to the German edition
Rising heating costs, declining understanding – where our climate policy is faltering: From 2027, heating and refuelling will become significantly more expensive due to emissions trading – but a new survey shows: Only five per cent of people in Germany even understand how the CO₂ price works and what consequences it has. Socially disadvantaged households in particular are faced with rising costs, but often have no opportunity to switch to climate-friendly alternatives. The planned climate money, which was supposed to cushion this injustice, has been cancelled – instead, the new government is relying on electricity price cuts and large-scale investments. The lack of a plan for a fair distribution of emissions trading revenues is a central problem of our climate policy. focus.de, utopia.de, merkur.de, wirtschaftswoche.de
Habeck criticises separation of economy and climate protection – Dispute over direction of Germany’s future: A political change of course is imminent with the planned reorganisation of the ministries: climate protection will no longer be part of the economy department in future. Economics Minister Robert Habeck warns of a serious step backwards for the transformation of German industry and criticises the separation as a dangerous signal in times of global upheaval. This decision goes far beyond a mere departmental reform. rheinische-post.de
USA imposes up to 3521 per cent duty on solar panels
The US government wants to impose unprecedented additional tariffs on solar panels from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam – up to 3,521 per cent have been announced. The accusation: Chinese subsidies are said to have massively distorted competition. The decision could not only shake up the solar industry, but also reorganise trade relations between the USA and Asia. manager-magazin.de
The climate crisis is taking a back seat among employees and politicians: in view of geopolitical conflicts and economic uncertainties, climate protection is losing priority – both in the public perception and at a political level. According to a recent survey, only a good ten per cent of employees still see climate protection as the most urgent social problem. Instead, social inequality, job security and competitiveness are taking centre stage. Nevertheless, a clear majority remains in favour of a rapid or at least stable transformation to climate neutrality. Politicians are also increasingly setting other priorities: The EU wants to give car manufacturers more time to meet climate targets and is already reviewing the planned phase-out of combustion engines earlier than planned. This change of mood has consequences for climate protection and the future of the economy. tagesspiegel.de, taz.de
Storing instead of emitting: Germany plans to store CO₂ under the North Sea: The future German government wants to push ahead with the underground storage of CO₂ – a key but controversial building block on the road to climate neutrality by 2045. A comprehensive legislative package is planned that will enable the capture, transport and storage of carbon dioxide, particularly for industrial emissions that are difficult to avoid. However, there are no simple solutions: the capacities under the German North Sea are limited and the technical and ecological risks are high. In addition, it remains to be seen whether onshore storage sites can also be authorised – a debate that is reminiscent of earlier protests. fr.de
Heat pumps: Demand picks up again – but the industry remains tense: After a difficult year, some hope is returning for heat pump manufacturers such as Viessmann and Vaillant: sales rose by 35 per cent in the first quarter of 2025. Nevertheless, the situation remains tense – new political uncertainties could jeopardise the recovery. faz.net
Energy update – Less wind power, more solar power: In the first quarter of 2025, electricity production from renewable energies in Germany fell significantly – mainly due to a weather-related slump in wind power. Hydropower also suffered from dry months. Photovoltaics, on the other hand, developed positively: thanks to new systems and a sunny March, solar power generation rose by around 32 per cent. sueddeutsche.de
BOOK TIP OF THE WEEK:
Zukunft ohne Angst
Wie Anti-Dystopien neue Perspektiven eröffnen. Science-, Social- und Climate-Fiction als Mutmacher für Veränderung und gesellschaftlichen Wandel.
In times when gloomy future scenarios dominate our news, our literature and our films, Isabella Hermann provides an important counterweight: in her new book, she promotes a different narrative – one that inspires rather than resigns us.
Hermann analyses how science, social and climate fiction not only draw images of horror in the midst of crises, but also open up spaces of hope. Her central thesis: anti-dystopias form a genre of their own that consciously opposes the widespread diagnosis of social hopelessness. Instead of utopian castles in the air, they present real, achievable approaches to change – born out of the crisis, but fuelled by the courage to act.
