06/30/2026

Report on the Strategic Implementation of Action for Climate Empowerment in Germany
How can society be empowered to protect the climate?

Throughout the history of climate change, committed citizens have always been at the forefront when it comes to driving change toward a future within planetary boundaries. As the IPCC (2022) notes, “civil society social movements are a primary driver of social and institutional change.” Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) provides the international framework for actively engaging society as a whole in climate action. The legal basis for this is Article 6 of the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Article 12 of the 2015 Paris Agreement. It states:

"Parties shall cooperate in taking measures, as appropriate, to enhance climate change education, training, public awareness, public participation and public access to information, recognizing the importance of these steps with respect to enhancing actions under this Agreement."

The goal is to create the conditions that will enable every person to have the knowledge, skills, and capacity to actively contribute to a just and climate-resilient future. A new report commissioned by the Federal Environment Agency examines how Germany can move toward this vision and become a climate-resilient society.

What does the report cover?

• An introduction to ACE and its international foundations, for example, by presenting the priority areas of the Glasgow Work Program.
• International case studies on the implementation of ACE, including examples from Austria and Chile.
• Insights from expert interviews on the current state of ACE in Germany, for example, with Daniel Willeke from the Bundesverband Klimaschutz (Federal Association for Climate Protection), who provides a municipal perspective on the implementation of ACE in Germany.
• An implementation strategy to strengthen ACE at the national level, outlining the steps that would be necessary in Germany over the next five years to advance ACE.

The analysis concludes that many key prerequisites for the successful implementation of ACE in Germany are already in place. However, there is a lack of coordination and integration.

To address these gaps, the report proposes a five-year implementation plan focused on five target areas: (1) establishing cross-cutting ACE structures, (2) strengthening monitoring, evaluation, and reporting, (3) integrating ACE into climate- and sector-specific policies, (4) improving coordination between levels of government and with civil society, and (5) providing supportive tools, resources, and communication measures. Many of the insights gained are relevant beyond Germany’s borders and offer valuable impulses for the global ACE community.

The full report is available in English here.

The implementation concept is available here in both English and German.

06/25/2026

Project on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Consumer Protection of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
Consumer Policy Challenges of Social Commerce

On behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Consumer Protection of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, ConPolicy is conducting a study on the challenges consumers face in social commerce. The central question is what risks arise when social media and online retail increasingly converge.

Social commerce is regarded internationally as a rapidly growing market. While products have traditionally been purchased mainly through conventional online shops, purchase decisions are increasingly being made directly within social networks. In this process, the boundaries between entertainment, personal recommendation and advertising become blurred. Young people in particular make intensive use of these services.

The study examines risks arising from emotionalisation, manipulation, impulse purchases, increased data collection and complex contractual relationships between platforms, influencers and traders. It also analyses whether existing rules under unfair commercial practices law, platform regulation and data protection law are sufficiently suited to effectively protecting consumers in social commerce.

Methodologically, the project combines literature and legal analyses, qualitative studies of platforms and user experiences, as well as a representative consumer survey. On this basis, the aim is to develop policy recommendations for a safe and consumer-oriented legal framework for social commerce. 

Further information on the project can be found here.