Features

January 25, 2020

Coal exporters wake up to the financial risk of the climate transition

South Africa faces perhaps the thorniest dilemma of all the coal exporters.

Jan 25

January 25, 2020

Waste pickers: the unsung heroes of our plastic-ridden world

An article by Peter Wang Hjemdahl, rePurpose Global

Jan 25

January 19, 2020

Roubaix, a city of riches

Circular economy helps families to get out of vicious circles and towards ever more fulfilment.

Jan 19

January 22, 2020January 22, 2020

How can we address climate change, pollution and women’s empowerment? Clean cooking.

Interview with Dymphna van der Lans, Chief Executive Officer of the Clean Cooking Alliance

Jan 22

December 23, 2019December 23, 2019

Fund the transition! Zimbabwe's energy sector players call to the government

Dec 23

December 19, 2019December 18, 2019

“Solutions require people working together, understanding the various aspects of a problem”

While COP25 was at full speed in Madrid, we met with the Director of Bellona Europa, Jonas Helseth to talk about solutions.

Dec 19

January 15, 2020January 27, 2020

Globalization: a positive force for African entrepreneurs.

To be effective in supporting African entrepreneurs, incubators need to focus on how to increase the rate at which the forces of globalization can be accelerated.

Jan 15

January 14, 2020January 17, 2020

Empathy for the future

Building resilient societies on empathy to preserve humanity

Jan 14

December 18, 2019December 18, 2019

“Climate solutions are only solutions if they are also advancing justice and equity”

Ensuring women empowerment and access to education, as well as giving women the right to choose for themselves are necessary steps in overcoming the climate crisis.

Dec 18

December 16, 2019

Envisioning a better world: the indispensable effort

This editorial by Editor-in-Chief Anne-Sophie Garrigou is published in The Beam #10 — Local Heroes of Climate Action.

Dec 16

December 16, 2019December 16, 2019

Will carbon markets repeat the mistakes of the past?

An article by Erika Lennon, Senior Attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)

Dec 16

December 14, 2019December 15, 2019

Listen to the Amazon indigenous peoples’ voices

As COP25 is drawing to a close, the importance of the Amazon in the global fight against climate change has never been so clear

Dec 14

December 14, 2019December 15, 2019

Cities are the most ambitious actors of the energy transition

REN21’s Executive Secretary Rana Adib talks about the role of cities in the transition to a low carbon future powered by renewable energy.

Dec 14

December 13, 2019

People from the Global South and Indigenous People are the forgotten people of the climate negotiations

Dec 13

December 13, 2019

Greta Thunberg and Luisa Neubauer lend their platforms to activists who need it most

Following Greta Thunberg example, activists from all across the world have been protesting with unwavering determination for about a year

Dec 13

December 12, 2019December 11, 2019

How local women entrepreneurship supports the global efforts in fighting climate change.

An interview with Founder and CEO of Solar Sister, Katherine Lucey

Dec 12

December 11, 2019December 11, 2019

Ocean-based solutions for climate action

What is the potential of the ocean and its ecosystems to reduce the causes and impacts of climate change?

Dec 11

December 11, 2019December 11, 2019

Green public procurement: a strong stimulus for eco-innovation

An interview with Nora Backer Malm, Senior Consultant at EY in Oslo, Norway.

Dec 11

December 10, 2019December 10, 2019

How to make sustainable fashion choices without compromising style

Meet Sandra Capponi, Co-Founder of the GoodOnYou App which rates fashion brands on their impact on people, planet and animals.

Dec 10

December 10, 2019

Tackling climate change one city — and carbon budget — at a time

A governance tool for reaching the municipalities emission targets, Oslo’s ‘Climate Budget’ budgets the city’s CO2 emissions in a similar manner to the city’s finances.

Dec 10

December 9, 2019December 10, 2019

Moving from talks to action: Youth leading Climate Action

Meeting the youth at COP25 in Madrid

Dec 9

December 6, 2019

Climate: the urgency to act

Since at least the late 1970s, science has known that human emissions of greenhouse gases profoundly alter the Earth’s climate. Yet, nothing has been done in time to make a difference, and the most recent studies almost always concludes that the past forecast were too optimistic.

Dec 6

December 5, 2019December 6, 2019

Meet the three Latin American women who spur climate action at COP25

Carolina Schmidt, Lorena Aguilar and Patricia Espinosa: three names you need to remember if you’re interested in climate policy.

