Globalisation and Transformation

Has time been called on the Sustainable Development Goals? Adam Tooze argues in his keynote speech at the Berlin Forum on Global Cooperation 2025, that the Sustainable Development Agenda has always been in conflict with U.S. hegemony.

Grand visions, bold announcements – yet implementation remains sluggish. Green hydrogen was hailed early on as a beacon of hope for the Global South, but the project risks falling into familiar patterns of raw material export and asymmetric dependency. 

Global power is fracturing, demographics are diverging, and trade is no longer a win-win game. Carlos Lopes outlines why aid is outdated, AI is unequal, and multilateralism is on life support – and what that means for a world in flux.

As global development finance falters, the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville offers a chance to rethink the system. It’s time to move beyond donor fixes and center justice, local agency, and structural reform.

Trump's return is a wake-up call. Germany and Europe must lead a new era of global cooperation - grounded in fairness, shared interests, and long-term partnerships with the Global South.  

Geogenic hydrogen—often called "white" or "natural" hydrogen—is gaining attention in recent reports as an alternative energy source in the transition away from fossil fuels. Formed deep within the Earth by geological processes, it promises to be a cheaper and less energy-intensive alternative to "green" hydrogen, which is produced from renewable electricity. However, this untapped resource comes with a large to-do list of research, policy development, social and environmental safeguards.

If the international community is to have a chance of addressing twenty-first-century challenges effectively and equitably, the global economic and financial architecture that was created eight decades ago must be radically reformed. Eight priorities stand out.

Ahead of the 80th anniversary of the Bretton Woods Conference, together with partner institutions, we propose reforms in eight critical areas of the international economic and financial architecture to reflect the changing global realities and challenges. 

Many climate-vulnerable countries cannot invest in low-carbon development unless they are offered debt relief. Policymakers must agree to reform the debt architecture and provide more concessional finance.

In the climate negotiations at COP28, the question of financing the climate crisis will be at the forefront of the debate. However, many countries in the Global South are struggling to channel extra funds into climate action, due to the unfolding debt crisis.