News
A historic day for climate mitigation
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European Court of Human Rights rules on climate cases
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) makes legal history with its landmark rulings on three climate litigation cases. The court made clear that climate change poses a major threat to human rights as protected by the Human Rights Convention. Every state is responsible for safeguarding the lives of its citizens from the climate crisis. A precedent that has an impact on all EU member states, including Germany. An analysis by Roda Verheyen and Gerd Winter.
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Publication
The Handprint Concept: Changing Structures towards Sustainability
Handprint Concept
We are excited to present the English translation of the Handprint concept ‘Changing structures towards sustainability’. The Handprint is the base of our educational activities at Germanwatch and focuses on the transformative power of political engagement. It helps us gradually transform our society so that everyone can act with sustainability. 
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Publication
Shaping a circular future
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Key elements of the Ecodesign Regulation for transforming product design

Design plays a crucial role in determining the circularity of a product, including factors such as repairability, recyclability, or the potential for refurbishment and remanufacturing. The Ecodesign for Sustainable Product Regulation (ESPR) establishes a new framework for setting ecodesign requirements for products and is therefore crucial to enable a circular economy. At present, the EU Commission, the Council and the European Parliament are negotiating the ESPR in the so-called trilogue. In this policy brief, we highlight five key issues that need to be considered to make the final version of the Regulation as effective as possible and to promote more durable and circular products.

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Blogpost
Paving the way for the circular economy: The EU's Digital Product Passport
Info graphic about the different stages of the DPP
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.
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News
Sustainable Digitalisation – Book gives 28 Impulses
Titelseite der Publikation
The book ‘Shaping Digital Transformation for a Sustainable Society’ shows how society can become digitally sustainable. It contains 28 contributions from 68 authors hailing from civil society, research, and practical experience, discussing challenges of digitalisation and how digital politics can and must be designed for sustainabilty.
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Publication
Climate Transparency Report 2022
Climate Transparency Report Title Page
Comparing G20 Climate Action towards Net Zero - The Highlights
The G20 countries have a special role to combat climate change - they are responsible for a majority of global emissions. This year’s Climate Transparency Report shows that G20 members are undermining climate efforts and fossil fuel production subsidies surge to highest levels ever in 2021.
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News
Open letter: A bold and transformative Social Climate Fund is needed, now more than ever
Logoteppich: NGOs, die den Brief unterzeichnet haben
A reform of the emissions trading system (ETS) is currently being discussed at EU level. Proposed by the European Commission, this includes the extension of carbon pricing to the sectors of road transport and buildings, as well as the supplementary launch of a Social Climate Fund (SCF) for social compensation. In an open letter, Germanwatch, together with 37 other organizations, calls for the new ETS not to be seen as a further burden for Europeans, but as an effective response to the energy and climate crisis.
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Publication
European Regulation on Responsible Mineral Sourcing
Title Page Workshop Report
What are the lessons learned so far for the upcoming review and new legislative proposals?
In September 2021, a three-day online workshop brought together more than fifty representatives of Colombian, Congolese and European civil society organisations to discuss the European Regulation on Responsible Sourcing implementation. This workshop was followed by a public online conference where civil societies addressed their concerns to EU representatives and presented their recommendations. This document aims to summarise the main recommendations.
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Publication
Environmental responsibility through supply chains – what is needed from the perspective of Latin American civil society
Titelbild der Studie Environmental Responsibility Through Supply Chains

In the context of several European legislative processes on supply chains this study emphasizes the importance of binding legislation for companies to comply with environmental aspects in addition to human rights along their supply chains.

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Antibiotic Appeal 2021
Antibiotics Appeal
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