ECOLOGY

Ecology and sustainable development are central areas for securing the future of humanity – areas which should by no means be treated as a political football. It is to the credit of the green movement within and outside parliaments that ecology has become one of the main arenas of politics. There is hardly another subject which, within the last 30 years, has been thus transformed from the concern of a few scientists, activists into a topic of world conferences.

DOSSIER | COP-29: UN Climate Change Conference

DOSSIER

The annual COP (Conference of the Parties) is the highest decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the primary multilateral forum for international climate policy. Here, the 198 signatory states negotiate agreements and assess progress in addressing the climate crisis. We provide an overview of past conferences and the current COP.

Criticality and the Securitization of Southeast Asia’s Indigenous Mineral Resources

Article

Southeast Asia’s geographical location is blessed with abundant natural resources – minerals, forests, and wildlife. For hundreds of years, these resources have been a source of livelihood and even life for Indigenous peoples, as well as local communities. However, the capitalist perspective of development is rapidly encroaching on the mineral-rich lands of these peoples.

The Czech Republic is behind on developing wind power, we need an urgent change

Analysis

The development of wind power is being prevented primarily for economic and political reasons even though the potential for producing cheap, clean power from wind in the Czech Republic is enormous. We can look to Austria and Poland for examples.

By Matěj Moravanský

Ekologická katastrofa, odlesňování na Žilinském a Presovském. Pokácené borovice

Swift retreat from democracy: How the new Slovakian Government ruins environmental protection and civil society

Commentary

Following last year’s September elections in Slovakia, we are witnessing a textbook example of the breakdown of democratic principles. For the fourth time, the position of Prime Minister has been filled by Robert Fico, whose party SMER (Direction) has formed a coalition with Hlas (Voice), a party that broke away from SMER, and the nationalist Slovenská národná strana (Slovak National Party). We cannot base our expectations of the current Government on Fico’s previous terms in office, though. While in the past Fico was leaning toward the EU and wanted to be part of its core, during the COVID-19 pandemic his stance turned quite anti-European and hateful.

By Lucia Szabová

Decision for New Climate Finance Goal at COP29 Will Mark the Future of Climate Justice and Equity in the Multilateral Climate Regime

Analysis

COP29 in Baku will decide the future of global climate finance. As developing nations demand $1 trillion in annual support, tensions rise over who should contribute and how funds are allocated. Will this summit deliver on the promise of climate justice and equity?

By Liane Schalatek

Photo: Mining area near Majdanpek, Serbia, in a hilly landscape. In the foreground is a town with many buildings. On the right, a large open-pit mine with a water basin.

Lithium Mining in Serbia: “An Open and Productive Debate Is Not Possible”

Interview

Serbia's lithium mining project in Jadar has been on hold because of mass protests against feared environmental damage. Now the EU wants to secure this lithium access for Europe - despite the political and legal conditions in Serbia.

Krušné hory - větrná turbína a vlajka EU

Not a Step Forward Without the EU. The European climate agenda in the Czech Republic.

In the Czech Republic, the environment remains sidelined as a policy issue in comparison to many other EU Member States. While there have been some positive developments thanks to EU measures and financial support, numerous challenges remain unresolved.

By Marta Martinová

Stopping Russian aggression means rejecting its fossil fuel exports – and, ultimately, switching to renewables

Article

Three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Paul Hockenos compares the efforts of the EU and the US in view of weaning from Russian fossil fuels. On the ground, Ukraine’s transition to distributed renewables already rhymes with resilience against the aggressor.

By Paul Hockenos

Energy & Climate

"Human rights should be the starting and the ending point"

Interview

Emilia Reyes is an international advocate for women's rights and an expert on gender-responsive public policies and budgets and sustainable development, including comprehensive disaster risk management and climate change. She highlights the necessity of degrowth and the problems of our global neoliberal system.

