In Focus

More than ever before, this year of natural disasters, compounded by wars and a global energy crisis, has brought the security threats that come with climate change to the fore. At COP27 the state of global insecurity was left largely unaddressed within the official negotiations. However, the crucial debates around climate reparations for vulnerable countries have parenthetically strengthened the case for preventive action, which is an important entry-point to tackle climate-related insecurity.

From unprecedented flooding in Yellowstone National Park to historic wildfires right outside of London, climate change once again directly altered many people’s lives in the United States and Europe this summer. Yet climate change still disproportionately affects vulnerable nations that have contributed least to the problem, a fact made devastatingly clear by the ongoing flooding crises in Pakistan and Sudan, for example, where more than 30 million people have been displaced and where disease and widespread hunger now threaten further losses.

Even under optimistic assumptions, Europe is likely to need significant amounts of imported energy, mostly hydrogen and derivatives, like synthetic fuels and ammonia, to become climate neutral. So now is the time to start thinking about how to secure the EU’s future import needs.

Asia’s economies continue to grow, resulting in environmental degradation and pressure on natural resources. The EU’s SWITCH-Asia programme seeks to support sustainable consumption and production (SCP) patterns. Since 2008, adelphi has played a role in these efforts in various ways.

To achieve their climate goals, many cities look beyond their own horizons and seek exchange in networks. How does this translate into tangible and long-lasting impact? Over three years, adelphi led the cooperation among 34 municipalities within the project Bridging European and Local Climate Action (BEACON). Here are selected impact stories.

There are increasing signs that negotiations on a global agreement on plastic pollution will begin in February 2022. In an article published in the journal Science, we and other experts present three key objectives and a number of supporting actions that such an intergovernmental agreement needs to effectively fight the flood of plastic.

Global net zero emissions by mid-century – the ambitious but necessary target required to limit global temperature increases to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. It forms the backbone of the 2015 Paris Agreement and now also many countries’ climate trajectories, policies and, increasingly, laws. 

In December 2019, the European Commission launched its masterplan for a sustainable future: the European Green Deal (EUGD). This set of policy initiatives touches upon virtually every part of the bloc’s economy and is Europe’s overarching strategy for long-term prosperity, green growth, and recovery in a post-pandemic world. Its most prominent objective is to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Achieving this goal will require all parts of the Green Deal to come together. But one policy approach will be relevant across the board: putting a robust and just price on carbon emissions.

On March 3, 2021, the German federal cabinet passed the draft of a national due diligence law. adelphi played a significant role in the consultation and research on corporate due diligence in supply and value chains. The new law represents a critical first step, and now additional action must follow in order to establish effective corporate due diligence for the long term.

With the Biden administration, Germany will be able to strengthen its energy transition cooperation with the USA. Based on a new study, Raffaele Piria of adelphi and Kirsten Westphal of the German Institute of International and Security Affairs (SWP) argue in an article for the German daily newspaper Tagesspiegel that green hydrogen offers Germany and the US the opportunity to develop a discourse on transatlantic energy trade that is compatible with their respective climate ambitions.

Climate change challenges water security – and water security increases climate resilience. The topic of the World Water Day 2020 “Water and Climate Change” aims to highlight the immense impact that climate change will have on the availability of clean water – but also the crucial role that wise water management plays in adapting to and mitigating climate change. adelphi investigates the complex interdependencies between water management and climate change and provides advice for policy-makers and practitioners to enhance climate resilience.

Issues like the climate crisis and the fear of social change are having major effects on our society. There is a growing sentiment of distrust for political institutions. Alexander Carius, Managing Director of Berlin-based think tank adelphi and co-founder of the Open Society Initiative, explores these issues in an interview with the German magazine polis.

Extreme weather events will continue to increase in Germany. How vulnerable we are depends on a variety of factors, and vulnerability assessments help to explore these factors. Urban areas, for example, are especially affected by heavy rainfall. In new research, adelphi examines the current state of heavy rain preparedness in Germany and formulates recommendations for adaptation strategies – strategies relevant to individual citizens as well as the public and private sectors.

With Global Recycling Day, the world marks the significance of the circular economy for a sustainable future. Where do we currently stand in the transformation? In an interview, Morton Hemkhaus explains where we've made progress and what problems remain to be solved.

A climate policy year full of negotiations is entering its final spurt. The finish line is marked by the Paris rulebook, the contours of which are still blurred even after a week of final negotiations at COP24 in Katowice, Poland.

With its mixed record, Germany is no longer at the forefront of climate policy. What is missing above all is a clear price tag on carbon emissions that encourages climate-friendly behaviour among consumers and manufacturers. By Constanze Haug, Johannes Ackva, Toby Bernstein, Alexander Eden and Andreas Schneller.

The costs of the status quo of water management in Central Asia are very significant, and every country in the region – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – loses out from lack of cooperation over water. In an interview with NEXUS, Benjamin Pohl describes how much better Central Asia could do through closer water cooperation.

Self-driving cars, robots performing surgeries, algorithms issuing verdicts — all of this is to become possible through the increasing connectivity of our world. Digital change permeates and transforms our society. How we understand and shape this change will have a significant impact on how we will evolve as a society and whether we will be able to deal with the great environmental and development challenges of our time.

With globalization under attack now more than ever, companies — supported by governments, consumers, and civil society — need to show in a convincing manner that they can manage their supply chains in an effective way and act like responsible global citizens, writes Daniel Weiss in his blog post for Devex.

A year ago, adelphi and its partner started to support local banks across the EU through capacity building measures within the scope of the Private Finance for Energy Efficiency programme. Now it's time for the project team to share experiences made and to reflect on the challenges of energy efficiency finance in Europe.

The Mekong River is vital, serving more than 66 million people. As the changing climate is likely to intensify water-related challenges in the river basin, more time and resources are needed to support adaptation. But instead the Mekong River Commission (MRC) is seeing funding cuts. Sabine Blumstein shares three reasons for more climate diplomacy in her recent article for China Water Risk. 

With Donald Trump threatening to back away from climate action, Germany needs to save the Paris momentum. A clear roadmap must thus be developed for turning away from fossil fuels and creating an equivalent renewable energy substitute, write Lina Li, Julia Melnikova and Dennis Tänzler in a recent blog post for Thomson Reuters News.

As long as international climate negotiations did not move forward, they served as a convenient alibi for insufficient climate change mitigation. Now there's no longer any excuse for the international community's inaction, note Dennis Tänzler and Rocio Garcia in advance of the climate conference in Marrakesh (COP22).

Cities are not only growing in population, but also becoming increasingly diverse and ethnically heterogeneous. Franziska Schreiber explains the pivotal role of urban planners in fostering social cohesion and advancing sustainable urban development.

The new global pact to fight climate change has the potential to be a global solidarity contract for the 21st century. This will occur if the demands to promote decarbonisation and strengthening of resilience are pursued equally, immediately and systematically during implementation.

When climate change exacerbates conflicts and crises, resilience must be the compass for foreign policy. A report to the G7 Member States identifies seven compound climate-fragility risks and recommends concrete actions to address them.

Water diplomacy is crucial for preventing conflict and harnessing the benefits of cooperative water management. On Sept 3 2014, adelphi released an expert report at the World Water Week on how to enhance hydro-diplomacy.