Centre for Sustainability researchers compare climate institutions, identifying options for Germany.
In a new Ariadne Report, Hertie School Centre for Sustainability researchers Claudia Zwar, Jacob Edenhofer, Viktorija Ruzelyte, Dr Duncan Edmondson and Professor of Climate Policy Christian Flachsland study and compare climate institutions in Germany, the UK, Sweden and Australia, putting forward reform proposals to address shortcomings of German climate institutions. The report and its recommendations were featured extensively in the Tagesspiegel Background newsletter from 11 October.
The report, “Mapping variation in institutions for climate policymaking”, offers a systematic, comprehensive definition of climate institutions. It also develops a conceptual framework to analyse the effects these institutions have on climate policymaking, showing how they address various ‘strategic challenges' of climate policymaking, including transparency, the need for compensation and facilitating policy coordination. Using this framework and drawing on a literature review and 22 interviews, the researchers compare the effects of existing climate institutions across Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Australia, contributing to a greater understanding of climate change governance.
Insights for German climate institutions
The report proposes key reforms for Germany, which include the establishment of a procedure to craft cross-sectoral subsidy programmes, the formation of intra- and inter-ministerial working groups to support coordination and integrated climate policymaking, and the reinstitution of the Klimakabinett. Furthermore, researchers suggest ex-ante analysis be improved via more transparent modelling by the Umweltbundesamt (German Environment Agency) as well as by boosting ERK’s (German Council of Experts on Climate Change) analytical capacity.
Read the full report.
Webinar on the Report (in English):
More about our experts
-
Claudia Zwar, Doctoral Programme in Governance 2023
-
Viktorija Ruželytė, Lithuania
-
Christian Flachsland, Professor of Climate Policy | Director, Centre for Sustainability