By Emilia Reyes

Representatives of civil society organisations from all over Hungary demonstrating against priority investments on 5 November 2021

Growing protests against priority investments in Hungary

Commentary

The Hungarian Government has classified more than 3000 investments as priority projects, which means that for these projects, both public participation and control by experts who are independent are practically non-existent.

By András Lukács

Global day of action, COP26 Coalition March, 06.11.2021 in Glasgow.

False solutions prevail over real ambition at COP26

Analysis

COP26 in Glasgow started with a plethora of declarations. But in the end it failed to deliver on the real and immediate action needed to avoid climate catastrophe, and to address the demand for justice and equity for those most impacted by climate harms.

By Erika Lennon, Nikki Reisch and Sebastien Duyck

Energy & Climate »

Green Transition

Student protests helped to set Prague’s Climate Ambitions in motion

It happened quickly and quietly. Within two minutes, Prague City Assembly members managed last September to discuss and approve a local obligation to reduce CO2 emissions by 40 % by 2030. Of the 58 assembly members present, 40 voted in favor and nobody was against.

By Petra Kolínská

The Future of Sustainable Urban Mobility (conference)

The Prague Office of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, together with its partners IPR (Prague Institute of Planning and Development) and CDE (Centre for Transport and Energy), kindly invite you to the conference “The Future of Sustainable Urban Mobility”, which will take place on 19 September 2019 in the Centre for Architecture and Metropolitan Planning (CAMP). The capacity is limited; please register till 17 September using the form in the article.

By Klára Schovánková

The Meaty Side of Climate Change

"Carbon majors," like big oil and gas companies, have long been the focus of efforts to curb climate change and stem rising temperatures. And yet, while energy giants like Exxon and Shell have drawn fire for their roles in warming the planet, the corporate meat and dairy industries have largely avoided scrutiny.

By Shefali Sharma

Green Transition »

Publications

Climate Security Report

Report

This report reviews climate security literature, identifies key players, and analyzes case studies. It highlights actors' needs in different contexts and offers recommendations for global, regional, and local engagement, with a focus on the global South.

pdf

Energy Communities and the Legacy of Post-Socialism

The energy and climate crisis is real, and the big fossil fuel companies are dictating the rules of the game. Global warming and Russia's aggression in Ukraine have accelerated the search for safer, cheaper, and greener energy. One option is energy provided by energy communities. In post-communist countries, however, cooperatives have a distinctly negative connotation. The belief that energy should come from big government agencies or fossil fuel companies has created a perception that energy prices are beyond our control. But is this statement true? We explore this and many other questions in the following report.

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How to Design a Fair Shared City?

8 short stories based on equitable urban planning in everyday life

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All publications

ECOLOGY

DOSSIER | COP-29: UN Climate Change Conference

Criticality and the Securitization of Southeast Asia’s Indigenous Mineral Resources

The Czech Republic is behind on developing wind power, we need an urgent change

Swift retreat from democracy: How the new Slovakian Government ruins environmental protection and civil society

Decision for New Climate Finance Goal at COP29 Will Mark the Future of Climate Justice and Equity in the Multilateral Climate Regime

Lithium Mining in Serbia: “An Open and Productive Debate Is Not Possible”

Not a Step Forward Without the EU. The European climate agenda in the Czech Republic.

COP28 - transitioning to proper climate action?

The Individual Carbon Footprint. How much does it actually matter?

The social impact of energy communities: ten benefits they bring

Stopping Russian aggression means rejecting its fossil fuel exports – and, ultimately, switching to renewables

Energy & Climate

"Human rights should be the starting and the ending point"

Growing protests against priority investments in Hungary

False solutions prevail over real ambition at COP26

Green Transition

Student protests helped to set Prague’s Climate Ambitions in motion

The Future of Sustainable Urban Mobility (conference)

The Meaty Side of Climate Change

Publications

Climate Security Report

Energy Communities and the Legacy of Post-Socialism

How to Design a Fair Shared City?

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