Climate & Energy

In this study, Jϋrgen Blazejczak and Dietmar Edler both from the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) document the state of research on the economic consequences of a stringent climate protection policy.

Klimawandel ist nicht genderneutral und seine Auswirkungen sind längst eine bittere Realität für die ärmsten Menschen, darunter besonders häufig Frauen. Frauen sind dabei nicht nur Opfer des Klimawandels, sondern auch proaktive Akteurinnen, agents of change, mit einem bislang weitestgehend ignorierten Wissens- und Handlungspotential.

2010 is a rough year for US climate and energy policy.  Senators Kerry, Graham, and Liebermann have been trying for months to build bipartisan support for a bill. But after the heated debate on healthcare reform, the Democratic base is increasingly warning against similar efforts so shortly before the Congressional elections in November. 

After months of haggling, praying, fearing, hoping, threatening and cajoling, the Senate version of a comprehensive climate and energy bill was finally released just yesterday by US Senators Joe Liebermann (an Independent from Connecticut) and John Kerry (a Democrat from Massachusetts).

Budget cuts are painful, no doubt about it. In times of empty coffers and growing deficits some really hard choices have to be made. Too bad that one of the first cuts in Germany’s ongoing budget negotiations under the conservative-liberal coalition government has been to the credibility of Germany as a leading nation in international climate policy.

This paper assumes that integrated transportation planning (involving public transportation, bicycles, walking and cars) will be key to enabling mobility while addressing greenhouse gas emissions, fuel consumption and energy usage.