This paper takes a close look at the status quo of public climate change finance post-Cancun and proposes the use of existing core principles and tools of international environmental law and human rights as the fundamental conceptual guide.
…. this is the condensed conclusion of the final report – recently released – of the UN Secretary-General’s High-level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing (AGF), which was tasked with trying to find ways to raise US$100 billion per year by 2020 for mitigation and adaptation actions in developing countries. This number — far less than what many experts believe is really needed — was the sort of political compromise, the lowest common financial denominator, leaders came up with at last year’s international climate negotiations in Copenhagen.
The Heinrich Boell Foundation has published a new report on greening the budget by pricing carbon and cutting environmental harmful subsidies. The publication provides lessons on how greening the budget combines fiscal responsibility with the environmental sensibility that is inevitable for a sustainable future.
Germany has become the world leader in the development, manufacturing, and deployment of renewable energy technologies. By applying some of the lessons learned in Germany, Midwestern states such as Indiana, Michigan, and Minnesota could strengthen their renewable policies, build truly local industries, and create new, well-paying jobs.
From May 30th to June 4th, 2010, Transatlantic Climate fellow Dan Conrad (North Carolina Conservation Network) visited Berlin and Prague to meet with experts and officials for discussion on renewable energy development and climate policy. Read his reflections on similarities and differences of policies on either side of the Atlantic.
The recent explosions at several reactors in Japan have again highlighted the hazards of nuclear power in a dramatic way. The description of nuclear power as reliable and secure energy source has turned into a myth. Renowned international nuclear experts provide an overview of current, facts rich, and nuclear-critical know-how.
The Heinrich Böll Stiftung North America published a new report Beyond Biofuels: Renewable Energy Opportunities for U.S. Farmers. In a transatlantic comparison, the report suggests a variety of measures such as a "Biogas Roadmap" and others to encourage American farmers to become "energy farmers" in the 21st century.