Dec 5

December 5, 2019December 10, 2019

Women are central to create a more people-centred climate change policy

With women and girls being much more harmed by the climate crisis than men, it’s vital to include them in the climate change policy- and decision-making.

Dec 5

December 2, 2019December 1, 2019

Does Climate Change cause more powerful and frequent hurricanes?

Scientists have been trying to understand why these events have become more violent, and seemingly more frequent. Their main challenge: they need to understand it as the phenomenon unfolds.

Dec 2

November 29, 2019November 29, 2019

The Beam Podcast, Episode 3 : Women at the Forefront of Climate Action

Learn more about the gender dimensions to climate change and how women are agents of change.

Nov 29

November 25, 2019November 26, 2019

Energy efficiency: we can do better

An opinion piece by Christian Noll, Co-Founder of German Business Initiative for Energy Efficiency (DENEFF)

Nov 25

November 26, 2019

Ghana’s energy efficiency strategy

An interview with Kofi Ady Agyarko, Director of Energy Efficiency and Climate Change at the Energy Commission in Ghana

Nov 26

November 19, 2019November 20, 2019

“The embarrassing truth is that the gap between what scientists recommend and what is done is wider than ever”

An interview with Svein Tveitdal, Director of Klima 2020

Nov 19

November 18, 2019February 10, 2021

The different faces of climate change: the Zambia drought

A series of three articles written by Sofia Ollvid from SolarAid. 3/3

Nov 18

November 14, 2019November 13, 2019

A Tanzanian woman’s entrepreneurial journey and the challenges to overcome

The story of Ashura Huruko

Nov 14

November 13, 2019February 10, 2021

The different faces of climate change: the Zambia drought

A series of three articles written by Sofia Ollvid from SolarAid.

Nov 13

November 12, 2019November 12, 2019

From the lab to the streets: why scientists join the climate movement

When she is not working towards her PhD at the University of Eastern Finland, Rebecca J. Wicker is attending Extinction Rebellion demonstration

Nov 12

November 11, 2019November 12, 2019

Less CO2 emissions with Lower-Carbon Solar Energy

An article by Andreas Wade, First Solar’s Global Director for Sustainability

Nov 11

November 11, 2019November 10, 2019

Collaborative innovation for urban climate futures: trends and shapers

By Maja Rotter, Head of Innovation at Impact Hub Berlin

Nov 11

November 8, 2019November 8, 2019

Covering the climate: two journalists in Botswana and Cameroon

Interviews by Anne-Sophie Garrigou

Nov 8

November 6, 2019February 10, 2021

The different faces of climate change: the Zambia drought

A series of three articles written by Sofia Ollvid from SolarAid.

Nov 6

November 6, 2019

right.open for redefining our response to global warming

An article by Hannah Helmke, Co-Founder and CEO of right.based on science

Nov 6

November 5, 2019

How to disregard 1.4 million demonstrators? Germany got you covered.

A guest contribution by Nick Heubeck, Fridays for Future Germany

Nov 5

November 4, 2019November 5, 2019

Installing inequality: the racial disparities in solar deployment

By Deborah Sunter (Tufts University), Sergio Castellanos and Prof Daniel Kammen (University of California, Berkeley)

Nov 4

October 31, 2019October 30, 2019

Is it too late to tackle the climate crisis?

An opinion piece by Moustafa Bayoumi, Uppsala University

Oct 31

October 30, 2019November 15, 2019

The Beam Podcast, Episode 2: How to Build Sustainable Cities of the Future

Tune in. Listen to The Beam Podcast, Episode 2: How to Build Sustainable Cities of the Future.

Oct 30

October 28, 2019October 26, 2019

Blockchain is important for the development of society

dena expert Philipp Richard certainly didn’t get rich from Bitcoin, but he does see potential in the blockchain — even for the energy sector.

Oct 28

October 28, 2019October 26, 2019

Looking at the productive use of energy in rural Tanzania

An article by Sisty Basil, Coordinator Hivos Energy Change Lab Tanzania

Oct 28

October 25, 2019October 29, 2019

Dear cleantech entrepreneurs, please listen to your customers

Oct 25

October 24, 2019October 25, 2019

The buzz that’s energising Tanzania’s rural youth

An interview with Reginald Saria, Founder of Asilia African Honey Company

Oct 24

October 21, 2019October 22, 2019

Zero Hour: a movement around the intersectionalities between systems of oppression that continue to cause climate change

An article by Zanagee Artis, Founder & Deputy Director of Advocacy for Zero Hour.

