors in the fields of product life cycle extension.

Foto des World Bank Gebäudes

Climate finance Blog post | 10.05.2023

The World Bank’s sector notes encourage the consideration of transitions, but lack sufficient detail to ensure full alignment with the Paris Agreement

Following the release of their ‘Instrument Methods’ for Paris alignment, the World Bank Group published accompanying sector notes for Energy and Extractives; Agriculture and Food; Transport; Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy; Water; as well as Urban, Resilience, Disaster Risk Management, and Land. The notes detail the approach to assess whether different types of projects in these sectors are aligned with the Paris Agreement. The World Bank Group will update the notes, and will publish six more for additional sectors. In this blog we look at whether the approaches in the notes are sufficient to avoid financial flows that conflict with the Paris Agreement.

Man testing the sea ice

UN climate conferences Blog post | 03.05.2023

How to Measure Countries’ Climate Performance

There are several metrics and possibilities to measure the performance of climate policies and actions, which differ in methodology and indicator choice. Our Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) measures the climate performance of 59 countries (and the EU) that are collectively responsible for over 90% of global emissions. All major economies and many emerging economies are included. The CCPI is based on criteria including the country’s emissions levels, energy use, and use of renewable energy, as well as its climate policies (find more about our methodology here). Other indexes place their focus in different areas and this post will examine those, as well, giving credit where due, because all the indexes serve an important role. This post examines the importance of scientific climate performance indexes, and how you can understand them.

Rauchende Schornsteine in der Abenddämmerung

EU climate policy and carbon pricing Blog post | 03.05.2023

Which European Countries are the Worst Climate Polluters, and Why?

Year after year, the CCPI finds economically developed countries from the Global North, including many EU countries, contributed disproportionally to global warming. Factors such as high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, lagging climate policy, and high energy use are responsible for a low rank in the CCPI. However, which are the worst polluters, and why? The CCPI can identify them in several easy-to-understand ways. It shows their poor climate performance and opportunities for them to improve on it and take effective climate action.

Bloggers

Christoph Bals

Chief Policy Officer

Jan Burck

Senior Advisor – Low-Carbon Strategies & Energy, Project Lead Climate Indices (On leave until 31.08.2025)

Oldag Caspar

Head of Division – German and European Climate Policy

David Eckstein

Senior Advisor – Climate Finance and Investments

Dr. Anja Carolin Gebel

Policy Advisor – Development Banks and Climate

Julia Grimm

Senior Advisor – Climate Finance and Adaptation

Cornelia Heydenreich

Head of Division – Corporate Accountability

Klaus Milke

Honorary Chairman Germanwatch and Chair of the Foundation for Sustainability

Stefan Rostock

Head of Division – Education for Sustainable Development, Promoter for Climate & Development in North Rhine-Westphalia

Laura Schäfer

Head of Division – International Climate Policy

Rixa Schwarz

Senior Advisor – Climate and Development – India

Dr. Manfred Treber

Special Advisor - Climate Science and Transport

Lutz Weischer

On parental leave // Head of Policy Berlin