The Transatlantic Climate Bridge Conference 2023 – half-time!

This year's Transatlantic Climate Bridge (TCB) Conference started last week. With a variety of exciting formats, it aims to further strengthen the climate and energy alliance between Germany, the USA and Canada. Here are some highlights and important insights from Berlin and Washington, D.C.

The first week of the TCB conference already saw eight events dedicated to the two main overarching themes of subnational cooperation and transnational climate and trade diplomacy. Cities, regions and states are playing an increasingly important role in achieving international climate goals. Subnational actors not only implement national climate policies, they also serve as laboratories for policy innovation and can set the agenda for climate action. Moreover, they reflect different perspectives and provide information on where climate ambitions need to be strengthened.

It comes as no surprise, therefore, that lively discussions have developed at the panel discussions so far – on the Inflation Reduction Act, the European Union's Green Deal, the energy transition or the potential of carbon pricing, for example. You can check out all the recordings of the panels here! The first week's high-level speakers and guests have included Phil Murphy, Governor of New Jersey and former US Ambassador to Germany, Chris Forbes, Deputy Minister Environment and Climate Change Canada, and John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation.

Takeaways from adelphi’s TCB team

The adelphi experts Mary Hellmich and Tobias Bernstein, who lead adelphi's TCB team, made the following conclusions after the first week of the TCB conference:

• Climate policymaking benefits enormously from the subnational and (inter)national levels engaging with one another directly in two-way multi-level exchange. Leadership from Ambassador Nina Hachigian’s office at the U.S. State Department here is a very useful model for other countries wishing to elevate their subnational actors.
• Cities and regions in different countries can and should connect directly for more effective and rapid climate policy implementation, also across levels if relevant (i.e., diagonally).
• The transatlantic space is strategically positioned to harmonize industrial policy and spearhead international climate mitigation and diplomacy efforts that benefit emerging economies, for example on critical minerals.