Climate & Environmental Policy

The reclamation of seed as a common good has begun. Following the concept of open source, new approaches evolve that result in the cultivation of a large number of species and varieties.

The Green Climate Fund is important for implementing the Paris Agreement and for setting important standards for global climate finance. The financial viability of the fund, however, is by no means guaranteed. 

We toured the US Appalachia region with energy expert Timon Wehnert to visit communities in Kentucky, New York, and Pennsylvania and see how they are transitioning from a coal-based economy. 

A discussion in Whitesburg, Kentucky featured a talk by Timon Wehnert of the Wuppertal Institute as part of a tour of US coal communities sponsored by the Heinrich Böll Foundation North America.

With states, cities, and citizens willing to double down and move ahead with climate commitments, the global community can still count on many Americans’ willingness to act responsibly in support of global climate actions, even if their White House is not. Unfortunately, such activism will not make up for the failure of the Trump administration to make good on its international climate finance obligation.

With severe climate impacts for the most vulnerable countries on the rise, adaptation is no longer sufficient. Significant loss and damage must be accounted for. This discussion paper looks at how financing for loss and damage should be governed and what institutions, approaches and methodologies are necessary.

How some former coal regions have transformed themselves in preparation for life after coal.

As policymakers in Ohio and elsewhere look to modernize their aging electric grid, concepts in Germany’s changing energy system suggest how today’s decisions can set the stage for a greater share of renewables and more energy security.