Capacity Building
Civil Society
Asia
adelphi

It is the first time the exhibition will be displayed in Beijing for a longer period of time. Organized by the German think-tank adelphi and the Chinese Society for Sustainable Development (CSSD) with support of the German Federal Foreign Office, the exhibition illustrates the growing impact of environmental changes, with respect to China and globally.

The exhibition shows how environmental degradation and resource scarcity can spark conflicts and create security threats. At the same time, it highlights the role that environmental cooperation and sustainable development can play in fostering peace and stability. Both outcomes are possible: increasing conflict or peace and stability. The exhibition thus promotes the importance of cooperative efforts to promote sustainable resources management in the areas of water, livelihoods, natural resources, climate and energy.

A section of the exhibition deals with the specific challenges that China is facing as a result of environmental degradation and climate change. For example, agricultural productivity is estimated to decrease with accelerated desertification, partly a result of climate change. However, the Chinese government has taken important steps to cope with these challenges, transforming its economic structure and development pattern.

This touring exhibition has so far been travelling to and shown in more than 30 cities worldwide, including Jinan, Kunming, Zhuhai, Guangzhou, and Chongqing in China. It is part of a joint climate diplomacy initiative of the German Federal Foreign Office and adelphi, a leading Berlin-based think tank for applied research, policy analysis, and consultancy on global change issues. Activities in China are rolled out in close cooperation with the Chinese Society for Sustainable Development which is part of the Administration Centre for China`s Agenda 21 and founded with the goal of organizing national sustainable development research programs.

For further information, please see also ecc-exhibition.org.

Source:
Kate Guy, University of Oxford/Center for Climate & Security

How might a single threat, even one deemed unlikely, spiral into an evolving global crisis which challenges the foundations of global security, economic stability and democratic governance, all in the matter of a few weeks?

Climate Diplomacy
Global Issues
Isabel Hilton, chinadialogue

The former lead climate negotiator for the UK and the EU, Peter Betts, welcomes the decision to move COP26 to 2021 and discusses what is needed from the postponed climate summit.

Climate Diplomacy
Finance
Europe
Frédéric Simon, EURACTIV

Paris and Berlin have added their names to a growing list of EU capitals asking for the European Green Deal to be placed at the heart of the EU’s post-pandemic recovery plan.

Sustainable Transformation
Global Issues
UN News

Greenhouse gas emissions are down and air quality has gone up, as governments react to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the head of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Inger Andersen, has cautioned against viewing this as a boon for the environment. In this First Person editorial from UN News, Ms. Andersen calls instead for a profound, systemic shift to a more sustainable economy that works for both people and the planet.