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Long-term stability and prosperity in the Western Balkans is closely interlinked with the fate of the EU. A positive development in the region and the maintenance of good relations are in the EU’s strategic interest. Geopolitical interests continue to compete in the Western Balkans: China is increasingly rivalling ideas of international solidarity and co-operation offered by the EU. This has become most apparent during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis that followed. The new momentum of recently extended financial support should be the starting point for a more serious cooperation with the Western Balkans on the energy transition. The German EU Presidency in the second half of this year should focus on making energy transition partnerships a reality. This is an opportunity that the EU should not miss.
The 11th meeting of the Executive Committee of the Warsaw Inernational Mechanism took place at the beginning of the corona crisis and therefore faced severe organisational challenges. It was held virtually, which posed challenges like internet connectivity problems and lack of possibilities for inclusive participation. Topics of this meeting were for example to discuss inter alia COP25 outcomes like the establishment of the “Santiago network on loss and damage” and the "Expert Group on action and support".
The report covers the key expectations for the meeting, the outcomes, the special corona context as well as recommendations on the way forward and necessary next steps.
Severe heat waves, drought and flooding: Extreme weather events are massive challenges especially for poor and vulnerable countries - but also high-income countries are threatened more and more by climate risks. The Global Climate Risk Index, published today by the environmental think tank Germanwatch, shows that in 2018 industrialized countries like Japan and Germany were hit hardest by heat waves and severe drought. The Philippines were hit by the most powerful typhoon recorded worldwide in 2018.
Under the motto "Time to act", the 25th Conference of the Parties (COP25) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will take place from 2 to 13 December 2019 in Madrid, Spain, under Chile's presidency. After all, it is finally time for action in the logic of the UN negotiations. Following the decisions of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015 and its implementation rules last year, nothing stands in the way of decisive action.
Multi-Actor-Partnerships offer an approach to address complex challenges through cooperation between actors from civil society, politics, the private sector and academia. The short film outlines the relevant framework conditions and criteria for a successful partnership. An example from India illustrates the advantages of this approach.
The short film illustrates how cooperation between actors from civil society, politics, the private sector and academia helps to incorporate different perspectives and backgrounds in solutions to complex challenges. The example of climate risk insurance in Kenya illustrates the implementation of this approach.
The role sustainable lifestyles can play in achieving a paradigm shift to sustainability is acknowledged in both the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement of 2015. They can be defined as “responsible living with our total surrounding and ourselves”, thus including aspects like global equity (see previous blogpost). Nevertheless, the vast majority of scientific literature focuses on ecological sustainability.