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Project Completion: “Foundation Development and Climate Alliance”

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At the turn of 2022/23, FAW/n concluded, after more than four years, the accompanying research project on the Alliance for Development and Climate, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). An official farewell ceremony was held at Ulm City Hall at the end of November 2022. On behalf of the foundation and the Alliance’s circle of supporters, Prof. Radermacher was presented with a certificate in recognition of his outstanding personal commitment.

After FAW/n initiated the idea of establishing a multi-stakeholder partnership—whose mission, in line with Franz Josef Radermacher’s “Milliardenjoker” concept, is the non-governmental promotion of development in accordance with the 2030 Agenda and international climate protection—this idea was incorporated into a BMZ project in spring 2018. From that point on, FAW/n, together with BMZ and later also the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), was responsible for conceptualizing and implementing the Alliance for Development and Climate. In 2020, the Alliance was transformed into an independent foundation.

At the conclusion of the project, a final study titled “The Alliance for Development and Climate Beyond CO₂ Compensation – Future Potentials” was produced. Its key message: the need for international contributions to the 2030 Agenda, climate protection, and biodiversity conservation is so great that the world urgently requires new instruments beyond CO₂ compensation to unlock the full potential of non-governmental actors – without which no solution to these challenges is possible.

IIn this spirit, FAW/n will continue to work on these topics even after the project’s completion, as integrating development in line with the 2030 Agenda with environmental and climate protection will need to receive far more attention in the future than it currently does.

Photo: Farewell event of FAW/n at Ulm City Hall, from left to right: Dr. Tobias Orthen (FAW/n), Prof. Dr. Dr. Dr. h.c. Franz Josef Radermacher (FAW/n), Fritz Lietsch (Managing Director, forum Nachhaltig Wirtschaften, event moderator), Regina Simon (FAW/n), Prof. Dr. Estelle Herlyn (FAW/n), Peter Renner (Board, Alliance for Development and Climate Foundation), Gesa Schöneberg (Head of Research & Consulting, Alliance for Development and Climate Foundation), Gunter Czisch (Mayor of Ulm), and Nikolas Lokau (FAW/n)

Image source: FAW/n

Making a Real Difference

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Call for Applications: Students and Young Professionals for the Development and Climate Academy

SAs far back as 50 years ago, Indira Gandhi summed it up at the first UN Conference on the Environment in Stockholm: development and environmental and climate protection must always be considered together.

This interconnected approach is reflected today in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. In practice, however, we are still far from successful implementation.

The Alliance for Development and Climate makes an important contribution by motivating non-governmental actors to support projects in developing and emerging countries that both serve local communities and protect the climate.

Young people who understand the approach of the Alliance for Development and Climate Foundation, as well as the broader context, can actively advocate for the Foundation’s goals after successfully completing the Academy, while also engaging deeply with some of the major challenges of our time.

For the third time, the Development and Climate Academy – organized by FAW/n and the Hermann Ehlers Foundation – offers this opportunity. As part of the program, there will be an in-person event at the Hermann Ehlers Foundation in Kiel (September 24–26, 2022). The Alliance for Development and Climate Foundation participates as a cooperation partner.

What’s planned?

The two-day Academy in Kiel (September 24–26, 2022), along with four preparatory webinars, will cover key aspects of today’s global challenges related to international climate protection and sustainable development. Speakers include Prof. Dr. Estelle Herlyn and Prof. Dr. Dr. Dr. h.c. Franz Josef Radermacher.

Participants will be trained to motivate companies, as well as political and societal actors, to take action.

Application Process

We welcome applications including a motivation letter and CV, which can be sent to FAW/n (mende@fawn-ulm.de). Participation is limited to 20 people. Travel and accommodation costs to Kiel will be financially supported in coordination with the organizers.

Further information can be found in the official announcement.

For any questions, please contact:

Bildquelle: Drees & Sommer SE

Questions of the Century

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How can we reconcile global access to health, the elimination of poverty and hunger, and a healthy planet? In 2015, all UN member states agreed on the 2030 Agenda with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to create a shared framework for addressing these challenges. The implementation of these goals is discussed weekly in the DIE ZEIT series “Questions of the Century.”

In the twelfth episode, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Gerd Müller, Nina Ruge (journalist, TV presenter, and ambassador of the Alliance for Development and Climate), Prof. Dr. Estelle Herlyn (Scientific Director of the Competence Center for Sustainable Development at FOM Düsseldorf and Senior Researcher at FAW/n), and Christian Schneider (Managing Director of UNICEF Germany) discussed SDG 13: Climate Action.

Key themes included the issue of development—which, according to Prof. Herlyn, is often neglected—and the relationship between environmental protection and climate action. These two areas should go hand in hand, yet they are currently marked by conflicting goals. Population growth also plays a crucial role and must not be underestimated. “Climate protection is the key survival issue of the future,” emphasized Dr. Gerd Müller.

If we fail to achieve our climate goals, up to 500 million people will be severely affected, with children suffering the most from the consequences of climate change, as Christian Schneider pointed out. What does this mean for us personally? According to the panel of experts, change must begin with each individual. In this context, Nina Ruge advocates for membership in the Alliance for Development and Climate.

The FAW/n strongly supports Ambassador Nina Ruge and Senior Researcher Prof. Herlyn. At FAW/n, we explore how industrialized nations, together with developing and emerging economies, can work in unison at climate conferences toward carbon neutrality, identify the most promising and efficient solutions, and define the role of the private sector in this process.

You can find the full discussion and other episodes on different SDGs here.

Image source: Phil Dera

Prof. Herlyn: “The World Needs Many More Companies Like ALDI SÜD”

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Recently, the media reported that four companies, including ALDI SÜD, had allegedly used the term “climate neutrality” in a misleading way. These reports are based on a complaint filed by the German Centre for Protection against Unfair Competition (Wettbewerbszentrale).

Prof. Dr. Estelle Herlyn addresses this issue in her article in UmweltDialog and clarifies what climate neutrality actually means: “CO₂ emissions that are generated can be offset or compensated by taking or enabling activities that, for example, remove CO₂ from the atmosphere through reforestation (negative emissions) or avoid CO₂ emissions by promoting renewable energy.”

She considers it incomprehensible that the Competition Center portrays achieving climate neutrality through CO₂ compensation as misleading. ALDI SÜD supports numerous international projects with positive climate impact and recognizes that this is the only way to make global sustainable development achievable. The company is also one of over 1,000 supporters of the Alliance for Development and Climate, whose projects demonstrably contribute to international climate protection

Den gesamten Beitrag von Prof. Herlyn finden Sie hier auf deutsch und auf englisch. You can find the full article by Prof. Herlyn here in German and English.

Image source: Alexas_Fotos (Pixabay)