Scotland has its whisky, France wine, cognac and champagne. In China, the Maotai is the national drink. It is both a luxury item and a symbol of corruption. But so far, the national liquor hasn't conquered the global market yet. Henry Kissinger and Ronald Reagan know why the strong beverage has not yet been successful on the export market.
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Powerful financial players are still investing in the fossil fuel industry. Yet these investments are no longer legally defensible, write Bevis Longstreth and Connor Chung in the Viewpoint. A decision by the billionaire Harvard Foundation could now have far-reaching consequences for institutional investors.
By Redaktion Table
The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation recently published a study entitled "China Coverage in the German Media in the Context of the COVID Crisis". In it, the authors accuse the texts from seven newspapers and magazines of having "a Western values agenda and a Eurocentric perspective". In the reporting, "clichés and stereotypes" were taken up. Political scientist and China expert, Andreas Fulda from the University of Nottingham thinks the study's conclusions are wrong.
By Redaktion Table
In addition to CO2 offsets, Wilfried Rickels and Christine Merk call for a market for certificates from the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere. According to the experts from the Global Commons and Climate Policy Research Centre at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, COP26 could set the course for this.
By Redaktion Table
Black ink on a red background. That is how Chinese business cards once looked like, back when they were presented by emissaries of the imperial court. Name cards were already used in China thousands of years ago. However, the gesture of handing them over – with both hands – was copied. Nowadays, however, all that is needed to exchange contacts is a tap on the smartphone.
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The European Union and the US want to cooperate on decarbonizing the steel and aluminum industry. The agreement offers the chance for a better coordination of climate policies, says Susanne Dröge of the German Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik. However, the exclusion of China could prove counterproductive.
By Redaktion Table
Cities are responsible for a large share of greenhouse gases and at the same time play an important role in climate protection. Mike Bloomberg, Special Representative for Climate Action of the UN Secretary-General and Co-Chair of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate Energy, and Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans call on governments to provide more support to mayors.
By Redaktion Table
At the recent UN General Assembly, China's President Xi Jinping announced to the media that he would no longer pursue new coal projects abroad. Nora Sausmikat from the environmental rights organization urgewald e.V. takes stock of the World Climate Conference in Glasgow. China is still one of the biggest expansionists in coal-fired power plants worldwide. Even the switch to gas and liquefied petroleum gas are only "sham solutions" that jeopardize even the Paris Climate Agreement. Moreover, without a total phase-out at home, the withdrawal from coal abroad will hardly work.
By Ning Wang
Achieving the warming target is not primarily about making sacrifices, argues the head of the US research organisation RMI. Rather, a rapid shift to renewable energy could save trillions of dollars.
By Redaktion Table
Is China luring other emerging markets into a "debt trap"? China's particular form of foreign aid invites misunderstanding. A thorough analysis of openly available data by researchers provides a much more nuanced picture.
By Redaktion Table
