Climate
Climate and Energy Risks: A Transatlantic Comparison
Apr 08On April 8, 2013 AICGS and the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) hosted an off-the-record conference on “Climate and Energy Risks: A Transatlantic Cooperation.” The conference was generously supported by the Transatlantik-Programm der Bundesregierung der Bundesrepublik Deutschland aus Mitteln des European Recovery Program (ERP) des Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft und Technologie (BMWi). An interdisciplinary group of scholars and experts from Germany and the United States discussed the following topics on four different panels: energy security, the shale gas challenge, nuclear energy, and mitigating and adapting to climate risks. This conference was part of an ongoing project on “New Systemic Risks: Challenges and Opportunities for Transatlantic Cooperation,” which examines the impediments and opportunities for transatlantic risk management.
Daily Travel and CO2 Emissions from Passenger Transport: A Comparison of Germany and the United States
Germany and the U.S. present many similarities that make a comparison of CO2 emissions from transport and related policies meaningful. This essay compares trends of CO2 emission from passenger transport, discusses policies to decrease emissions, and offers policy lessons for both the U.S. and Germany.
Germany and the United States at Rio +20
In planning last week’s United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio +20, organizers sought to bring together the public, private, and NGO sectors for a constructive dialogue on sustainability and development. The ploy worked for the German delegation, whose liveliness underscored a growing convergence of public and private interests regarding sustainability, but… Read more >
Climate 2.0-Can Geoengineering Make the World a Safer Place?
With climate change at the forefront of many political discussions, many view geoengineering as a necessary complement to emissions reductions initiatives to combat this issue. Geoengineering, refers to a large-scale effort to modify the environment in order to mitigate the impacts of global climate change. Instances of geoengineering take many forms, ranging… Read more >
The Transatlantic Climate and Energy Dialogue: Urban and Regional Transportation and Energy Problems and Solutions
AICGS’ is undertaking a project on “The Transatlantic Climate and Energy Dialogue: Urban and Regional Transportation and Energy Problems and Solutions” in 2012. This project will continue the transatlantic climate and energy dialogue at the regional level by focusing specifically on the linkages between transportation and energy management for urban communities in… Read more >
The EU Emissions Trading System and the Upcoming Inclusion of the Aviation Sector
While the aviation sector had been exempt from the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), in January 2012 the EU ETS will be expanded to fully include international flights arriving at or departing from an EU airport. This AICGS Spotlight provides background information on the issue, implications for Germany, the United States, and transatlantic relations as well as potential future development.
2011
European Energy Security: Achievements, Shortcomings, and Potential Improvements
Dec 16On December 16, 2011, the American Institute for Contemporary Studies (AICGS) hosted a discussion on “European Energy Security: Achievements, Shortcomings, and Potential Improvements.” During the seminar, Mr. Arne Schröer, DAAD/AICGS Fellow, argued that not only does European energy policy have problems in identifying challenges and solving them, but also that Europe’s energy… Read more >
Alexander Ochs
| Programs: Foreign & Domestic Policy Program
Alexander Ochs is Director of Climate and Energy at the Worldwatch Institute in Washington, DC, where he leads a growing team of researchers, is a member of the Institute’s management team, a chief editor of the renowned Re|Volt blog and a co-editor of the transatlantic newsletter Connected. His areas of expertise include… Read more >
Intellectual Property Rights and Green Technology Transfer: German and U.S. Perspectives
While environmental concerns have recently taken a backseat to the economic and financial crisis, scientific projections on climate change continue to call for action. Yet, international cooperation has been hampered and a rift between developed and developing nations is increasingly evident. Companies from developed countries are interested in recouping their investments in clean energy technology through property rights; developing nations contend, however, that such technology must be made available to all nations. This Policy Report, featuring essays from Robert Percival and Miranda Schreurs, examines American and German views on this contentious issue, focusing on what roles technology transfer and intellectual property rights play in the climate policy debate.
Promoting Energy Innovation and Investment Through Transatlantic Transfer of Community Energy Policies
In Policy Report #43, “Promoting Energy Innovation and Investment Through Transatlantic Transfer of Community Energy Policies,” Dale Medearis, Peter Garforth, and Stefan Blüm look to the European Union and Germany to draw lessons about community energy planning at the national and sub-national levels that can be transferred to the U.S. The authors examine issues such as the integration of land-use and transportation planning policies and the development of finance mechanisms and performance measures for energy efficient building construction.
