Climate & Energy

Climate protection needs ambitious policies. We report on the status of national climate protection plans and their implementation. We moderate national and international dialogues between science, politics, and civil society that advance our thinking about climate protection and energy transition.

The special role of Germany and the G20

The effects of climate change are increasing all over the world. Heat waves, droughts, floods, and forest fires are wreaking havoc – including in Germany. Every day people die, others lose their homes and livelihoods, and ecosystems are destroyed.

If we do not act decisively, future generations will have no choice but to deal with the catastrophic consequences of our inaction. To prevent this, a radical reduction in emissions is needed. To limit global warming to 1.5°C, energy-related emissions must be cut by 45 percent by 2030 and reduced to zero by 2050.

This will only be possible through a global transformation of energy systems and a change in lifestyles. The energy transition requires a shift away from fossil to renewable and low-carbon energy sources across the entire economy.

Germany has contributed 4.6 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions since 1850, and its per capita CO2 emissions are well above the global average. The 20 leading economic nations, the G20, is responsible for 75 percent of global CO2 emissions – and that proportion is rising. Germany and the G20 thus have a unique responsibility. That is why we are campaigning for a more ambitious climate policy in Germany and the G20 countries.

We create Transparency

Transparency creates the basis for ambitious action and increases pressure to act: Under the umbrella of Climate Transparency, we work with various civil society actors in the G20 countries to support exchange on the status of national climate policies and their implementation, and to increase public pressure to act.

We strengthen Exchange at all Levels

Exchange promotes knowledge implementation: In Germany, we work on energy policy issues with a wide range of stakeholders at local and national levels, increasing knowledge of collaborative solutions.

Projects on this topic

  • Checking implementation of transport climate policies

    This project evaluates transport decarbonization policies in Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Mexico and the EU.
  • Social Actors Project

    Socio-political actors in Germany are increasingly working together to advance the socio-ecological transformation. We explore the opportunities of these alliances and alliances to provide advice and positive examples.
  • Trialogue Series "Energy Systems of the Future" (ESYS)

    In cooperation with the Academies Project "Energy Systems of the Future", the Berlin Governance Platform conducts trialogues as sounding boards for the working groups of the Academies Project.
  • Energy Transition PartnerCity - Sharing Municipal Knowledge Europe-wide

    The aim of the "Energiewende PartnerStadt" project was to exchange know-how and experience on local energy transition across national borders, to facilitate technology transfer in the field of renewable energies and to promote cohesion in Europe [...]
  • LEAP Transparency

    The Local Electricity Access Program - LEAP Transparency is a multi-stakeholder initiative working for fair and transparent access to affordable and clean electricity mainly in rural Africa.
  • Center for Natural Resource Governance

    The Center promotes collaboration between the public sector, business and civil society to solve global and local challenges.
  • EnVision

    The project "EnVision – Shaping a Vision for the Energy Transition" identifies areas of tension and value-conflicts in the energy transition, and develops proposals for political decision-makers to develop a common vision.
  • Development of a Climate Policy Implementation Check

    Ambitious climate targets alone are not enough – policy measures must also be implemented to achieve these targets. There is already a wide range of tools and assessments available to evaluate the [...]
  • Climate Compatible Export Credit Policies

    Effective climate policy needs dialogue. In a series of online events, topics of international financing for the energy transition in the Asian region were discussed in a national and supranational context.
  • Climate Transparency: Engagement in seven G20 countries

    The Climate Transparency Partnership brings together climate assessments and expertise from organizations across the G20 countries. The Partnership uses independent, comparable, and comprehensive data to analyze the G20's progress in transforming [...]
  • Climate Transparency

    The Climate Transparency Partnership brings together climate assessments and expertise from organizations across the G20 countries. Since 2014, the partnership has used independent, comparable, and comprehensive data to analyze the G20's progress on [...]

Publications on this topic