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This blog discusses the issues with corporate net-zero pledges and existing voluntary initiatives

Feeding the world while staying within planetary boundaries and keeping global warming within 1.5°C is a growing challenge where development finance institutions have a key role to play. Far from a contradiction, climate action in agriculture is essential to reaching development goals.

For possible future investments in fossil energy projects abroad, Germany must make it clear that and how it will comply with climate targets - both Germany's and the EU's national climate protection targets and the global 1.5°C target.

Deutschland muss bei möglichen zukünftigen Investitionen in fossile Energieprojekte im Ausland deutlich machen, dass und wie es die Klimaziele einhalten wird - und zwar sowohl die nationalen Klimaschutzziele Deutschlands und der EU als auch das globale 1.5°C-Ziel.

Die mit einer vielbeachteten Vision angetretene Ampelregierung agiert in der Außenpolitik noch ohne klaren Kompass. Das darf sich Deutschland angesichts der aktuellen Neuausrichtung der globalen Energie- und Sicherheitsarchitektur und der sich rasant zuspitzenden Klimakatastrophe nicht leisten.

A few weeks ago, the G20 published a report on “Boosting MDBs’ investing capacity” written by an expert panel tasked with an independent review of Multilateral Development Banks’ Capital Adequacy Frameworks. This blog addresses a significant barrier to fulfilling a number of recommendations about how to better access global financial markets: a lack of transparency and the associated doubts surrounding some MDB’s lending.

The meat industry is a major, and growing, contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. Aggregate emissions from animal-based foods are twice those of plant-based products, accounting for in the order of 60% of total food system emissions.

Berlin, 5 July 2022 – New analysis published today shows that major Dutch companies only commit to reduce their emissions by 19% by 2030 on average, falling far short of the requirement to halve emissions by 2030 according to this year’s IPCC’s Sixth Assessment report. This is the first comprehensive analysis of 29 Dutch companies and financial institutions based on a study commissioned by Milieudefensie. The research was conducted by NewClimate Institute and evaluates 21 companies operating in the real economy and 8 financial institutions to determine the transparency and integrity of their...

The midyear UN climate conference “56th session of the Subsidiary Bodies” will take place from 6 to 16 June 2022, in Bonn. These sessions focus on means of implementation and policy requirements in preparation of the COP in November.

An early phase out of coal plants around the world could help avoid over 14.5 million premature deaths from air pollution over the next three decades, delivering an economic benefit of $16.3 trillion. Our new analysis shows the enormous scale of public health benefits of urgently phasing out operating and planned coal plants in 24 countries, covering over 90% of the global fleet. The twin climate and health impacts are shown in an interactive online tool which pinpoints their source in different countries, and allows users to adjust the time horizon, consider different scenarios, and explore right down to the level of individual units.

Companies around the world are increasingly alert to the climate emergency, facing calls from a growing range of stakeholders to take responsibility for the environmental impact of their activities. The rapid acceleration of corporate climate pledges means that it is more difficult than ever to distinguish between real climate leadership and unsubstantiated greenwashing. In this blogpost the lead authors of the Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor – Thomas Day, Silke Mooldijk, Sybrig Smit – shared their perspectives on questions related to the analysis, and its implications. You can also...

The headline climate pledges of 25 of the world’s largest companies in reality only commit to reduce their emissions by 40% on average, not 100% as suggested by their “net zero” and “carbon neutral” claims, according to a new analysis. These are the findings of the Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor released today, conducted by NewClimate Institute in collaboration with Carbon Market Watch. I

Doku: "Die Klimaretter - haben wir noch eine Chance?" (only available in German / nur auf Deutsch verfügbar) Niklas Höhne und weitere renommierte Experten wurden für eine Dokumentation des ARDs interviewt. Sie sprechen über Lösungen für das drängendste Problem unserer Zivilisation - die Klimakrise - und ob wir noch eine Chance haben, sie aufzuhalten. Die Antwort ist klar „Ja“, aber nur wenn wir jetzt sofort loslegen. Die Doku basiert auf NewClimate Institutes Studie mit dem Titel "Realizing the promise of Paris: Roadmap to a safer climate". Niklas Höhne and other renowned experts were...

Two years after the 2015 Paris Agreement, the world’s multilateral development banks (MDBs) committed to align their financial flows with the landmark climate pact’s goals.

This blog post is based on the findings of the project Analysing the aggregate impact of global non-state and subnational climate action, and is a joint output in collaboration with PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency and Data-Driven Envirolab. Car manufacturers have responded to recent national government policies and market signals by setting ambitious targets for electric vehicle (EV) sales, which has resulted in higher estimated EV shares in some countries than could be expected from government policy alone. However, more ambition is needed from both governments and...