UfU Information | Issue 5 – December 2022 | Management
Foreword by the management
Dear members, dear friends of the UfU, dear interested parties,
The sixth IPCC report has been published. In April of this year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reminded us that mankind is facing a climate catastrophe and that too little is still being done to adapt development to a 1.5 degree target. What’s more, the report’s forecasts are of alarming significance and compel each and every one of us to take action.
In the midst of this important time, a brutal war of aggression interferes, pushing all other topics into the background. We are shocked by the brutality and violence with which Putin’s regime is taking action against opponents and critics in Ukraine, but also in our own country. We have always stood for cultural exchange, mutual learning and cross-border engagement against climate change. Accordingly, we also have many projects in Eastern Europe, in Romania, in the Republic of Moldova and in Ukraine itself. It is hard to bear that we now have to fear for the safety of our partners in these regions, who are fully committed to the renaturation of Danube tributaries, for example.
At the same time, this war acts as a magnifying glass for those areas that have always been ignored or treated too carelessly in recent years. Germany’s dependence on fossil fuels, the poor level of development in the expansion of renewable energies and the policy of obstructing the transport transition show how far we still have to go to achieve a climate-friendly way of life. It is up to this federal government to finally set the course for this. Because the IPCC report is clear on this point: we don’t have much time left!
In the past six months, UfU itself has worked a great deal on existing and new projects and has also continued to develop thematically in view of the global changes. We are setting new focal points, for example on topics such as climate neutrality and climate justice. The association is experiencing strong growth, as we are supporting more projects than ever before, are constantly recruiting new, committed employees and are also making a lot of administrative changes. We realize more than ever that our work is important and contributes to environmental and democratic education in this world. Not least thanks to your support. Thank you very much for this!
We hope you enjoy reading
Florian Kliche & Dr. Michael Zschiesche
UfU Managing Director
