RIFS Blog

Natural peatlands, a type of wetland, store twice as much carbon as all of the world’s forests combined – and they do so on just three percent of the world’s land surface. But peatlands that have been drained – as has been done since the 17th century to create dry land for settlements, farming, and forestry – release that carbon back into the atmosphere. Brandenburg wants to rewet some of its drained peatlands for climate protection and biodiversity restoration. In the seventh episode of the RIFS podcast “Wandel verhandeln. Nachhaltig in Brandenburg” (Negotiating change. Sustainability in Brandenburg), we explore the potential and challenges of this plan.

Rising land prices, competition for space and maintenance costs for urban green spaces present local authorities with enormous challenges even as they grapple with the task of adapting cities to climate change and scaling back urban soil sealing. A RIFS study prepared in 2024 by the Franco-German Forum for the Future examines how local government bodies in France and Germany are approaching these challenges.

RIFS Fellow Deborah Lika reflects on her experience as a young negotiator for Albania at the UN Climate Conference COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Water is critical for life on Earth, and plays a vital role in Earth system processes, particularly in climate regulation. RIFS researchers took part in a recent panel discussion on the topic of “Ecopolitics Traversing Waterbodies: Tales and Epistemologies Influencing Water Governance” at Berlin Science Week 2024.

Research in the social sciences contributes to transformations in the industrial and energy sectors in Germany and Europe, yet it is frequently neglected in research funding. It is time for programmes to intensify their focus on the political and social dimensions of the energy transition, write Lukas Hermwille (Wuppertal Institute), Rainer Quitzow (RIFS/TU Berlin) and Andreas Goldthau (Universität Erfurt/RIFS).

Brandenburg has set itself the goal of creating a climate-neutral economy and way of life by 2045. But this vision will only become reality if it is supported by people on the ground. How can strategies to foster sustainable development be negotiated and put into practice in communities? In the RIFS podcast “Wandel verhandeln. Nachhaltig in Brandenburg” (Negotiating change. Sustainability in Brandenburg) we go looking for answers. Today sees the release of the sixth episode, which features excerpts from a panel discussion held at the launch event.

Hosting the landmark event raised Azerbaijan’s international profile despite criticism of the country’s limited climate achievements and its human rights record. 

Wandel verhandeln – nachhaltig in Brandenburg ("Negotiating change - sustainability in Brandenburg”) is a podcast about Brandenburg's transformation into a sustainable and fairer society. In the podcast, we cast a spotlight on various conflicts around this transformation – but also at the positive impacts and new ideas – and invite changemakers and people from affected communities to have their say. A recent episode on climate-friendly theatre-making explores efforts to improve the sustainability of cultural events in Brandenburg.

Shortly before the recently concluded COP29 UN climate conference in Baku, we published a new paper in which we consider the role and effects of group dynamics on negotiations at the climate conferences. Drawing on participant observations from COP28 in Dubai and interviews with negotiators, we analyse key group dynamic structures and consider their impacts on communication. In our conclusion, we recommend that the facilitation and moderation of informal discussions and meetings be strengthened so that participants can engage in honest exchange and overcome vested interests.

Heating is a crucial component of the energy transition: around one third of Germany's total final energy consumption is used for space heating and warm water in buildings. Germany urgently needs a rapid transition to renewable and affordable heating sources. But how can this be achieved at the local level? How can municipalities lead the way in transitioning to clean, affordable heating? In the podcast "Wärmewende Brandenburg" and here we explore these questions with local stakeholders from Brandenburg. While the challenges are undeniable, several municipalities in the region demonstrate that diverse decarbonization pathways are both feasible and inspiring.

Green hydrogen will play an essential role in the decarbonization of hard-to-abate industries, including the steel, cement, fertilizer, shipping and aviation sectors. Governments worldwide are developing policies with the aim of shaping green hydrogen markets. As part of its work on the HYPAT project, the research group on Geopolitics of Energy and Industrial Transformation has developed a unique database on green hydrogen policies that will enable researchers to track political trends and governments’ priorities in this early stage of market development.

These are dark times for anyone working in the field of climate policy and it’s difficult not to succumb to pessimism. As if the regular reports of record-breaking, climate-driven natural disasters aren’t enough, populist governments and movements are flourishing, putting the brakes on climate policy in countries around the world. The re-election of Donald Trump is an especially alarming development. While President Biden managed to make up for the loss of confidence in US climate policy by pledging to boost climate finance and passing his ambitious Inflation Reduction Act, Trump's election has plunged the global climate science and policy community into uncertainty.