Stefanie Berendsen

Since 2019, Stefanie has been working as a Senior Analyst at Climate & Company on topics of European climate policy and is currently leading the project “Financing Europe’s Green Recovery” which our team is implementing for Agora Energiewende and partners across Europe. She is passionate about transforming the EU’s economic and financial systems to contribute to a socially just and low carbon future. She completed her two-year “Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in Environmental Science, Policy and Management” with research stays in Budapest, Lesbos, Lund and Amsterdam.

Stefanie focused primarily on renewable energy, global climate policy and sustainable finance and wrote her Master’s thesis “Financing Low-Carbon Materials Through Green Bonds: Proposing Criteria and Benchmarks for Green Bonds in the Aluminium Sector” together with the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) in Berlin. During her studies, she also supported the Vice Chair of Working Group III of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in her work as Review Editor for the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 degrees. Prior to her Master’s degree, she gained experience in project management and institutional development at the Amsterdam University College. To gain an even deeper understanding of how we can use sustainable finance as a tool to reach climate targets and integrate environmental and social criteria into the financial system, she studied to become a “Certified Expert in Sustainable Finance” at the UNEP Collaborating Centre for Climate & Sustainable Energy Finance of the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management.

Latest released papers

Publication

Make EU economic governance fit for climate neutrality : time to reform the European Semester

March 17, 2022 - This paper analyses how the EU’s economic surveillance & coordination mechanism can be made a key lever for the green transition in all Member States.Published ahead of our online conference ‘ A new Economic Governance for the EU Green Deal?, this paper analyses how the EU’s economic surveillance & coordination mechanism can be made a key lever for the green transition in all Member States. Read the full paper to discover the 5 identified reform proposals to enhance the European Semester and make it fit to deliver the Green Deal targets. If you are interested in this topic, listen to the recording of a panel of key international experts on April 6th during our online conference.

Publication

Matching Money with Green Ideas: A guide to the 2021-2027 EU budget

May 20, 2021 - Together with Agora Energiewende, we have compiled an explanatory guide to the EU funding landscape, explaining the key funding mechanisms and financial instruments in the EU’s budget.As the European Union raises its 2030 climate targets to emissions reduction of at least 55% on 1990 levels, Europe’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic must be fully aligned with the revised ambitions. Together with the Agora Energiewende team, we have compiled an explanatory guide to the EU funding landscape, explaining the key funding mechanisms and financial instruments in the EU’s budget. The guide also includes detailed overview of investment needs to de-carbonize Europe’s industry, energy, transport and building sectors.

Publication

Policy Brief: Assessment & monitoring in the Recovery and Resilience Facility

May 10, 2021 - This policy brief explains how monitoring, assessment and reporting is done in the largest European recovery instrument, the Recovery and Resilience Facility and how it links to the European Semester.This policy brief explains how monitoring, assessment and reporting is done in the largest European recovery instrument, the Recovery and Resilience Facility and how it links to the European Semester. It highlights which elements of the Facility are important for it to keep its promise to kick-start a sustainable, fair and carbon-free transformation of the European economy. The brief also provides an outlook for the future greening of the European Semester. Read also our complimentary brief “The European Semester and why it matters for the EU Green Deal”.

Publication

Policy Brief: The European Semester’s key role for a green recovery

February 1, 2021 - We shed light on the link between the European Semester and the EU climate goals and propose some ideas on how it can be “greened” to support the EU Green Deal.Together with Germanwatch e.V. and the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, we developed this short policy brief to shed some light on the link between the European Semester and the EU climate goals and propose some ideas on how it can be “greened” to support the EU Green Deal.

Publication

Delivering the Green Deal: Slide deck for the MFF Hub

September 20, 2020 - This slide deck provides arguments for an operation of the DNSH principle, the Taxonomy as a science-based monitoring tool and integrated governance.This slide deck was created by Climate & Company as part of the joint project “Advocacy and analysis for contributing to a strong role of the German EU Presidency in achieving an ambitious role for the EU MFF and other instruments to support a green recovery and mobilise sustainable finance” with the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management and Germanwatch, financed by the European Climate Foundation. The slide deck provides arguments for 1) an operation of the DNSH principle, 2) the Taxonomy as a science-based monitoring tool and 3) integrated governance.