Using selected works, Hermann succeeds in working out the subtle differences between mere dystopia and anti-dystopia. She shows how narratives about resistance, innovation and cohesion can open up new perspectives for social change without denying the complexity of the present.
What makes this book special is its topicality and its claim to understand literature and pop culture not only as a mirror of our fears, but also as a motor of our hopes. Hermann invites us to see the crisis not as an end point, but as a starting point for commitment and change. „How anti-dystopias open up new perspectives“ is a clever, inspiring analysis – and an encouragement for all those who do not want to resign themselves to pessimism amid climate fears, social tensions and political uncertainties. A compact but powerful plea for new stories and new paths.
oekom.de
In a nutshell:
Merz nominates ministers: Wadephul for Foreign Affairs, Prien, Reiche, Warken and Frei for Education, Economy, Health and Chancellery. table.media
Pope Francis and climate change: „His words carried weight“ merkur.de, deutschlandfunknova.de
Member vote of the Social Democrats: SPD climate network recommends „No“ to the coalition agreement. spiegel.de
Greens: Black-Red plans frontal attack on citizen participation in environmental permits.rnd.de
Environmental policy: Cement industry speaks out in favour of CO2 injection. sueddeutsche.de
Climate crisis in the Arctic : The world’s northern most airport – Spitsbergen’s runway is melting. rnd.de
Earth Day 2025: Germans lose interest in climate protection. epo.de
Production: Apple claims to have saved 60 per cent of its CO2 production since 2015. heise.de
Natural hazard insurance: According to the coalition agreement, insurance against natural hazards is to become mandatory in Germany. Insurers fear high costs. handelsblatt.com
Sweden was seen as a pioneer in environmental protection: now the country is missing all its climate targets. tagesanzeiger.ch
Health and climate crisis: extreme heat makes people age faster. taz.de
The colourful dhow and the dirty sea: How a sailing boat made of flip-flops provides an answer to a question that we are all suppressing: What to do with the rubbish? fair-economics.de
Concrete spheres under water as electricity storage? Why the concept performs better than batteries. t3n.de
How to eat meat without a bad climate conscience: A research team has calculated that a sustainable diet with meat is possible. derstandard.at
Sustainable investment: Armaments are necessary, but not ethically sustainable. energiezukunft.de
Speed limits and road closures: traffic turnaround in Paris significantly improves climate. rnd.de
Accident statistics: Even if the number of road deaths is falling. Every sixth road fatality was a cyclist. spiegel.de
Black-red transport policy: „A fatal priority for the car“. klimareporter.de
Transport policy: Cities demand more room for manoeuvre for modern mobility. sazbike.de
E-mobility: Thousands of charging points in Germany are barely used. merkur.de
McKinsey study 2025 shows: e-mobility in the USA is stagnating. elektroauto-news.net
Hydrogen: How to increase the efficiency of electrolysis. ingenieur.de
Sourly expensive, but self-sufficient for 90 days: family buys hydrogen storage. chip.de
Hydrogen: VDI sees standstill and calls for a change of course. verkehrsrundschau.de
Co-operation: German-British study on joint hydrogen trade published. bmwk.de
Problems with the technology: Are hydrogen trains a flop costing millions? tagesschau.de
PODCAST OF THE WEEK:
Balcony power plants and bureaucracy: Why small solar power plants often fail due to major hurdles
Small solar panels on balconies and garden fences are seen as an uncomplicated solution for the private energy transition – but those who want to generate their own electricity often have to overcome surprisingly large bureaucratic hurdles. Permits, building applications and complicated feed-in forms make it difficult for many people to install their own panels.
