Blog

Integrity, transparency, accountability and inclusivity in the focus

COP30 negotiations on carbon markets

Blog 12/15/2025

After the finalization of the rulebook on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement at COP29 in Baku, international negotiations have shifted from the development of rules towards providing further guidance on implementation. Integrity, transparency, accountability and inclusivity were key areas addressed in decisions on Article 6.4 and Article 6.2. A further milestone was the closure of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) which will cease its operations in a staged approach over the next two years.

Guzman Renovable: How a tiny village is powering Spain’s local energy transition

Blog 12/01/2025

One of Spain's first rural energy communities has been established on the Burgos plateau. Dr Sibylle Braungardt describes how the community achieved this in this blog post.

Issues to watch out for at COP30 in Belèm

Blog 10/29/2025

From 10 to 21 November 2025, the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) will take place in Belém, Brazil. At this year’s COP, key issues will include the new climate pledges by countries for 2035, a proposal by Brazil for a new fund to protect rainforests, further work on scaling-up climate finance for developing countries, and a framework to measure progress on adaptation. At this time of geopolitical tension and after the renewed withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement, COP30 will also serve as a test of the multilateral process: how well will countries work together to address climate change?

Who pays for carbon? Germany’s answer to the landlord–tenant dilemma

Blog 10/27/2025

As Europe prepares for the start of ETS 2, the Emissions Trading System covering road transport and buildings, policymakers across the continent are facing a difficult question: How can carbon pricing be made socially fair – especially for those who have little control over their energy consumption?

Building Better Climate Futures: What Makes Citizen Participation in Local Climate Action Work

Blog 08/12/2025

From local ownership to social innovation, meaningful citizen participation is essential for climate transformation – but what makes it effective? We summarize the results from the ACHIEVE project.

Socially just energy efficiency: prioritising those who need it most

Blog 08/05/2025

Energy efficiency should not be a privilege. Low-income households often have less access to energy-efficient housing and are less likely to benefit from existing support programmes. Yet they are the ones who are most in need of relief. The EU Energy Efficiency Directive now calls for vulnerable groups to be given special attention – in the interests of social justice and effective climate protection.

Upgrading the Lead-Acid Battery Recycling Sector in Africa

Blog 07/01/2025

As the Partnership for Responsible Battery and Metal Recycling (ProBaMet) project came to an end in May 2025, Fred Adjei a researcher with Oeko-Institut and a member of the project team reflects on the project’s activities, impacts and final conference held in Abuja, Nigeria in March 2025.

Revised methodologies under the EU Carbon Certification Removal Framework continue to lack integrity

Blog 05/28/2025

In March and April 2025, the European Commission presented revised methodologies for the European Union’s Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF). The methodologies continue to set a much lower standard than the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism and best practice in the voluntary carbon market. If the European Commission does not fundamentally improve these methodologies, the vast majority of CRCF units will not represent any actual emission reductions or removals.

Monitoring that matters – transparency makes land sector climate action effective

Blog 04/23/2025

Land management has important implications for climate change, making it essential to monitor it transparently. Increased transparency helps to improve decisions, accountability, and responsibility of all actors.

The EU Carbon Certification Removal Framework and its methodologies must be improved to deliver on their goals

Blog 12/12/2024

In October 2024, the European Commission presented draft methodologies for the European Union’s Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF). These methodologies set out requirements for the certification of carbon removals and soil emission reductions from various mitigation activities.

The ICVCM approval of three REDD methodologies presents risks to the integrity of the initiative

Blog 12/10/2024

In November 2024, the Governing Board of the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) approved three methodologies for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD). The methodologies are now eligible for issuing “high integrity” carbon credits under the Core Carbon Principles (CCPs) label of the ICVCM. We are concerned with this decision. While the methodologies have been improved compared to previous versions, in our assessment they do not meet the requirements of the ICVCM Assessment Framework. Here we explain why.

Fellowship program with renewable energy experts from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan successfully completed

Blog 11/19/2024

Two distinguished researchers, Dr Bahtiyor Eshanov (Uzbekistan) and Dr Abylaikhan Soltanayev (Kazakhstan) have taken part in a joint fellowship program on Living Lab research on renewable energies by Oeko-Institut, SPCE Hub, and ISoG BW.

Cost comparisons in international hydrogen trade: The PtX Business Opportunity Analyser (PtX-BOA)

Blog 10/02/2024

Hydrogen is high on policy agendas around the world. In Germany, the federal government adopted a hydrogen import strategy in July and long-distance transmission network operators are setting up essential infrastructure for a hydrogen transport network. Current estimates indicate that Germany will need to import 50 to 70 per cent of its hydrogen requirements in 2030.