Oct 21

October 14, 2019October 17, 2019

Climate KIC Demo Day 2019

Europe still has what it takes to lead the Green Revolution

Oct 14

October 4, 2019October 4, 2019

Clean cooking: let the data speak for itself

An article by Rotimi Olatunji, Nexleaf Analytics

Oct 4

October 3, 2019October 3, 2019

A tribute to paradoxes

An opinion piece by Hannah Helmke, Co-Founder and CEO of right. based on science

Oct 3

October 1, 2019November 8, 2019

Meet the 12-year-old girl who documented climate change from Nicaragua

An interview by Anne-Sophie Garrigou

Oct 1

September 30, 2019October 30, 2019

Blockchain is decrypting Africa’s future in renewables

An article by Andy Muranda

Sep 30

September 27, 2019October 3, 2019

Choices made now are critical for the future of our ocean and cryosphere

More than 100 authors from 36 countries assessed the latest scientific literature related to the ocean and cryosphere in a changing climate for the report, referencing about 7,000 scientific publications.

Sep 27

September 26, 2019September 27, 2019

“If you think something is impossible, then you have already lost.”

An interview with Aran Consentino, Fridays for Future Udine, Italy.

Sep 26

September 25, 2019

“Our responsibility for the future generations does not end as we get older.”

Grandparents from all over the world are joining the climate strikes.

Sep 25

September 25, 2019

Patagonia launches Patagonia Action Works, a new digital platform to help protect the planet

Patagonia Action Works supports environmental activism by connecting people to local grassroots organisations in Germany, across Europe & the US.

Sep 25

September 24, 2019September 24, 2019

The Beam Podcast, Episode 1: Powering the Globe with 100% renewables

Sep 24

September 23, 2019September 24, 2019

When the young’s voices are as loud.

A guest post by Eliza Lawrence

Sep 23

September 20, 2019

Grab a cup of — sustainable — coffee, sit down and relax. You are listening to The Beam Podcast.

Sep 20

September 19, 2019September 20, 2019

There has never been a better time to become a climate activist than now. Here is why.

A guest contribution by Nick Heubeck, Fridays for Future Germany

Sep 19

September 17, 2019September 17, 2019

How gender inclusiveness will change China’s renewable energy future

An interview with Yisha He, Chairwoman of UNISUN Energy Group

Sep 17

September 16, 2019September 17, 2019

It takes a crowd: funding solar energy in developing countries

An article by Martin Baart, CEO and Co-Founder of ecoligo

Sep 16

September 13, 2019

An energy transition for everyone

People will care about climate change if we tell the right story — and if we tell the story right.

Sep 13

September 12, 2019September 13, 2019

Corporates and renewables — taking the bull by the horns

An article by Thomas Hillig — Founder THEnergy

Sep 12

September 11, 2019

Does a sustainable First World exist?

Sustainable citizens face a quandary. We can’t ‘buy’ ourselves into sustainability. Replacing plastic with bamboo, diesel with electric, it all sounds fabulous, but the carbon footprint calculator results are blunt and we’d still need multiple Earths to suit our eco-lifestyles.

Sep 11

September 10, 2019September 11, 2019

Meet Zolar, the company that is revolutionising the residential solar market

Interview with Alexander Melzer, Founder and CEO of Zolar

Sep 10

September 9, 2019October 20, 2019

Saving Mexico’s native corn with sustainable furniture

An interview with Mexican Designer Fernando Laposse

Sep 9

September 6, 2019September 6, 2019

The story of Berta Cáceres: how her fight for indigenous, environmental and gender rights cost her her life

The incredible story of Berta Cáceres, courageous campaigner for indigenous, environmental and gender rights: her life and assassination, as told by her nephew Silvio Carillo.

Sep 6

September 4, 2019October 17, 2019

Hydrogen from renewable sources will play an important role to achieve 100% renewable energy

An article by Vaitea Cowan, Co-Founder of Enapter

Sep 4

September 3, 2019October 16, 2019

Solar-Home Systems and Mini-Grids: Same, Same but Different!

More than a billion people around the globe do not have access to electricity. In the vast majority, this is not because of a traditional lifestyle, so not by choice.