In the podcast, we talk to YouTube battery doctor Andreas Schmitz about his practical experience, the community’s „tinkering instinct“ and his petition for less bureaucracy. Find out why balcony power plants have great potential – and what urgently needs to change to make solar energy truly accessible to everyone in our new episode. golem.de
COMMENT OF THE WEEK:
Habeck in favour of Foreign Affairs Committee, but why?
by Tilman Weber
Robert Habeck, currently still acting Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, is to move to the Bundestag’s Foreign Affairs Committee after his term of office, where he will be responsible for relations with the USA. Tilman Weber sees this change as a symbol of Habeck’s political development and a reflection of his mixed record.
Habeck initially had great successes to show after taking office in 2021: He implemented key reforms for the energy transition, including the comprehensive „Easter package“, new expansion targets for wind and solar energy and the first steps towards a hydrogen economy. The move away from Russian gas after the start of the Ukraine war was also successful under his leadership. However, criticism grew at the same time: the failed heating law, the faltering payment of climate money and expensive compromises – for example in the expansion of the LNG infrastructure – damaged his credibility.
The commentary shows that Habeck increasingly focussed on foreign policy issues, while key socio-ecological issues remained unresolved at home. His foreign policy activities, such as LNG deals with Qatar and the promotion of duplicate energy infrastructures, had put a strain on the energy transition and contributed to a loss of trust. Instead of defending a clear, socially just climate policy, Habeck has too often shown consideration for geopolitical constraints. Weber compares Habeck’s possible future path with that of former politicians such as Joschka Fischer or Sigmar Gabriel, who took on foreign policy roles after their active time. He asks critically why Habeck does not choose the path of a credible international climate politician like Klaus Töpfer, who once headed the United Nations Environment Programme.
The whole commentary is available at erneuerbareenergien.de
LAST WEEK IN THE BUNDESTAG:
Left Party asks about nuclear transports: The Castor transports from Jülich to the Ahaus interim storage facility are the subject of a minor interpellation by the Left Party parliamentary group (21/55). The questioner is particularly concerned with the issue of building a new interim storage facility for nuclear waste at the Jülich site. In this context, she asks why the Federal Government is pushing for transport to Ahaus „now of all times“. She also asked about the costs of the transport.
TAKEN LITERALLY:
„Are the floods in Brazil at the beginning of May influenced by climate change? And if so, to what extent? We compare the current event with past rainfall events in this region of Brazil and at this time of year. Are we dealing with a once-in-a-century event, or one that can perhaps be expected every ten years? And since we know exactly how many additional greenhouse gases have been released into the atmosphere since the beginning of the industrial revolution, we can remove these greenhouse gases from the models – so we have a world without climate change. If we then realise that in today’s world, for example, the event is a 10-year event, but in the world without climate change it would only be expected every 100 years, then we can attribute this difference to man-made climate change. Because the only difference between these two worlds of possible weather is man-made climate change.“
Climate researcher Friederike Otto describes the major challenges of climate research: historical weather data is essential for reliable analyses, but many countries only provide this to a limited extent or not at all. While heatwaves are now occurring more frequently and more severely worldwide, extreme precipitation is also increasing in many places – albeit to varying degrees from region to region. Otto still considers the 1.5-degree target of the Paris Agreement to be politically essential, despite current overruns, because it reflects the needs of particularly vulnerable countries.
Otto emphasises that temperature changes in the tropics often have more serious effects than in the Antarctic, for example, despite lower absolute warming. Tipping points such as the melting of the ice sheets on Greenland and in the Antarctic are already underway – but their consequences will only become fully apparent in the long term. For Otto, one thing is certain: whether tipping points have already been passed or not does not change the urgency to act.
