Environmental Policy
Sustainable Europe?
I am glad this week’s theme is called ‘sustainability’ and not ‘the environment’. The ‘environment’ always sounds like something you look at out of the window, or visit at the weekend. However what is on the agenda now is much more than that, it is about whether we can sustain the capacity of the [...]
Green Transport – The Next Step in Europe’s Climate Strategy
Reviewing and improving its climate protection strategy will be one of the main challenges facing Europe over the next couple of months. Generating new ideas and ensuring adequate preparation are essential before the world resumes negotiations in Mexico. During her hearing in the European Parliament’s Environment Committee, the new Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard, [...]
Time to Put the Cards on the Table
On the 31st of January 2010, it is time to put the cards on the table. The ‘Copenhagen Accord’, a document that was presented during the last plenary session of COP 15 and which serves as a basis for the international negotiations until the next climate conference in Mexico at the end of 2010, requests [...]
Lessons learned? Perspectives for post-Copenhagen
The UN climate summit in Copenhagen has failed to achieve its main purpose: To seal a global deal that will lead the way towards a low-carbon world. There can be no doubt about this dramatic shortcoming. Despite all the public attention and all the scientific recommendations for immediate action, over 100 heads of states and [...]
Overcoming the Economic Recession with Green Policies: An Opportunity we cannot afford to miss!
There is no need to choose between environmental protection, economic development and social justice.
A socially just and environmentally sustainable future where markets serve the people and economic growth respects the planet is possible. I hope that the Conference of the parties in Copenhagen will lead the world forward along the path to a true [...]
Protecting Tropical Forests – More than a side event in the run up to Copenhagen
Deforestation and its impacts as a topic of international climate negotiations have been underestimated for too long. While the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC calculates that deforestation accounts for around 20 percent of global greenhouse gases, recent scientific findings emphasise that this figure might be much higher. Therefore, deforestation comes after energy supply and [...]
Adapting to Climate Change: A Test for sustainable Policymaking
The international climate negotiations in Copenhagen are just a few days away and we can already see parties moving towards the final showdown. Debates about national commitments are heating up and diplomatic efforts are getting more and more serious. Despite this growing attention, public debates are primarily concentrating on the nature of reduction targets, on [...]
A strong Outcome in Copenhagen is our only Chance
The year 2009 will be crucial for the future of our climate and our environment. In 1992, the Earth Summit and in 1997, the adoption of the Kyoto protocol already laid the basis for this next milestone year. For the Copenhagen Summit from 7th to 18th December 2009, the world’s countries have dedicated themselves to [...]