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The "electricity market" White Paper published by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) puts forward practical proposals for implementing key projects in the Federal Government's short-term plan for achieving the energy transition. In general the WWF and Germanwatch view the BMWi's proposed measures as a good basis for the forthcoming debate. If carried through, these measures could form the cornerstone of a credible climate policy. However, the following remarks are limited to the analysis and evaluation of the new climate policy instrument for securing an adequate CO2 reduction contribution by the power sector. Only a short appraisal is given of the other three proposals.

From 9-10th April 2015, the 25th meeting of the Adaptation Fund Board (AFB), the operating body of the Adaptation Fund, will take place in Bonn, Germany. In the two days prior to the meeting, the Board members will convene in their respective committees: the Ethics and Finance Committee (EFC) and the Project and Pro-gramme Review Committee (PPRC).

This is the Climate Finance Advisory Service (CFAS) Daily Briefing. Produced at key meetings and negotiations by the CFAS expert team, the Daily Briefings try to provide a concise, informative update on key discussions that have taken place at each day of the meeting and give an overview of substantive points of action or progress. Please note that this is an independent summary by CFAS and not officially mandated by the SCF.

This is the Climate Finance Advisory Service (CFAS) Daily Briefing. Produced at key meetings and negotiations by the CFAS expert team, the Daily Briefings try to provide a concise, informative update on key discussions that have taken place at each day of the meeting and give an overview of substantive points of action or progress. Please note that this is an independent summary by CFAS and not officially mandated by the SCF.

Working in IT-production can entail lethal consequences: workers are often exposed to hazardous chemicals and suffer from a higher cancer risk. Therefore, Germanwatch supports a challenge presented to the electronic industry to reduce the use of hazardous chemicals and to guarantee a better protection of workers and environment.

A person affected by climate change has made the unprecedented move to launch a claim against a European carbon major, demanding that the company contribute to urgently needed protective measures: Peruvian citizen Saúl Luciano Lliuya, with the help of the renowned environmental lawyer Dr. Roda Verheyen (Hamburg), demands payment for safety works from German utility RWE. Mr Luciano Lliuya’s property as well as large parts of his hometown Huaraz are prone to a so-called glacial lake outburst flood from Lake Palcacocha located upstream from the city.

This document summarizes the outcomes of a working group exercise discussing the perspectives of civil society representatives on renewable energy policy making in Morocco. The working group took place during the "Conférence sur Les Changements Climatiques au Maroc" which was organized by the Heinrich Böll Foundation on the February 10th, 2015 in Rabat.

In 2015 the Adaptation Committee (AC) enters the last year of its work plan. While it will carry out the remaining activities this year, it is now also time to draft a new work plan for the phase 2016-2018. The challenges are multifold: Demands from countries to implement National Adaptation Plans will increase at the same time learning from a first set of adaptation initiatives and programmes will have to be systematically enhanced.

In December 2014 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon presented a Synthesis Report on the Post-2015 Agenda: "The Road to Dignity by 2030: Ending Poverty, Transforming All Lives and Protecting the Planet". On January 14, 2015 Germanwatch prepared a statement directed to the authors of the report.

Germany currently faces a political challenge towards the transformation of its energy system, known as "Energiewende." Many people associate the "Energiewende" in Germany with the nuclear catastrophe in Fukushima 2011. However, the starting point for the German "Energiewende" is rooted in the increasing environmental awareness and the anti-nuclear movement of the 70s. In the 70s, the term "Energiewende" had already been coined and was used by nuclear opponents, who searched for alternative forms of energy supply...