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:
Climate Change
Climate Diplomacy
Energy
Finance
Global Issues
Laura Merrill and Franziska Funke, IISD

Ten years after committing to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, G20 countries still subsidise coal, oil and gas to the tune of around USD 150 billion annually. Peer review of fossil fuel subsidies help push the G20 forward on this issue, but these reviews need to be followed by action. Subsidy reforms could free up resources that could be channeled back into government programmes and on accelerating a clean energy transition.

Climate Change
Climate Diplomacy
Global Issues
Dennis Tänzler, adelphi

Adapting to climate change and strengthening resilience are becoming priorities for the international community – however, they require greater ambition in climate policy. 107 governments and numerous international organisations have endorsed a call for action on raising ambition at the United Nations Climate Change Summit on 23rd September 2019. Following the summit, the Global Commission on Adaptation will begin its Year of Action to meet the climate challenges ahead. The Year of Action is here to accelerate climate adaptation around the world, to improve human well-being and to drive more sustainable economic development and security.

Biodiversity & Livelihoods
Forests
Minerals & Mining
Central America & Caribbean
Adriana Erthal Abdenur, Igarapé Institute

A new form of organized crime has recently been emerging in the Amazon: illegal mining. Miners fell trees, use high-grade explosives for blasting soils and dredge riverbeds. But the impacts go beyond environmental damage, bringing with it a slew of other social problems. Peace researcher Adriana Abdenur urges policymakers to improve coordination and argues that diplomacy may help prevent further conflicts, corruption and crime.

Conflict Transformation
Water
Global Issues
Benjamin Pohl (adelphi) and Susanne Schmeier (IHE Delft)

Access to water can be a critical resource for cooperation, but also a source of tension. Identifying risks before their onset is crucial for the efficiency and economic feasibility of intervention strategies, but how can these risks be measured? To address this conundrum, adelphi together with several partners convened a side-event at World Water Week, which connected experts developing analytical tools to policy makers in the water sector.