Who are we?
Together we can achieve more!
Climate change, which we now know is affecting both nature and human society, presents us with an enormous challenge. 100 organisations have united to form The Climate Alliance, under the motto: “Together, we can achieve more”. Working together, members of the Climate Alliance will now harness the fact that in Germany, the basic political framework for climate protection policies has already brought about a drastic lowering of greenhouse gas levels. As a big industrial nation, Germany has emitted an above-average per-capita output of CO2, decisively contributing to global warming. Germany has until 2020 to decrease by 40%, its CO2 emission levels of 1990, necessary to meet the worldwide minimum target of reducing global warming by 2o C. Over and above this, on the basis of the polluter-pays-principle, Germany should bear the costs of climate change damage and adaptation measures, particularly in affected developing countries.
Despite the fact that urgent action is needed, short-sighted vested interests, block climate policies, repeatedly. The Climate Alliance, as a broad alliance, has been established to counterbalance profit and power interests of the many players within the economic and political establishment of Germany and to apply public pressure to overcome these blockades in climate politics.
The spectrum of members of the Climate Alliance include:
- Churches
- Development organisations
- Environmental organisations
- Trade unions
- Consumer protection organisations
- Youth associations
- Anti-globalisation organisations
- And other groupings
Secretariat
The secretariat is located in the offices of the German NGO Forum Environment & Development (www.forumue.de) at Marienstrasse 19-20, D-10117 Berlin, phone +49-30-6781 775 72.
Regional and local clmate alliances
Besides the Climate Alliance, based at a national level, there is a regional climate alliance, Die Klima-Allianz NRW, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and a local climate alliance in Leipzig (Klima Allianz, Leipzig).
Why do we need a strong alliance?
German Government
The Federal Government of Germany gives the public the impression that it has already performed substantially towards limiting climate change. Although it has lowered the CO2 emission levels by more than 18% since 1990, around half of this reduction is due to the collapse of East German industry after reunification.
Contradictions of the German climate policies
On closer look, climate policies of the government are marked by many contradictions, which are undercutting its own climate change credentials; for example, , it announces that Germany will decrease by 40% greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, but it supports at the same time, the construction of new coal-fired power plants, which will be in operation for the next 40 to 50 years. In comparison to other fossil fuel energy sources, coal burning emits a lot of CO2. Making vehicle tax based on its CO2 pollutant value, without abolishing tax benefits for large gas-guzzling company cars, is as inconsistent. Many more inconsistencies could be named!
Shortcomings of the German climate package
In December 2007, the cabinet agreed upon and in June 2008, parliament adopted, section one of the climate package, and the corresponding part of section two and in so doing, committed to taking only small steps in the right direction. Many of the adopted measures are non-binding, incomplete and do not go far enough. The Climate Alliance has summarised the critical points of both sections of the climate package, in press releases: “Was bleibt von Meseberg?” (“What remains after Meseberg?”) and “Nur noch ein Klimaschutzpäckchen”, (“Only a Small Climate Protection Package”).
The need to tackle the climate change
Since the publication of the latest report, “Climate Change 2007″, the Fourth IPCC Assessment Report (IPCC = Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), it has become clear that we cannot prevent climate change only limit it. Currently, the per-capita output of carbon dioxide in Germany amounts to two and a half times the worldwide average, pointing strongly to the necessity for politicians to dismiss coherent long-term conditions in achieving the necessary lowering of the CO2 emissions. With the construction of new coal-fired power plants and the current climate packages put forward, this climate target will not be reached.
Putting key decisions makers under pressure
With this background in mind, the Climate Alliance has picked out as a central theme, the deficiencies of the German government’s climate and energy policies, with the aim of pushing for public debates and putting key decision makers under pressure. The Climate Alliance is bringing people together to take joint action and to make clear that climate protection is a real concern of mainstream society.
Activities of the Climate Alliance
The Climate Alliance will focus on common activities, which send visible signals to the public and politicians that climate protection is a real concern of mainstream society, to achieve its aims.
Promoting the Global Day of Action
The first aim is to promote the idea that the Global Climate Day of Action is one of the most important opportunities for the public in Germany to take action towards climate protection and together with tens of thousands worldwide exert pressure for consequent climate protection action. The Global Climate Action Day has taken place yearly since 2005, in parallel with the UN climate conference at the beginning of December each year. In 2007, people in Germany demonstrated for the first time at one or other of the two central events of the Climate Alliance: at the Neurath Power Station near Düsseldorf and in Berlin, or took part in local demonstrations in 14 other towns around Germany.