Sep 3

September 2, 2019September 2, 2019

From Rajasthan to Mexico: why gender matters at the heart of the energy transition

An opinion piece by Costanza Burstin, Mouna Chambon, Morgane Ollier and Cécile Spanu

Sep 2

September 1, 2019September 2, 2019

We can still save the earth from climate change. Here’s how.

A global 100% renewables system will create 15 million additional jobs.

Sep 1

August 30, 2019August 30, 2019

Redesigning the economy: from linear to circular and from ‘me’ to ‘we’

An article by Andrew Thomson, James Gien Wong & Tom Harper, Founders of Stop Reset Go

Aug 30

August 29, 2019September 2, 2019

Living in the onlife: climate’s unseen battleground

An article by George Harding-Rolls, Campaigns Adviser at Changing Markets Foundation

Aug 29

August 27, 2019September 3, 2019

It’s amazing what women with energy can do

An article by Micha Sprinz, Director & Communications lead at ElleSolaire

Aug 27

August 26, 2019September 25, 2019

The hidden cost of Shell oil spills in Niger Delta

An article by Bob Koigi for fairplanet

Aug 26

August 21, 2019August 27, 2019

Popular television: it’s time to shine a spotlight on clean energy

Dear Hollywood, clean energy is normal, not alternative. And the people fuelling this industry have powerful, underrepresented stories to share.

Aug 21

August 20, 2019August 20, 2019

Biochar and its role in mitigating climate change

An interview with Henrietta Kekäläinen, Co-Founder & CEO of Carboculture

Aug 20

August 16, 2019August 19, 2019

The Beam Summit X aware is coming to Hamburg

21 August 2019 at 25hours Hotel HafenCity

Aug 16

July 29, 2019September 13, 2019

Climate change is reducing the beach area at Ballena Marine National Park, Costa Rica

An article by Michelle Soto for LatinClima

Jul 29

July 28, 2019August 30, 2019

Sustaining indigenous forests with blockchain technology

An article by Peter S. Kinjap, advocator for the Travel4Green (T4G) Project

Jul 28

July 27, 2019August 10, 2019

Can development and sustainability go hand-in-hand?

History might lead us to believe that they can’t — but is that true for today’s developing countries?

Jul 27

July 26, 2019July 29, 2019

Women’s Leadership in Cleantech: A Case Study on London’s Action Plan

An article by Women4Climate

Jul 26

July 25, 2019July 29, 2019

Climate breakdown, decision-makers, we need you to wake up, to rise up

An article by Mara Dolan

Jul 25

July 24, 2019January 28, 2020

Energy transition start-ups shake up the business world

An article by Sören Amelang, Correspondent for Clean Energy Wire

Jul 24

July 23, 2019July 29, 2019

Climate change deniers violate human rights

An Op-Ed by Eco Matser, Senior Program Manager at Hivos

Jul 23

July 22, 2019October 3, 2019

East African countries seek for the right energy mix — The heavy task of choosing one’s path

An article by Kimani Chege

Jul 22

July 20, 2019October 2, 2019

How are we dealing with the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?

An article by Ben Prior, CEO at Earthworm Group

Jul 20

July 19, 2019October 1, 2019

Why gender equality is needed for successful climate policies

An interview with Alexandra Wandel, Executive Director of the World Future Council

Jul 19

July 15, 2019July 29, 2019

Women in Sierra Leone: the invisible force of the energy transition

An opinion piece by Mariama Kamara

Jul 15

July 12, 2019August 27, 2019

Editorial: The Beam #9 — Voices from the Global South

An editorial by Anne-Sophie Garrigou, Editor-in-Chief

Jul 12

June 25, 2019July 24, 2019

Sustainable Architecture: Building the future Dunkirk

Designing post-carbon Dunkirk with students from TU Delft

Jun 25

Meet the woman behind the recycled plastic glasses

Interview by Anne-Sophie Garrigou

Jun 24

Notre-Dame was just a burning symbol, but Earth is our mother

An awkwardly naïve open letter to Emmanuel Macron, by Josef Reich, Founder of Fairplanet

Jun 24

June 24, 2019November 6, 2019

Clean cooking: a vital tool to combating global climate change

Experts meet to discuss how to scale clean cooking solutions at Pathways to Clean Cooking conference in Wexford, Ireland

Jun 24

Ambee, the smart mobile sensors for better air

Ambee helps citizens monitor pollution and take actions to avoid the most toxic areas

