Dear readers,
Around 200 countries have signed the UN world climate treaty.
Including many countries whose governments shoot demonstrators, torture opposition members or lock minorities and critics in labor camps.
The prerequisite for being able to participate in climate protection is not compliance with human rights or democracy, but the submission of ambitious climate plans.
That sounds harsh - but the idea of Paris is to solve the climate crisis and not political conflicts.
That is why some climate experts recently asked themselves whether the Taliban government appointed this week would also be invited to the next UN climate conference in Glasgow.
After all, Afghanistan is an official member of the agreement.
The country has even submitted an exemplary NDC, i.e. its own climate targets, and wants to reduce its emissions by around 14 percent by 2030.
Around three months before the UN climate conference, the Taliban took power in Afghanistan after 20 years of military service and formed a government.
Thousands are fleeing the new regime, women in particular fear oppression, critics of the Islamists' persecution.
The country is sinking into chaos and violence.
Hell on Earth: War and Climate Change
One could legitimately ask: Perhaps the Taliban have nothing to do with the climate crisis, are even climate deniers or really have "other problems" for the time being.
But it is not that easy.
As the New York Times explains in a detailed article, the country is extremely affected by the consequences of climate change.
Afghanistan is a real hotspot of climate change and is warming twice as fast as the global average.
There are more frequent droughts, and periods of rain are sometimes completely canceled.
Since the country is not an industrial but an agricultural state, the changed climate hits the people particularly hard.
Afghan farmers live from the cultivation and export of products such as pomegranates, pine nuts and raisins.
At the same time, many have to provide for themselves with their fields.
Not only do the military operations prevent the sowing of the seeds or destroy the fields in many places, but the drought is also causing the crops to wither.
Climate change and war - arguably the deadliest mix.
Afghanistan shares this hell with countries like Somalia, Mali and Syria.
"Countries in armed conflicts are disproportionately affected by climate fluctuations and extremes," warns the International Committee of the Red Cross in a report.
"This is partly because of their geographic location, but mainly because conflicts and their consequences limit the adaptability of people and institutions," the report says.
There is an urgent need to mobilize funds for climate protection and adaptation - and to ensure that these reach the people.
At the same time, the consequences of climate change also favor terrorist groups. "How climate change strengthens the Taliban," headlines the US broadcaster CBS. Because the more desperate people, the more willing they are to join them. They usually don't have a choice. And the more unstable the state and its institutions, the more ground the terror gains.
Countries like Afghanistan are dependent on international aid - on their own they cannot adapt to the climatic consequences, change their production or even electrify the country.
That is why it is not so absurd to imagine the Taliban at the climate conference in Glasgow.
Just like many other poor countries, they could hope for financial aid and technology transfer through the Paris Agreement.
Your new ministers would have every reason to book a flight to the British metropolis in November.
Can the Taliban go to the climate summit?
When the hosts of COP26 (this year the British government) asked whether the Taliban - if they wanted to - could take part in the UN climate conference, the latter referred snuffily to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
He said in a speech that it was a mistake to officially recognize the Taliban government.
Subtext: Only when the West recognizes the new regime can the Taliban go to Glasgow.
And because the Taliban are dependent on development aid, they could at some point be moderate to the outside world, get involved in deals with the West and at some point would be recognized.
Then they could go to the UN climate conference.
Just like North Korea, Congo or Belarus.
If you like, we will inform you once a week about the most important things about the climate crisis - stories, research results and the latest developments on the biggest topic of our time. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.
The topics of the week
We can still mine this much coal, gas and oil
In order to achieve the climate goals of the Paris Agreement, a switch to renewable energy is necessary.
But how much coal and gas and oil can still be burned without raising the temperature too much?
"Simply rebuilding in the same way is negligent"
Germany has to reckon with more extreme weather.
But the adjustment programs so far are not enough to protect citizens.
In the Ahr Valley, too, things cannot continue as they did before the flood disaster, say researchers.
A long-haul flight costs the global community US $ 3,000.
The effects of the climate crisis are considerably more costly than previously assumed: Researchers assume that global gross national product will fall by 37 percent as a result of global warming.
Essay: The false doctrine of the expensive ecological turnaround
For decades, climate protection was labeled "expensive".
In the election campaign, too, the climate is only a cost factor.
But this popular argument from fossil lobbies is simply wrong.
Where should the hydrogen for Germany's industry come from?
Millions of tons of environmentally friendly hydrogen are missing from German factories.
Steel companies and chemical companies want to make do with fossil alternatives - the natural gas lobby is cheering.
More extreme droughts approaching Europe
The number of summers that are too dry will rise dramatically in the coming decades, a new study shows.
And identified four particularly badly affected »hotspots« in Europe.
The world's largest plant for CO₂ storage goes into operation
4000 tons of CO₂ per year: This is how much climate-damaging carbon dioxide a new plant in Iceland sucks out of the air
Germany
faces a
gigantic financial gap in climate protection
Pompous climate goals, manageable investments: According to a study, the state is spending too little money to make Germany CO₂-free by 2045.
Hundreds of billions are still missing in this decade alone.
Stay confident
Your Susanne Götze