On 6 December 2008, the Global Climate Action Day demonstrations will once more be lead by the Climate Alliance.
Preventing the construction of new coal-fired power plants
The second aim of the Climate Alliance is to take action towards preventing the construction of new coal-fired power plants in Germany. In comparison to other fossil fuel energy sources, coal burning emits a lot of CO2, so that even the most modern power plant burning coal emits twice as much CO2 than a gas-fired power plant. It is not the objective of the Climate Alliance to immediately halt all Germany’s coal-fired power plants, but as a first step, to prevent the construction of new ones because of the consequent high levels CO2 for the next 40 to 50 years. How can the German government meet it’s acknowledged and necessary commitment to a 40% reduction of green house gas emissions by 2020 and at the same time support the construction of new coal-fired power plants? On the Global Climate Action day of 2007, the Climate Alliance demonstrated against the construction of a coal-fired power plant at the Neurath Power Station in Rheinland-Pfalz, where construction had already begun. In the 2008, demonstrations against the building of new coal-fired power plants at the Grosskrotzenburg Staudinger Power Station (operated by E.ON AG) in Hessen and Jänschwalde Power Station (operated by Vattenfall) Jänschwalde, in Brandenburg, will take place. Contemporary witnesses from countries particularly affected by climate change will be invited to the demonstration. These guests will then report back home on the origin of green house gases and their effect on their home country.
Monitoring and Influencing climate policies
In addition to joint action-taking, the Climate Alliance monitors and tries to influence climate policies on national, European and international level. It encourages member organisationsefforts to present their concerns and perspectives. The Climate Alliance believes in participation! If you also wish to become active and exert pressure for actual climate protection action, you will find information on relevant activities taking place on this website (in the German part).
Financing
In 2007, the Climate Alliance was financed by two-thirds from membership fees and one-third from project money. This changed in 2008; a new anti-coal campaign, which began in June, is financed by a contribution from the European Climate Foundation. The income ratio therefore has turned around: one third comes from membership fees and two-thirds from project money.
Information about the European Climate Foundation can be found at www.europeanclimate.org .
Members
Membership
About 40 organisations established the Climate Alliance in April 2007. Within a few months, the number of member organisations had more than doubled. Now it has exactly 100 members.
The Climate Alliance calls on other organisations and initiatives to become a member. Members are highlighted with their logo on publications and on the website of the Climate Alliance. Members of the Climate Alliance can help develop strategies and help decide on what actions should be taken. They are invited to participate in the member plenary sittings, which take place every two months. Members have a right to vote.
If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact Christina Hering at hering@die-klima-allianz.de.
A full list of members of the Climate Alliance can be found on the German Mitglieder web page – klick here.
Regional Climate Alliances
Besides the Climate Alliance at the national level, there are also regional and local climate alliances, which operate independently. Regional and local climate alliances have an alliance with the nationwide Climate Alliance and help carry the contents of the Policy Paper and support decisions that were taken up by the members at the plenary sittings at the national level. The member associations of regional and local alliances are also members of the nationwide Climate Alliance. Currently, the following regional and local climate alliances are:
Leipzig
For more information, have a look on the website of the Klima Allianz Leipzig: www.klima-allianz-leipzig.de
NRW
On 11 June 2007, by invitation of the Protestant Church of Westphalia, the Climate Alliance of NRW met members of the Nature Conservation Alliance of North Rhine-Westphalia (NABU), the Consumer Advice Centre of the NRW and about 30 other people from different associations and organisations to discuss the founding of the “Climate Alliance of North Rhine-Westphalia“, (Klima-Allianz NRW).
On 10 September 2007, the Climate Alliance of NRW (North Rhine-Westphalia) was officially founded and prepared, among other things, the demonstration on 8 December 2007 against the construction of the coal-fired power plant at the Neurath Power Station near Düsseldorf.
The contact address for the Climate Alliance NRW is:
Klima-Allianz NRW
C/o NABU, NRW
Merowinger Str. 88
D-40225 Düsseldorf
phone: + 49 -211/15925110?
Mail: klimaallianznrw@nabu.de