Jun 24

Reaching climate targets with marine-based renewables

An article by Michael Hickin, Manager — Marine Environment at Renewable Grid Initiative (RGI)

Jun 24

Clean energy for the last-mile

Customizing delivery to match rural customers’ preferences

Jun 24

The Real Key to Clean Cooking

In our travels across rural India, we may have come to understand what would encourage clean and modern cooking options in the home

Jun 24

How to fight poverty

An interview with Meike van Ginneken, CEO of SNV

Jun 24

Female leaders are on the rise — empowered, we are unstoppable

Anna Lässer, Co-Founder of Impact Hub Berlin

Jun 24

The forgotten child of environmental justice

What has the international legal and political community been doing about tackling unsustainable consumption patterns?

Jun 24

“There’s no place where I don’t advocate. It is just part of who I am.”

We talk with Sheila Oparaocha from ENERGIA about gender, energy, poverty and politics

Jun 24

Why the economic game still outplays the environment

From Paris to Berlin and Brussels: The standardization of conflicts of interest on public decision making

Jun 24

Annie Easley, the rocket scientist who worked at NASA before it was even called NASA

This article was featured in The Beam #8 — Together for Climate Justice

Jun 24

Sustainable Food: A sustainable Italian chef in Berlin

An interview and recipes from Giulia Michetti

Jun 24

Electricity — you can’t fight poverty without it

A response to The Economist, by John Keane, CEO of SolarAid

May 24

Together for climate justice

This editorial, by The Beam Editor-in-Chief Anne-Sophie Garrigou, was published in The Beam #8 — Together for Climate Justice

May 24

The challenges and solutions of water scarcity

An interview with Diane D’Arras, President of the International Water Association

May 24

The least developed countries call for urgent action at UN climate talks

“It is those countries that have contributed the least to climate change that are most vulnerable to its impacts and that have the least capacity to protect against its effects.” explains Gebru Jember Endalew, Chair of the Least Developed Countries Group on Climate Change

May 24

Cultivating an emergent order of the energy system

By Kyle Baranko

May 24

The future we want

An opinion by Rebecca Freitag, UN Youth Delegates on Sustainable Development

May 24

Meanwhile in China, the electric mobility revolution is in full swing

Hanna Yanchuk met with Mr. Huang Hongsheng, the Chairman of Skywell New Energy Vehicle Group, and talked to him about the electric mobility revolution happening in China

May 24

What colour should corals be?

As the sea gets warmer, corals are bleaching. Coral-gardening projects are now flourishing all over the globe to prevent this underwater mangrove from turning completely white.

May 24

On disruptive energy technology

An interview with Philip Johnstone

May 23

Solar energy in Yemen. Light shines through the darkness of war

The collapse of electricity in Yemen and the absence of service due to the turmoil of war pushed Yemeni people to look for another alternative

May 23

A story of sustainable journeying

By Felicia Palmer, Berlin Travel Festival

May 23

The citizen-led movement that divested Berlin

By Sarah Scott, Mona Freundt and Simon Schöning, Fossil Free Berlin

May 23

May 23, 2019August 30, 2019

Does the future of agriculture lie in biomass?

By Elizabeth Ferguson

May 23

The teething problems of Mexico’s energy transition

By Agustin Llamas, EVE

May 23

Solar sharing for the future generation — the story of Iitate Electric Power in Fukushima

By Shota Furuya, Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies

May 23

Has Germany proven that auction schemes can work for community energy?

By Franziska Mey, Nicky Ison and Jarra Hicks, Community Power Agency

May 23

Cobalt: the toxic hazard in Lithium batteries that puts profit before people and the planet

When it comes to batteries, people should not have to choose between their safety and access to power

May 23

A late start: renewable energy development in Vietnam

An article by Lars Blume, Green ID Vietnam

May 22

May 22, 2019August 28, 2019

Understanding the principles of the Circular Economy with Alexandre Lemille

“Rethinking and redesigning our economic model based on the constant reuse of our extracted resources is a definite modernisation and positive evolution from our standard economy.”

May 22

May 22, 2019August 30, 2019

Bren Smith, the fisherman shaping the future of sustainable ocean farming

The ocean inventor and entrepreneur is changing the world one ocean farmer at a time

May 22

May 20, 2019August 28, 2019

A connected future between nature and technology

What can we learn and take away from nature that can be put into action with technology?

May 20

May 19, 2019July 24, 2019

May 19, 2019July 24, 2019