“Cooperation delivers positive change”

Blog 09/19/2024

Preventing double counting while ensuring good governance and environmental integrity – Mandy Rambharos knows what makes a good climate change mitigation project. At EDF, the Environmental Defense Fund, she is working hard to enhance the quality of carbon credits.

Sustainability dimensions of hydrogen in specialist discourse – an inventory

Blog 09/03/2024

Hydrogen is a key factor on the path to climate neutrality in Germany. This requires “green hydrogen” – produced in a climate-neutral way and, in the long term, also in many countries of the Global South. The fact that it should be sustainable is increasingly undisputed. However, there are different views on the dimensions that contribute to the sustainability of hydrogen and its derivatives.

It’s all about CO2 – or not quite?

Blog 08/15/2024

It’s not good for the climate when a cow belches. Nor is it good when an old air-conditioning unit is tipped on a waste dump. For CO2 is not the only gas harming the climate. There are many more gases that Tim Brown, Tradewater CEO, deals with.

“The Global South can benefit from carbon markets”

Blog 07/23/2024

She ended up working on carbon markets more “by accident” than by design, as she herself says. After completing her Master’s, Kristin Qui was looking for a role in international diplomacy, preferably one which also covered sustainable development.

“I kinda wanted to land the plane”

Blog 07/05/2024

Donna Lee had a clear plan for her retirement. After many years in the US Department of State, frequent travel, living and working out of a suitcase, a fulfilling but exhausting career, she wanted to “land the plane”, as she herself says. To improve the quality of the voluntary carbon market Donna Lee and partner Duncan van Bergen set up Calyx Global.

CCQI scores for IFM projects point to substantial integrity risks

Blog 03/25/2024

The Carbon Credit Quality Initiative (CCQI) has released new scores for the integrity risks of carbon credits from improved forest management (IFM) projects. We find that unrealistic baselines and underestimated leakage are likely to lead to significant overestimation of emission reductions or removals under all assessed methodologies. The likelihood of additionality depends strongly on the forest management practices that are implemented. The sustainable development benefits are more limited compared to most other project types.

Impressions from Bali - how findings on site influence research

Blog 03/21/2024

Dr Hannes Böttcher presents a major EU project and reports on his trip to Bali. There are good reasons for travelling to project meetings from time to time to gain a better understanding of other groups.

Expectations for COP 28 in Dubai

Blog 11/21/2023

The 28th Conference of the Parties (COP 28) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will take place in Dubai from 30 November to 12 December 2023. International cooperation to address climate change is more urgent than ever, and climate conferences are attracting increasing numbers of participants and greater media coverage every year. What concrete progress can be made at this year’s conference?

Conflicting goals and contentious debates are unavoidable on the path to a circular future

Blog 08/08/2023

Establishing a circular economy is imperative for the transition to sustainability. However, there are some challenges along the way. Siddharth Prakash and Clara Löw offer an analysis and point to some solutions.

“We are seeing genuine change”

Blog 06/23/2023

Rachel Waggett works as a Principal Environment Officer and developes climate strategies for the Liverpool City Region.

Cooking up Quality: Carbon credits from efficient cookstove projects face integrity issues worth fixing

Blog 06/06/2023

Cookstove projects are gaining interest on the voluntary carbon market. In this blog, Dr. Lambert Schneider et.al unpack their integrity risks based on our evaluations under the Carbon Credit Quality Initiative (CCQI) and Calyx Global.

Mitigation of industrial N2O – Low-hanging fruit in industrialised countries

Blog 05/03/2023

In a recent study on behalf of the Nitric Acid Climate Action Group (NACAG) we found significant ‘low-hanging fruit’ mitigation potential for emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) from chemical industry and a lack of dedicated climate policies. Wolfram Jörß summarises the results.

Enhancing Public Support for Climate Policy: Addressing Research Gaps and Necessities

Blog 04/06/2023

Dirk Arne Heyen summarizes the key messages of the webinar about climate policy acceptability.

Study reveals major climate change mitigation potential in film production

Blog 02/15/2023

The greenhouse gas emissions of film productions and TV series have been systematically analysed in a comprehensive study for the first time. The dataset is based on 78 productions (see list at the end of this article). The idea for a sustainability initiative came from the film industry itself and aimed to ensure that in future, climate impacts are taken into account and mitigated from the start of production onwards.

The world waits for action on climate pledges

Blog 11/07/2022

Whenever the COPs are in the spotlight, there is a tendency to launch a raft of new initiatives. But do they have any effect? Anke Herold and Lorenz Moosmann have been looking at what became of three initiatives that emerged from COP26.

Factsheets: The reform of the EU Emissions Trading System – a closer look

Blog 05/17/2022

In July 2021, the European Commission presented a series of legislative proposals as part of the Fit for 55 package to align energy and climate policy instruments with the new climate target of reducing emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. Researchers at the Oeko-Institut have taken a closer look at the proposals for the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and have produced four factsheets with summaries and comments.

