climate protection

A new publication sheds light on the development of energy communities in Eastern Europe and the Balkans, showing how the communist past has affected the current situation of these initiatives. Although countries in the region are adapting to EU directives, there is still no adequate legislation to fully support energy communities.

A new study examines how the transition to a circular economy can be made fair globally. Against this background, we evaluate the Clean Industrial Deal presented by the EU Commission in February 2025.

Climate and species protection is indispensable – and costs money. Germany must not shirk its responsibilities in these areas by invoking the debt brake. Sources of financing are available – the next federal government should use them.

Geopolitics, geography and geometry can sometimes come together as a force for good. A gathering of people from European rural and urban civil society in the Polish village of Grzybów was one such moment. The event, which was spearheaded by ARC2020 and took place at the end of November, weaved together rural, urban, farming and EU perspectives to find a common thread towards a fairer, more sustainable farming and food system.

This year’s European Energy Communities Forum took place in Prague from 13 to 15 May. Representatives of energy communities, members of non-governmental organisations and experts specialising in the subject of citizen energy met in the Czech capital. The thematic focus of the forum was the construction of building blocks for energy democracy. 

To achieve international climate and development goals, developing and emerging countries would need an additional three trillion US dollars annually. But the Global South is currently groaning under the weight of an unmanageable debt burden. It’s time for a debt cut.

Deforestation — the widespread clearing of forests for various purposes — has become a critical global issue with profound environmental, social, and economic consequences. Driven by factors like agriculture, logging, and urban expansion, this destructive practice exacerbates climate change, threatens biodiversity, and jeopardizes communities worldwide. In this report, we explore the multifaceted reasons why deforestation requires immediate attention and action.

Parts of global crop production are lost to pests and plant pathogens each year. Pesticides have been designed to prevent these yield losses – but they also give rise to new problems.

The growth of renewable energy is providing us with a unique opportunity to pull down the long-established gender division within the energy sector. The green game will be fair, clean and feminine.