Environmental Policy

The gas pipeline Nord Stream II should double the existing natural gas transport capacity from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea. Juraj Mesík explains why the Kremlin will be the biggest winner of this project.

Thanks to superficial cleaning measures plastic waste will probably not disturb the Olympic Sailing Competitions in the Guanabara Bay. A long-term restoration of the bay, however, stays indispensable as Emanuel Alencar illustrates in this article.

The attempt to connect environmental and economic objectives turn out more difficult than expected. The green transformation must be seen as a political task.

The energy sector in Ukraine is undergoing a fundamental transition. Yet, to overcome old structures and deep-rooted corruption, Ukraine needs a clear long-term strategy on the transition to green economy and sustainable energy. German and the EU technical support can play a key role in this process.

Kurz vor den Olympischen Spielen ruft der Bundesstaat Rio de Janeiro den Finanznotstand aus. Der Bund muss helfen, um die letzten Olympia-Baustellen fertigzustellen. Eine Analyse zeigt, das Megaevent hat schon längst mehr öffentliche Kosten verursacht, als es offizielle Zahlen besagen.

What will Brexit mean for European climate and energy policy? How will it affect the dynamics of greater climate protection that we are taking pains to maintain in the wake of Paris?

The Heinrich Böll Foundation focuses in its work programme 2016 on the impacts of the fossile ressource coal, and on ideas and opportunities a European energy union could offer to its citizens.

A study commissioned by the Heinrich Böll Foundation found that the OECD's infrastructure investment advice to the G20 finance track lacks coherence with sustainable development and is “out of sync” with recent achievements of the global community.

Contrary to the objective to quit nuclear energy, a recent paper of the European Commission’s DG Research maps out possible nuclear research priorities. An analysis to put the latest developments into perspective.

Since 2004, there has been a wave of aggressive privatization in Georgia. Until today the state is allowing for a situation, whereby uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources leads to people becoming dependent on monopolist enterprises. An overview in occasion of the International Workers’ Day.

Economic sciences are not the same as evolutionary theory. But why do we consider economy as nature given? We don't have to, says ecologocial economist Irene Schöne.

The relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan is still fragile. Our project “Regional civil society engagement in green dialogs” seeks to shift the discussion from its primer focus on security aspects to shared interests by managing natural resources equitably.

Over the last ten years, “climate change” has become almost synonymous with “carbon emissions.” Our single-minded obsession with measurement is undermining effective climate action.

The climate agreement from Paris embodies the reign of CO2 balances and reinforced so another chapter in the long history of capitalist quantification.

Globally, political leaders are lauding the acceptance of the global and legally binding Paris Agreement on Climate Change at COP21 as a historical moment. It achieves a goal long believed unattainable. However, judged against the enormity of the challenge and the needs and pressure from people on the ground demanding a global deal anchored in climate justice, the Paris Agreement can only be called a disappointment.

The Brussels climate dialogue series that was held from the Climate Summit in Warsaw (COP19 ) until the Climate Summit in Paris (COP21) resulted in the following six key messages to build EU climate ambition in the international climate negotiations.

Is Gas a climate-friendly energy sources? And the gas industry a climate protector? No, says Laura Weis and explains why we delay the energy transition with this idea.

A compensation mechanism could provide countries with incentives to stop their deforestation and thus reduce emissions. However, this relatively simple economic solution remains controversial.

South Africa is highly dependent on coal but also considered a leader on climate policy. How does it look at the upcoming climate summit in Paris? An interview with Richard Worthington.

For his documentary a finnish filmmaker followed the coaltravel from Kuzbass to Helsinki. His plan: talking to people in the train about climate change. But they didn't want to talk with him.