Ecology

Ecology

Across East Asia, our societies stand at a crossroads. As we confront the accelerating impacts of the climate and biodiversity crises, the choices we make now will shape not only the region's future, but also global pathways toward sustainability, justice, and resilience.

Our Ecology Programme supports critical dialogue, transnational cooperation, and transformative action to advance a just and sustainable future. We address urgent challenges such as phasing out fossil fuels, conserving ecosystems, ensuring fair climate finance, and reimagining the use of land, cities, and technologies. Our focus includes:

Energy Transition
We promote the phase-out of coal and gas, challenge false solutions like biomass and blue hydrogen, and support the acceleration of renewable energy across East Asia. At the same time, we foster critical debates on the region's nuclear revival and advocate for inclusive energy governance that avoids stranded assets and greenwashing.

Spatial Planning
Cities, land, and oceans must be managed with both climate and ecological integrity in mind. We explore strategies to decarbonize transport and buildings, preserve biodiversity, and ensure that land and ocean use—from forests to offshore wind farms—balances human needs with ecological limits.

Climate Fair Sharing
We scrutinize public and private financial flows—both harmful (fossil fuel finance) and promising (e.g., the Green Climate Fund and the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage)—to ensure they uphold climate justice. We also monitor national climate commitments and advocate for more ambitious and rights-based pathways, inspired by international legal rulings and climate litigation efforts.

We believe that East Asian citizens—young people, activists, researchers, urban planners, energy experts, artists, farmers, and many more—are vital agents of change. Through capacity building, convening, and knowledge exchange, we aim to empower diverse actors to shape inclusive, forward-looking climate and ecological solutions in their communities and beyond.

Join us as we work to ensure that climate action in East Asia is not only fast and bold—but also fair, participatory, and ecologically sound.

Recent articles
Web Dossier

Plastic Atlas Asia Edition

Facts and figures about the world of synthetic polymers

Enter
Web Dossier

Tech, Farming, Biodiversity

Digitalisation, genomics, climate geoengineering: What is the impact of new and emerging technologies on farming and biodiversity? Here are assessments undertaken on the occasion of the Biodiversity Convention COP 2021-22 in Kunming, China.

Read more
Umami United envisions a food-diverse society

Japanese Food-tech Start-ups Create "More than Food"

Article
As the world faces the dire consequences of climate change, it is essential to reconsider our food choices and the methods used to produce them. The emergence of alternative foods, such as plant-based meat and lab-grown meat, present a futuristic and ethical solution for ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come. But how can we adapt our food culture to reflect this significant shift? Japan, the birthplace of the word oishii (good taste), offers inspiration on how to deliciously and sustainably redesign our culinary traditions.
By Akihico Mori
Third Nuclear Power Plant in Taiwan

A charged debate: Taiwan’s nuclear energy conundrum

Commentary
In less than five decades, nuclear power in Taiwan went from a much lauded energy source to a nuisance. After the Fukushima incident in 2011, growing concerns about safety led to a shifting of attitudes towards nuclear power. The current Taiwanese administration continues to pursue its policy to phase out nuclear power by 2025 but meets growing challenges. This article explores the history of Taiwan's nuclear power program, the factors that led to its decline, and the security challenges of phasing out nuclear power.
By Kwangyin Liu
An anti-nuclear demonstration held in Busan, South Korea

South Korea's 'unstable' nuclear energy policy: From Lee through Moon to Yoon Governments

Commentary
South Korea’s nuclear energy policies have undergone significant changes over recent years, showing an “unstable” character depending on respective governments in power. This article explains the political factors behind these policy changes and the arguments made for and against nuclear energy in Korea; it also explores the competitive relationship between nuclear energy and renewable energy. While nuclear energy is unlikely to be phased out any time soon, the challenge for South Korea remains to create a distributed energy systems that increases local self-sufficiency in electricity supply and introduces distributed renewable energy-friendly markets.
By Soo Jin Kim
Climate Youth Council

Climate Youth Council 2024 (Part 3): Proposing a Carbon Neutrality Act Amendment and Conducting an Online Campaign

The Climate Youth Council held a meeting with members of the National Assembly to petition for the revision of the Carbon Neutrality Act, which was the first petition case since the enactment of the law in 2021. Students experienced democracy while recognizing the stakes of the climate crisis, and continued the campaign with the social cooperative Party. Future tasks suggested include expanding openness, improving participatory design, assigning responsible authority, and reorganizing the evaluation system.  
All Environment articles
Related topics
Agriculture

Agriculture

Nuclear Power Plant

Nuclear Power

A pile of plastic collected along a small stretch of beach on Long Island, NY. This beach didn't have garbage receptacles, so visitors frequently dump their trash behind with no regards for the local wildlife. If you visit a beach like this, make sure you pack out what you brought in! And use less plastic in the first place.

Plastics

See all topics

© Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung e.V.
Schumannstraße 8
10117 Berlin
T +49 (30) 285 34-0
F +49 (30) 285 34-109
www.boell.de
info@boell.de