Posts

More Forests, Less Climate Change

/in /by

An Important Building Block of the Alliance for Development and Climate

At the official press conference held at the Federal Press Conference in Berlin, Federal Minister Dr. Gerd Müller, Plant-for-the-Planet, FAW/n, and the Senate of Economy Germany presented a study from ETH Zurich. The study demonstrates that large-scale global reforestation has the potential to reduce global warming by up to 1 degree Celsius.

Federal Press Conference on Reducing Global Warming through Forest Restoration, July 3, 2019

Reforestation and forest conservation are key project categories of the Alliance for Development and Climate, which was launched by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), together with GIZ and FAW/n. Supporters of the Alliance contribute voluntarily to help preserve forest areas in developing countries and remove CO₂ from the atmosphere through reforestation. Projects that promote humus formation in agriculture, develop renewable energy sources, or expand the use of efficient cookstoves achieve the same effect. In addition, these projects generate enormous co-benefits for sustainable development and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The fact that so much forest is still being lost, too little reforestation is taking place, and insufficient progress is being made in development is largely due to a lack of financial resources. Public funds alone are not enough to meet the challenges ahead. That is why the Alliance for Development and Climate brings together private-sector actors whose goal is to become climate neutral in the long term. Recently, Robert Bosch GmbH announced that it intends to operate climate-neutrally as of 2020. The company invests around one billion euros annually to achieve this goal, using high-quality climate protection and development projects in developing countries.

In July, Federal Minister Müller will travel to Brazil to discuss, among other things, the fastest measure against climate change — forest conservation — with the responsible ministers there.

Image source: pixabay/Bergadder

Dennis Meadows in Ulm and the Presentation of the German Culture Award in Munich

/in /by

Limits to Growth After 45 Years

The question of the limits to growth, as posed by the Club of Rome back in 1972, remains as relevant today as ever. During the University Days on Ecological-Social Market Economy and Sustainability on Friday, May 24, renowned U.S. economist Professor Dennis Meadows once again assessed the situation. Meadows led the research team that produced the world-famous Club of Rome report and, in his lecture, presented updated scenarios addressing the current state of the world’s resource situation. Around 350 students and interested attendees participated in the event at the University of Ulm. You can find the presentation slides available for download here.

Professor Franz Josef Radermacher, Director of FAW/n and member of the Club of Rome, introduced the highly topical subject, and University President Professor Michael Weber delivered a welcoming address. The session was moderated by Tobias Orthen.

The scenarios described by Meadows range from a sustainable world to collapse. So where do we stand in 2019?

According to Meadows, the world is currently following the “Standard Scenario” outlined in the 1972 report – global population continues to grow, resource consumption keeps rising, and humanity is heading toward ecological collapse. The visible “symptoms” include climate change, water scarcity, and loss of biodiversity.

Welcoming
– Prof. Michael Weber
Dennis Meadows | Club of Rome | Introduction
– Prof. Franz Josef Radermacher
Keynote
– Prof. Dennis Meadows
Overview of the Questions Asked
The Secret of the Lion Man – Presentation of the Gift

Humanity now faces two choices: either we steer our civilization toward sustainability, or these very symptoms will bring growth to an end.

But how close is the world we know to collapse? In his lecture, “Evaluating the Limits to Growth: Projections after 45 Years,” Professor Meadows did not spare his audience from uncomfortable truths.

The University Days on Ecological-Social Market Economy and Sustainability have been organized since 2010 by the Research Institute for Applied Knowledge Processing/n (FAW/n), the University of Ulm, and other partners including Club of Rome Germany and the Global Marshall Plan Initiative in the German-speaking world.

German Culture Award 2019 for Dennis L. Meadows

2019-Verleihung_Deutscher_Kulturpreis_Meadows-845x321
© Stiftung Kulturförderung

Fittingly for the occasion, Dennis L. Meadows was awarded the German Culture Prize 2019 in the Allerheiligen-Hofkirche of the Residenz in Munich earlier that morning. The ceremony was under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Markus Söder. The laudatory speech was delivered by Prof. Dr. Dr. Dr. h.c. Franz Josef Radermacher, member of the Club of Rome.

The speeches by Prof. Radermacher and Dennis L. Meadows can be accessed via the following links:

Laudation by Prof. Franz Josef Radermacher (PDF, German version)

Laudation by Prof. Franz Josef Radermacher for Dennis L. Meadows (English original) – MP3 Audio | 20.0 MB

Acceptance speech by Dennis L. Meadows (MP3 Audio), also translated from English into German by Udo E. Simonis, Professor Emeritus of Environmental Policy at the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin (WZB), published in UNIVERSITAS magazine, issue 11/19

Words of Thanks from Dennis L. Meadows – MP3 Audio | 8.7 MB

End-of-Year Message

/in /by

Global challenges are growing. The United States is destabilizing the international order and breaking treaties, while China seeks to expand its influence in the South China Sea. Brexit, financial instability in Italy, and populist trends across many EU countries make smart policymaking increasingly difficult. As a result, the outlook for sustainable development is worrying.

Warnings from the IPCC and the Club of Rome, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, are clear: urgent action is needed. In response, FAW/n has been working with the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to establish the Alliance for Development and Climate, promoting non-governmental engagement in development and international climate protection. This initiative has the potential to drive significant change in climate policy, the 2030 Agenda, and global population trends – potentially a quantum leap forward. At the same time, we are collaborating with the Senate of Economy on a study to be released ahead of the European elections, presenting a vision for a stronger, more united Europe.

Through these and other initiatives, FAW/n continues to contribute to shaping a sustainable future, together with the Club of Rome, the Senate of Economy, the BMZ, and many other partners – including the University Days on Eco-Social Market Economy and Sustainability.

We are grateful for the opportunity to work closely with our partners and sincerely thank everyone for their broad support throughout the year.

Image source: pixabay/Free-Photos