26.4.2023

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – fit for the next assessment cycle?

By Moritz Petersmann, PhD Candidate working on project: Fit for governing the triple planetary emergency? Towards enabling sustainability transformations at international science-policy interfaces The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published the Synthesis Report and its Summary for Policymakers (SPM) for the sixth assessment cycle after a marathon week of deliberations during its 58th session, […]

17.10.2022

A brief history of short-lived climate pollutants in environmental science and governance

By Niklas Löther, Research Trainee Interest in climate forcers other than CO2 is on the rise. The IPCC’s latest assessment report dedicates a full chapter to such substances, including gases like methane and HFCs but also aerosols like black carbon. Methane in particular then took centre stage at last year’s COP26, where over 100 states […]

28.5.2021

Shell-shocked: a watershed moment for climate litigation against fossil fuel companies

Harro van Asselt, Kati Kulovesi, Mikko Rajavuori and Annalisa Savaresi. Photo by Marc Rentschler on Unsplash. The Netherlands is no longer known just for its tulips, windmills and bicycles. Its latest export product is climate change litigation. Following 1.5 years after the Dutch Supreme Court in Urgenda decided that the Dutch government should step up its emission reduction […]

28.2.2017

A nudge towards low-emission mobility – A glance at the AFI Directive’s approach to end oil dependence in the European transport sector

Sara Kymenvaara, Researcher, Climate Change Law, LL.M. Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash. A famous metaphor on climate change politics refers to people’s unrelenting driving of SUVs, disconnected from the threat of climate change they are contributing to. Although a lot has changed on the political arena with the entry into force of the Paris Agreement on […]