She also criticises the widespread idea that climate impacts are less dramatic in wealthy countries: tens of thousands of people in Europe are already dying as a result of heatwaves – especially socially disadvantaged groups. Otto makes it clear that so-called „natural disasters“ are in fact often exacerbated by social inequalities. Her central message: climate protection and social justice must be considered together instead of prioritising short-term gains for a few over the well-being of the general population. the whole interview here at diepresse.com
AFRICA:
World Food Programme: Ethiopia faces hunger crisis due to lack of development aid. zeit.de
Kenyan-Chinese cooperation: During a five-day state visit, Kenyan President William Ruto signed an agreement worth 1 billion US dollars with China to further deepen the strategic partnership between Nairobi and Beijing. africanews.com
Austerity measures under Trump: US government considers drastically scaling back activities in Africa. spiegel.de
Conflicts: Congo and Rwanda sign an agreement on the path to peace under US mediation. reuters.com
Diseases: Malaria remains a deadly threat to children in Africa. ksta.de
MORE KNOWLEDGE:
International CO₂ certificates – great expectations, great risks: rules for trading international CO₂ certificates were adopted at the last global climate conference in Baku – and Berlin and Brussels are already thinking about how to use them to achieve their own climate targets. The hope: to make climate protection more cost-effective and flexible. However, experts warn that inferior certificates, new dependencies and the risk of a creeping weakening of ambitious climate targets could quickly turn the benefits into the opposite. The stakes are high, especially now that Germany and the EU are deciding on key decisions for 2040. International CO₂ certificates are not a free pass for less climate protection. Certain conditions must be met for them to be used responsibly. tagesspiegel.de
Climate costs recalculated: Who should really pay? Extreme weather, heatwaves, floods – the damage caused by the climate crisis runs into the trillions. But who is responsible? A recently published study in Nature provides a ground-breaking answer: for the first time, economic losses due to climate damage can be directly attributed to individual companies in the fossil fuel industry. According to the calculations, five large corporations – including ExxonMobil and Saudi Aramco – are responsible for 9 trillion US dollars in damages alone. Using new scientific methods, the researchers demonstrate what the world could look like without the emissions of these companies – and thus provide a potential basis for future climate lawsuits. A big step for climate liability – and a wake-up call to the polluters. mdr.de
Are Europe’s forests at risk of radical change? A recent study shows that if the Gulf Stream collapses, the temperature and precipitation in Europe could change abruptly – with serious consequences for our forests. Many well-known tree species such as spruce, beech and pine would dramatically lose their habitat, while new, drought-resistant species could spread. Foresters are already testing which trees could characterise the forest of the future in the experimental field. tagesschau.de
CALENDAR:
29 April: Sustainable Investment Forum Europe 2024 in Paris
The congress is primarily aimed at investors and asset managers. The trade fair is organised by the Climate Action organisation in cooperation with the UN Environment Programme.
To the website29 April: Digisustain in Frankfurt
The name, a portmanteau of „digitalisation“ and „sustainability“, is intended to be the programme for Digisustain. The trade fair is designed as a B2B conference and revolves around digitalisation and future technologies in connection with sustainability.
To the website5 – 6 May: Global Solutions Summit in Berlin
The Global Solutions Summit is an international conference that addresses the most important political challenges facing the G20, the G7 and other global governance bodies. The event brings together high-calibre representatives from politics, academia, think tanks, international organisations and companies. Online participation is possible. To the website6 – 7 May: OMR Festival 2024 in Hamburg
The OMR Festival at Messe Hamburg is considered the Mecca of the German marketing scene and describes itself as „The Festival for the Digital Universe“. However, the event is also relevant to the topics of sustainability and climate protection, and part of the programme is expected to revolve around sustainability issues, as it did last year.
To the website21 May: Fashion Law – 2nd German Fashion Law Day in Berlin
Legal issues relating to sustainability transformation play an important role for the textile industry. The exact programme for the event will be announced shortly.
To the website
12 – 14 May: Global Water Summit in Paris
Water is becoming an increasingly important topic in the face of climate change. Germany is also affected by water stress. The Global Water Summit in Paris brings together decision-makers from the water industry; the theme of this year’s event is „Accelerating Investment“.
To the website
20 – 22 May: Greentech Festival and Greentech Conference in BerlinThe Greentech Festival is one of the largest sustainability conferences in Germany. The Greentech Conference, where stakeholders from politics and business discuss sustainable business solutions, takes place as part of the trade fair. In 2025, the conference will be divided into the areas of Mobility & Transport, Energy & Infrastructure and Industry & Materials.
