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Germany's Role in Climate Protection
At the invitation of the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the international foundation platform F20, around 40 German foundations discussed the German climate debate and global responsibility in the year of Germany's G7 presidency with representatives from academia and the new German government.
The event was broadcast from the Robert Bosch Stiftung in Berlin. Ottilie Bälz participated on behalf of the Foundation (left). Klaus Milke from F20 moderated. Among the guest speakers was Fernanda Wolff Metternich from the Healthy Earth Healthy People Foundation (Screen).
Under the heading "Sinsheim Climate Dialogue," the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the international foundation platform F20 jointly hosted a digital event on February 8, which was broadcast from the Robert Bosch Stiftung in Berlin. Representatives from around 40 German foundations exchanged views with representatives from academia and the new German government on the German climate debate and global responsibility in the year of Germany's G7 presidency in 2022. In doing so, they also made a connection to Jakarta, because Indonesia holds the presidency over the G20 this year.
Senior Vice President Ottilie Bälz participated on behalf of the Robert Bosch Stiftung::
Ms. Bälz, what needs to be done to live up to Germany's global responsibility for climate protection?
Ottilie Bälz: The global effort to stay below 1.5° global warming can only be successful on one condition: Not only must individual states ambitiously implement their climate targets, but solutions must also be found in international cooperation on how to shape the great social transformation that lies ahead of us. With a focus on climate protection in the program of the German G7 presidency and through concrete transformation partnerships with selected countries of the Global South, the new German government wants to strengthen this international cooperation. But it's not just policymakers who are called upon, but actors from all sectors, including the business sector and civil society - and, of course, foundations.
How can foundations become part of the solution?
German foundations are already making important contributions to the German climate debate and to Germany's global responsibility. This commitment reflects the diversity of the foundation landscape and ranges from community foundations that support local projects for reforestation or waste avoidance to large corporate-affiliated foundations that want to help change political framework conditions. There are foundations with an explicit focus on environmental and climate protection, but also foundations that integrate climate protection as a cross-cutting issue in their work on education, health or social issues. The F20 foundation platform, with its chairman Klaus Milke, creates a framework for foundations to exchange information about this commitment and initiate cooperation. The Association of German Foundations and the network of European foundations PHILEA also support foundations in their commitment by offering consulting and networking services.
What are the next steps for the F20 foundation platform?
The "Sinsheim Climate Dialogue" of German foundations is to be continued in June 2022 in Munich in the run-up to the G7 summit in Elmau. A further impetus will be provided at the German Foundation Day in Leipzig. In addition, the F20 foundation platform is organizing its "Climate Solutions Forum" in Indonesia at the beginning of September, which aims to identify concrete approaches to solving the global climate crisis ahead of the G20 summit in Indonesia. There is already a close cooperation with several Indonesian foundations. The Robert Bosch Stiftung looks forward to continuing to be part of this dialogue.
Prof. Dr. Maja Göpel, expert in sustainability policy and transformation research and scientific director of the Hamburg-based think tank The New Institute, was one of the participants.