Publication

The 1.85 trillion € EU budget and its alignment with the climate targets

July 17, 2020 - This report reviews whether the proposed EU budget and recovery fund live up to their promise? Do they contribute to achieving the objectives of the EU Green Deal? Climate & Company has been mandated by Agora Energiewende for a critical review of the potential contribution of the European Commission (COM) proposal (27 May 2020) for an EU Recovery and Resilience Programme and a new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) to achieving the objectives of the Green Deal and the 2030 and 2050 climate targets. In this analysis we want to develop a deep understanding about the role of the EU recovery package and the MFF in boosting a green recovery after the 2020 Covid-19 crisis. Whereas Agora Energiewende’s report “Recovering Better! Climate-safeguards for the proposed EU’s 1.85 trillion Euro…

Publication

Delivering on the EU Green Deal: A critical review of the EU budget

July 10, 2020 - We assessed in how far the European Commission's recovery plan and budget proposal “Next Generation EU“ has the potential to live up to the expectation of providing the budgetary backbone for a swift and meaningful implementation of the green deal (and a sustainable recovery).On behalf of Agora Energiewende, we assessed in how far the European Commission's recovery plan and budget proposal “Next Generation EU“ has the potential to live up to the expectation of providing the budgetary backbone for a swift and meaningful implementation of the green deal (and a sustainable recovery). At the core of our analysis was the amount of climate-funding in the different budget proposals that could contribute to decarbonising the building, electricity, industry and transport sector (which contribute with approximately 80% to the EU’s entire carbon emissions).

Publication

Is the EU Budget fit for achieving the objectives of the Green Deal?

July 1, 2020 - Critical review of the potential contribution of the European Commission proposal for an EU Recovery and Resilience Programme and a new Multiannual Financial Framework to achieving the objectives of the Green Deal and the 2030 and 2050 climate targets.Critical review of the potential contribution of the European Commission proposal for an EU Recovery and Resilience Programme and a new Multiannual Financial Framework to achieving the objectives of the Green Deal and the 2030 and 2050 climate targets

Publication

EU Ecolabel for Financial Products

June 26, 2020 - In this study, a first large-scale test of the draft EU Ecolabel criterion I was conducted to support the work of the European Commission services.In this study, a first large-scale test of the draft EU Ecolabel criterion I was conducted to support the work of the European Commission services. Established in 1992, the EU Ecolabel is a symbol of environmental excellence awarded to products and services that meet environmental standards throughout their life cycle and provides guidance to companies on environmental best practices. Action 2.3 of the action plan on sustainable finance tasked the Commission with exploring the application of the EU Ecolabel framework to certain retail financial products including PRIIPs. The objective is to allow retail investors concerned with the environmental impact of their…

Publication

Article: How can the European Green Deal be implemented in times of COVID-19?

June 10, 2020 - Does the coronavirus pandemic endanger the climate protection program, or is it perhaps an opportunity for even more climate protection?At the beginning of this year, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, put climate protection at the top of the political agenda with the slogan “European Green Deal.” This EU deal aims to make Europe the first continent to become climate-neutral by 2050, with a cut in greenhouse gas emissions of 50–55 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 as a milestone on this path. A far-reaching restructuring of industry, energy supply, transport, and agriculture is planned, involving considerable investment. The coronavirus crisis has slowed down this project. How can the European Green Deal be implemented in times…

Publication

Investments for a Sustainable European Recovery

May 8, 2020 - Wie wir die Krise als Katalysator für ein zukunftsfähigeres Europa nutzen könnenWie wir die Krise als Katalysator für ein zukunftsfähigeres Europa nutzen können Krisen sind hart, aber auch katalytisch. Wie reagieren wir und wie „nutzen“ wir die katalytische Macht dieser neuen Krise? Wie bringen wir das Wohlergehen der Mächtigen und gerade auch der weniger Mächtigen heute und wie das heute und morgen betroffener Menschen unter einen Hut? Sind wir bereit – oder sperren wir uns – wie aktuell noch Teile der deutschen Bundesregierung und insbesondere Teile der CDU/CSU-Fraktion, dem guten Beispiel von Ländern wie Dänemark oder Frankreich zu folgen und die Bereitstellung von Unternehmenshilfen an Bedingungen zu knüpfen? Schieben wir Menschenrechte…

Publication

Report: Identifying investment needs and gaps for the 2030 climate & energy targets

January 15, 2019 - This report provides a review of existing models and studies.This report addresses the central question “How to identify and assess the investment needs and gaps (INGA) for the climate and energy transition?” by providing a review of existing models and studies.

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Stefanie Berendsen

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Latest released papers

Make EU economic governance fit for climate neutrality : time to reform the European Semester

Matching Money with Green Ideas: A guide to the 2021-2027 EU budget

Policy Brief: Assessment & monitoring in the Recovery and Resilience Facility

Policy Brief: The European Semester’s key role for a green recovery

Delivering the Green Deal: Slide deck for the MFF Hub

The 1.85 trillion € EU budget and its alignment with the climate targets

Delivering on the EU Green Deal: A critical review of the EU budget

Is the EU Budget fit for achieving the objectives of the Green Deal?

EU Ecolabel for Financial Products

Article: How can the European Green Deal be implemented in times of COVID-19?

Investments for a Sustainable European Recovery

Report: Identifying investment needs and gaps for the 2030 climate & energy targets

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