Sustainable Development

As the climate crisis intensifies, how we produce and consume energy is under growing scrutiny. The energy sector contributes over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with electricity and heat generation as the largest culprits. According to International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), renewable electrification of end-use sectors could mitigate at least 20% of emissions by 2050

Despite African countries leading in plastic bans, they remain vulnerable to the plastic pollution crisis. The petrochemical and plastics industry lobby sees Africa as an opportunity for their growth. Increased plastic production continues to weaken Africa’s regulations, turning them into hubs for unregulated plastic waste dumping. As we approach the final session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, focus must be on addressing the social and environmental injustices of plastic pollution across its lifecycle. Discover how vulnerable communities, especially women and children, are disproportionately affected and what steps are needed to create lasting change.

In Kenya, there are more waste pickers than men. This clearly indicates that women, bear the brunt of the impact of plastic pollution, which is not merely environmental but deeply intertwined with pre-existing gender inequalities. Many women find themselves relegated to the informal waste sector, where job security is uncertain, wages are inadequate, and workplace conditions are not unsafe. The rise in plastic waste only complicates these inequities, disproportionately affecting women who are already vulnerable.

The 2017 ban on plastics is yielding positive results in the form a cleaner environment. However, the search for environmentally-friendly and affordable alternatives to plastic carrier bags is still on. By Geoffrey Odhiambo Onyango

Eine Resolution des EU-Parlaments Mitte September fordert die internationale Gemeinschaft auf, den Bau der umstrittenen Ölpipeline EACOP in Ostafrika in letzter Minute zu stoppen. Vorangegangen waren Jahre zivilgesellschaftlichen Widerstandes. Zu viel stehe für die Natur und Bevölkerungen auf dem Spiel.

Climate Story Lab Africa reconvenes for the second time in Africa this September 29th to amplify the visibility of African perspectives, experiences, and solutions on pressing climate issues to global audiences and policymakers, through compelling works of storytelling.

The world produces 400 million tonnes of plastic per year, with only about 10% recycled. Since plastics are non-biodegradable and, in many cases, unrecyclable, there is an increasing burden on the environment to accommodate all of the plastic waste produced.

Omar Elmawi, the coordinator of the StopEACOP-campaign, spoke to Heinrich-Boell-Foundation's Adrian Amann on why the EACOP is a bad project for Uganda and Tanzania. Elmawi is a lawyer who advocates for climate justice and is renowned for the deCOALonize-campaign in Lamu County and champions for more green and sustainable energy. He lives and works in Nairobi, Kenya.

In preparation for Stockholm+50, which will be held on 2nd-3rd June, Heinrich Böll Berlin has released a new dossier: 50 Years of International Environmental Policy How Can We Do Better? It includes ten articles by prominent authors that look back on five decades of global environmental policy while also looking forward: What can we do better now to ensure that the necessary transformation continues to succeed?  

Sustainable investment and fair trade Within the energy transition, international trade in green hydrogen and its derivatives will play an important role. But what opportunities and risks does this entail for exporting countries in the global South? What framework is needed to ensure that investments and trade develop from the start with sustainability in mind? The Heinrich Böll Foundation and Bread for the World are exploring these questions in a joint project.

Climate change, like nuclear weapons, is a major global threat. Bold and immediate action is needed to address the climate emergency. We call upon you to endorse the fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty today.

The Environment Court in Mombasa has awarded Sh1.3 billion damages to 3,000 residents of Owino Uhuru slum, who filed a Class Action Suit over lead poisoning.

The type of travel and local tourism management determine how sustainable a holiday can be. Environmentally friendly offers are on the rise, but above all conventional forms that ignore environmental pollution are booming.

In this dossier, you will find articles, including numerous infographics, on game changing technologies, policies, and concepts: new driving technology and e-Mobility, multimodality and flexible public transit, the transformation of the automotive sector, the politics transportation in the EU transportation policy and solutions for sustainable tourism.

A bigger internal market, greater trade in goods and more infrastructure mean greater economic power. The EU wants to hold its own against China from a position of strength.

Three trends will shape the evolution of Germany’s most important industrial sector: electrification, digitization and networking within a new mobility system. Policymakers, manufacturers and customers are beginning to understand this.

People who combine different means of transportation in everyday life can organize their mobility with great efficiency. Ideally, all the building blocks of such a “multimodality” fit together.

The path going forward is clear: For road vehicles, electricity and alternative fuels will soon replace gasoline and diesel. The climate protection potential of this move is high, but some problems still need to be solved along the way.

A world without plastic pollution is a vision worth fighting for. The Plastic Atlas provides facts and figures about a world full of plastics.