22 – 23 May: Circular Republic Festival in Munich
Several thousand participants attended the first Circular Republic Festival in Munich. The second edition of the circular economy event will take place on 22 and 23 May 2025. It describes itself as „Europe’s leading event for innovations in the circular economy“. Companies, start-ups and visionaries are invited to discuss topics such as resource scarcity, climate change and supply chain resilience. | GREEN.WORKS is a media partner.
To the website26 – 28 May: Re:publica in Berlin
The Re:publica digital conference discusses the influence of digitalisation on the economy and society. In 2025, the festival will be held under the motto „Generation XYZ“. It is also about finding sustainable solutions for the economy of tomorrow.
To the website
2. – 3. Juni: Hamburg Sustainability Conference
The motto of the Hamburg Sustainability Conference is „Together We Co-Create Sustainable Development“. The conference in Hamburg will focus on achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The aim of the event is to bring together leaders from politics, business, science and civil society from all over the world to explore opportunities and practical ways to achieve the 17 sustainability goals.
To the website2 – 3 June: ZNU Future Conference in Ludwigsburg
The event discusses solutions and ways to achieve greater climate protection and sustainability in companies. It is one of the established and renowned events on the sustainability scene and is organised by the Centre for Sustainable Leadership at Witten/Herdecke University.
To the website3 – 4 June: Scope 3 Innovation Forum in Amsterdam
The Scope 3 Innovation Forum focuses on the challenge of Scope 3 emissions. The conference in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, will discuss opportunities and innovations that can be used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the value chain.
To the website10 – 12 June: European Sustainable Energy Week 2025 in Brussels and online
The European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) is the largest annual event on renewable energy and efficient energy use in Europe. It is organised by the European Commission and takes place in the Belgian capital.
To the website16. – 18. Juni: European Climate Change Adaptation Conference 2025 in Rimini
The ECCAC is centred around the topic of climate adaptation. Experts will come together in Rimini, Italy, to discuss smarter, faster and more systematic climate adaptation in Europe.
To the website25 – 26 June: Sustainability Summit in Hamburg
The Sustainability Summit in Hamburg is a trade fair and conference for sustainability in business, which will take place for the second time in 2025. The summit is aimed at companies and start-ups. In the exhibition area, participants will present their IT solutions for sustainability and ESG.
To the website1 – 2 July: LZ Summit Packaging & Sustainability in Frankfurt
The conference is aimed at managers and those responsible for sustainability management and strategy and focuses on optimising sustainable corporate management in the consumer goods industry.
To the website21 – 22 July: Sustainability Standards Conference 2025 in Frankfurt
The German Accounting Standards Committee (GASC), the IFRS Foundation, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main and the Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE are jointly organising the Sustainability Standards Conference. The conference focuses on the implementation and further development of IFRS sustainability standards
To the website2. – 3. September: Carbon Capture Global Summit in London
The Carbon Capture Global Summit 2025 aims to advance the capture and storage of CO2. The conference in London brings together industry representatives, policy makers, investors, financiers and buyers.
To the website9 – 10 September: BME Sustainable Procurement Summit 2025 in Darmstadt
The BME Sustainability Summit is a conference organised by the German Association of Materials Management, Purchasing and Logistics, which focuses on the topic of sustainable procurement.
To the website17 – 18 September: Impact Festival in Frankfurt
The Impact Festival is a meeting place for greentech start-ups and SMEs, corporate sustainability managers and investors. In 2025, the conference will take place for the fifth time – and for the second time at the Messe Frankfurt exhibition centre.
To the website21 – 28 September: Climate Week NYC in New York
Climate Week is an annual event that takes place in New York and offers over 900 events and activities in the city. Every year, decision-makers from business, politics and civil society travel to the conference to debate the transformation and climate change.
