The climate crisis and energy price explosion have made it clear: the EU cannot afford its dependency on fossil fuels anymore. How to deal with these enormous challenges? Our 100% Renewable Action Plan for the next European Commission describes what needs to happen after the 2024 European elections to harvest the benefits of renewables.
This study aims to take stock of the progress of the last decade, as well as identify remaining barriers and new opportunities for women CSO leaders in achieving systemic change in Europe. The key findings indicate a concerning trend of burnout among women leaders in the CSO sector, hindering their efforts to drive systemic change.
is the result of the contest for queer autobiographies organized in 2020. These autobiographical accounts offer insights into the experiences of individuals who identify outside of heteronormativity in Poland: their upbringing, familial dynamics, romantic relationships, and interactions with public institutions.
Fostering democracy and human rights, taking action to prevent the destruction of the global ecosystem, advocating socio-environmental change, promoting equality between women and men, and defending the freedom of individuals against excessive state and economic power - these are some of the main goals that inspire the ideas and actions of our Foundation. In our Annual Report 2022, we report on our work at home and abroad.
As we write this in March of 2022, our review of the year 2021 is overshadowed by Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine. Because of this, not only foreign policy, but also domestic politics have now entered a new era.
The sixth edition of the long-term study Actually European!? examines how the German population views the European elections and what they expect from their government at the EU level, ahead of the 6-9 June 2024 European elections.
The war on the Ukraine brought new challenges for German-Polish relations. Certainly, the change of government in Poland after the election that took place on 15th October 2023 created a new window of opportunity for a substantial rapprochement between Berlin and Warsaw. This could lead to the intensification of their cooperation in Eastern Europe, which may become a game changer for the region. Report from the V. German-Polish Roundtable in Wojnowice.
In its coalition agreement, Germany’s current government committed itself to an “active EU policy” and promised to shape Europe in a "constructive" way. The past year however was dominated by crisis management in the wake of Russia's war of aggression. The EU, in its support of Ukraine or in the area of energy policy, proved to be capable of fast and common action, though its room for manoeuvre was often limited to the crises. Its defence capabilities and decarbonization of the economy still present enormous challenges. Against this political backdrop, the fifth edition of the long-term study Actually European!? analyzes how German citizens assess their country’s role in the EU and what they expect from their government.
The report “Europe and the war in Ukraine: DE-PL-UKR perspectives” published in the framework of the project “German-Polish Roundtable on the East”, implemented in cooperation The Jan Nowak-Jeziorański College of Eastern Europe, Austausch e.V, with the support of the Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation, and the city of Wrocław, invited prominent German, Polish and Ukrainian experts to write essays approaching the Russian aggressive war on Ukraine from various angles.
Global demand for critical and strategic raw materials is on the rise. These resources are indispensable, particularly for the transition to clean energy, but also within other industry sectors. In this issue of our Böll.Thema magazine, we provide insights into recent developments in resource extraction, the associated challenges, and, most importantly, opportunities for positive change.
The report is a summary with the key findings from the Community energy law in Greece, Serbia, Poland, and Bulgaria. Stock taking and bottlenecks workshop organised in the meantime of the Community Energy Spring Gathering that both took place in Athens and which aimed to explore the topic of a decentralised system of community energy based on democratisation, localization, and environmentally sustainable methods of energy sourcing by shedding light onto its initiatives in Greece, Serbia, Poland, and Bulgaria. The paper presents key elements of both the legal framework and lessons learnt from the community energy initiative’s actions in each of the mentioned countries. Provided knowledge may be useful for further actions towards decentralised energy systems.
The Urban Resilience Package report was produced in cooperation between the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Warsaw and the CoopTech Hub. The publication presents a model of a development cooperative that enables the use and development of local resources - material and social. The solution is based on three pillars: common ownership, co-investment and co-management. The report discusses examples of places where model statutes for development cooperatives have been successfully created: Dąbrowa Górnicza and Konin. The solutions presented in the publication are the result of workshops and meetings with the inhabitants of these towns.
Sustainable transport and mobility are key to tackle the climate crisis and to achieve the targets of the European Green Deal. However, transport today accounts for nearly 30 percent of the CO₂ emissions within the European Union. How can the EU reduce its transport and mobility emissions while connecting citizens, creating green jobs and leading the innovation in the sector?
The Peatland Atlas 2023 highlights the consequences of the destruction of these unique habitats, but also the potential of wet peatlands for mitigating climate change.
The report "Food cooperatives in the EU. Lessons for Poland" presents the results of a study on the organizational solutions adopted by food cooperatives in four EU countries - Hungary, Czechia, Italy, and Spain. The second part of the report is devoted to formal and legal issues concerning the activities of food cooperatives in Poland. The report also includes recommendations on the further development of the food cooperative sector in Poland. The report was developed by Grochowska Cooperative Foundation in cooperation with Heinrich Böll Foundation in Warsaw and EIT Food.
The Pesticide Atlas raises awareness, provides comprehensive information and fosters nuanced debate around agrochemicals used for pest control. It sheds light on different aspects from scientific research, including the impact of pesticides on soils, waters, biodiversity and health, and highlights alternative models with a more stringent implementation of integrated pest management where synthetic substances are only a last resort option.
Current discussions about growing food on fallow land are missing the point: the price-reduction effect would be very low. This publication argues that it would be better to provide financial aid to the most vulnerable countries in the Global South.