Energy policy in times of the Ukraine war: Nuclear power instead of natural gas?

03/23/2022

Anke Herold, Dr Roman Mendelevitch and Dr Christoph Pistner on the impacts of the war in Ukraine on German and European energy and climate policy – and whether nuclear power should replace Russian gas.

Is the EU heating sector “fit for 55”?

Blog 07/14/2021

Without putting the heating sector on track, the EU cannot reach net zero. The Green Deal provides the opportunity to set the course towards making heating fit for 55. Dr. Sibylle Braungardt explains why and how this can succeed.

How to design an EU emissions trading system for maritime transport?

Blog 07/12/2021

The new study by the Oeko-Institut and Transport&Environment commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety shows how an extension of the EU emissions trading system to maritime transport in the "Fit for 55" package could be designed. How such a regulation would relate to potential measures by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is explained by researcher Nora Wissner.

How environmentally friendly are books?

Blog 10/13/2020

The search engine of a large online bookseller finds 695 books matching the search term “Greta Thunberg”. Reading about her climate activism is wonderful, but does she approve, we wonder? After all, the printing of all those pages is itself a source of CO2 emissions. We mark the Leipzig Book Fair by asking which factors influence the ecological footprint of books and e-book readers. The answer will help readers to decide how climate-friendly they can make their reading. Carl-Otto Gensch of the Oeko-Institut has done a few calculations.

"Two weeks for future": Me, my son and our tandem

Blog 09/23/2020

Because her son Felix needs the same level of care as a toddler, Dr Teufel has no time to demonstrate regularly. Nevertheless, she wanted to make a stand and show her solidarity. That is how she hit on the idea of taking her son and the recumbent tandem on a “Two Weeks for Future” cycling tour. Here she reports on the trip.

The carbon footprint of our digital lifestyles

Blog 04/24/2020

Oeko-Institut is reputed for knowing the answers to many relevant environmental questions concerning the future. Senior researcher Jens Gröger is currently working on the topic of "sustainable digitization" and has done the maths.

Changes in course needed for UN scheme to address aviation emissions

Blog 04/07/2020

Commentary on the UN agreement CORSIA

Using incentives to put out fires [de/eng]

Blog 02/11/2020

The area of Agbogbloshie in Accra, Ghana’s capital city, has come to the world’s attention on account of its role in the recycling of electronic waste (e-waste) and the problems that this gives rise to. Andreas Manhart of the Oeko-Institut took part in a project that looked for – and found – new ways of solving the e-waste problem in Ghana.

Building sustainability into the national hydrogen strategy

Blog 12/23/2019

The planned national hydrogen strategy will include a roadmap for the market launch of electrolysers. However, the exemption from levies and charges currently being discussed is the wrong approach, writes Christoph Heinemann from the Oeko-Institut.

#plasticfree: Car tyres are the main microplastic pollutant [deu/eng]

Blog 12/18/2019

Part 4: Tyre abrasion is in Germany responsible for one third of the total microplastic input into the environment.

The Madrid climate talks failed to deliver. What now?

Blog 12/17/2019

Tangible results are hard to find. Countries failed to agree on a clear roadmap for enhancing the ambition of climate targets in 2020 and delayed several important decisions, in particular rules for international carbon market mechanisms. In this blog, the Oeko-Institut team provides a viewpoint from inside the negotiations.

#plasticfree: Microplastics are in style

Blog 12/13/2019

Part 3: Instead of clothes, we should change our attitude towards fashion.

#plasticfree: A bowl of soup instead of packet soup

Blog 12/09/2019

Part 2: Consumers should ask themselves with every piece of plastic they hold in their hands: How could I avoid this waste next time?

Double counting in international emissions trading

Blog 10/11/2019

At the next climate conference in Chile in December 2019, one issue will be particularly contentious: the rules for international trade in emission reductions. A central question will be whether and how “double counting” – two countries using the same emission reduction to achieve their climate targets – can be prevented. Lambert Schneider, Research Coordinator for International Climate Policy at Oeko-Institut, has summarised the international discussion on double counting with nine other authors in the Science journal.

Repair or replace?

Blog 04/04/2019

[Translate to English:] How can appliances be kept in service for as long as possible? When are they worth repairing – and when does it makes sense to buy a new and efficient appliance? The Oeko-Institut provides answers to these questions in a new background paper.

CO2 emission standards for cars and vans: the status quo and the Commission’s proposal

06/07/2018

The update of the CO2 emission standards for cars and vans for the post 2020 period is currently being negotiated. In this blog post, Peter Kasten gives an overview of the valid regulation up to 2020 and the Commission’s proposal.