To the website24 September: TW Sustainability Summit in Hamburg
The Sustainability Summit of the textile industry (TW) is an industry meeting point for all those who have set out to achieve greater sustainability in the fashion industry – from big players to first movers.25 – 26 September: German Climate Management Conference in Hamburg
The conference will focus on the topic of climate stress, which will be viewed primarily from the perspective of municipalities and local authorities.
To the website25 – 26 September: ESG Reporting and Management 2025 in Düsseldorf
The conference, organised by Handelsblatt, focuses on the topics of sustainability reporting and ESG management. In person and digitally.
To the website
3– 4 November: Dena Energy Transition Congress in BerlinAt the Energy Transition Congress organised by the German Energy Agency (Dena), more than 1,200 high-calibre participants from business, politics and science will meet to discuss climate protection and the integrated energy transition. The Dena Energy Efficiency Award will also be presented to companies with innovative concepts as part of the congress.
To the website10 – 21 November: World Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém (Brazil)
Against the backdrop of increased weather extremes and natural disasters, the parties to the Paris Climate Agreement 2025 will meet in the Brazilian city of Belém to discuss the next steps towards achieving the global climate targets.
More information13 – 14 November: EcoCompute in Berlin
After taking place in Munich last year, EcoCompute will be held in Berlin in 2025. It is dedicated to digital sustainability in hardware and software and, according to the organisers, aims to provide a platform for experts to discuss current trends, research and practices in the field of green technology.
To the website17 – 21 November: Euro Finance Week with Green Finance Forum in Frankfurt
As part of the Euro Finance Week organised by the dfv Media Group, the Green Finance Forum will once again take place in 2025, focusing on ESG and green investments. It will take place on the second day of the conference (18 November) and will bring together high-calibre speakers.
To the website02 – 05 December: Global Carbon Markets Conference in Barcelona
The Global Carbon Markets Conference 2024 organised by financial specialist S&P will focus on the development of the global carbon markets. Market participants will gain insights and background information on what they need to prepare for the future.
To the website04 – 05 December: 18th German Sustainability Day and 18th German Sustainability Award in Düsseldorf
The German Sustainability Day is a firm fixture in the annual event calendar. The German Sustainability Award is also presented as part of the conference. Every year, companies are honoured in various categories in the most comprehensive national sustainability competition. The „Next Economy Award“ is also presented to particularly innovative start-ups.
To the websiteExpected in September: UBA and BMUV Blue Compass award ceremony in Berlin
Every year, the Federal Environment Agency and the Federal Ministry for the Environment award the „Blue Compass“ prize to five companies, municipalities, research and educational institutions and associations that can present innovative, effective and sustainable solutions for dealing with the effects of climate change.
Expected in November: Circulaze Summit 2025 in Munich
The Circulaze Summit is once again expected to take place in Munich in late autumn 2025. The conference is centred around the topic of the circular economy and is aimed at circular economy start-ups as well as companies active in this field and their managers.
To the websiteProbably November: 10th annual conference of the Climate Economy Foundation in Berlin
The annual conference of the Climate Economy Foundation is expected to take place again in November. The event, which will probably host its tenth edition in 2025, is aimed at experts from politics, business and science.
To the website
THE LAST:
„Digital Only“ – and millions are left out
The new coalition of CDU, CSU and SPD is focussing on „digital only“: in future, administrative services are to be accessible exclusively online. What appears modern at first glance threatens to become a social problem at second glance. This is because around four million people in Germany – mainly older women – are offline, many of whom have no connection or access to the digital world.
Professor Doris Weßels warns that digitalisation by force will exacerbate the social divide. Those who cannot afford end devices, internet access and digital training or who have had little contact with technology throughout their lives will be left behind.
Without low-threshold, well-funded educational programmes that are truly tailored to the target group, digital skills will remain an illusion – and „digital only“ will become a barrier instead of a bridge. What is missing is a genuine strategy for lifelong learning that removes barriers instead of creating new ones.
Digitalisation must not be a privilege for the young, educated and wealthy – it must enable participation for all. Otherwise, progress will turn into social regression. heise.de
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