Ob die Rückführung von industriellen und gewerblichen Sekundärkunststoffen, das heißt von Abfällen bzw. von bereits wiederaufbereiteten Kunststoffrezyklaten, gelingen kann, ist von mehreren Faktoren wie insbesondere den spezifischen Materialeigenschaften, den Mengen, in denen sie anfallen, den aktuellen Marktpreisen (auch gegenüber Neuware) und auch der räumlichen Nähe von Sortier- bzw. Wiederaufbereitungsinfrastruktur abhängig. Trotz eigentlich guter Voraussetzungen für ein werkstoffliches Recycling, gelangen einzelne in Unternehmen anfallende Abfallchargen häufig in eine thermische Verwertung, weil sich ein Recycling wirtschaftlich nicht lohnt. Grund hierfür ist unter anderem, dass der Informationsaustausch zu den oben genannten Faktoren für Unternehmen häufig noch sehr mangelhaft ist.
Aktuell in Entwicklung befindliche digitale Plattformen und Applikationen sowie zugehörige Geschäfts- und Betreibermodelle, welche Kunststoffverarbeiter untereinander sowie Wertstofferzeuger und -verwerter vernetzen sollen, können künftig höhere Recyclingquoten ermöglichen und ökologische Einsparpotenziale heben.
Der Artikel führt Entwicklungen und Ergebnisse aktueller Forschungsprojekte zu solchen Vernetzungen zusammen, zeigt die aktuelle Situation des werkstofflichen Recyclings von industriellen und gewerblichen Kunststoffabfällen auf und beleuchtet welche Voraussetzungen für eine erfolgreiche Kreislaufführung von industriellen Kunststoffen gegeben sein müssen. Es wird insbesondere analysiert, in welcher Weise digitale Technologien und die durch sie erzielbare Informationstransparenz eine verbesserte Kreislaufwirtschaft bewirken können und in welcher Weise dies Wertschöpfungsnetzwerke räumlich beeinflussen kann.
In the energy sector, few topics, if any, are more hyped than hydrogen. Countries develop hydrogen strategies to provide a perspective for hydrogen production and use in order to meet climate-neutrality goals. However, in this topical field the role of water is less accentuated. Hence, in this study, we seek to map the interrelations between the water and wastewater sector on the one hand and the hydrogen sector on the other hand, before reflecting upon our findings in a country case study. We chose the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan because (i) hydrogen is politically discussed not least due to its high potentials for solar PV, and (ii) Jordan is water stressed - definitely a bad precondition for water-splitting electrolyzers. This research is based on a project called the German-Jordanian Water-Hydrogen-Dialogue (GJWHD), which started with comprehensive desk research mostly to map the intersectoral relations and to scope the situation in Jordan. Then, we carried out two expert workshops in Wuppertal, Germany, and Amman, Jordan, in order to further discuss the nexus by inviting a diverse set of stakeholders. The mapping exercise shows various options for hydrogen production and opportunities for planning hydrogen projects in water-scarce contexts such as Jordan.
Die Bundesregierung verfolgt das ambitionierte Ziel einer Beschleunigung des Ausbaus der erneuerbaren Energien auf 80 % bis 2030 bzw. einer nahezu vollständig erneuerbaren Stromversorgung 2035. Im Zuge der avisierten Elektrifizierung anderer Sektoren wie Wärme und Mobilität im Rahmen der Sektorenkopplung nimmt die Bedeutung des Stromsektors weiter zu. Angesichts der aktuellen geopolitischen Umwälzungen und den sich abzeichnenden Knappheiten für fossiles Gas wird in einer Kurzstudie evaluiert, welchen Platz Biogas in einem langfristig zukunftsfähigen Energiesystem einnehmen kann.
Agriculture is a major sector responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. Local food production can contribute to reducing transport-related emissions. Since most of the worldwide population lives in cities, locally producing food implies practicing agriculture in urban and peri-urban areas. Exemplary, we analyze the potential to produce fresh vegetables within Berlin, Germany. We investigate the spatial extent of five different urban spaces for soil-based agriculture or gardening, i.e., non-built residential areas, allotment gardens, rooftops, supermarket parking lots, and cemeteries. We also quantify inputs required for such food production in terms of water, human resources, and investment. Our findings highlight that up to 82% of Berlin’s vegetable demand could be produced within the city, based on a reasonable validation of existing areas. Meeting this potential requires 42 km2 of urban spaces for cultivation, a considerable amount of irrigation water, around 17 thousand gardeners, and over 750 million EUR of initial investments. The final vegetable cost would be around 2 EUR to 10 EUR per kg without any profit margin. We conclude that it is realistic to produce a significant amount of Berlin's vegetable demand within the city, even if it comes with great challenges.
As investors and financial intermediaries, private banks are increasingly confronted with climate change concerns. But to what extent do banks identify as the changemakers driving climate alignment forward? To advance this question, this paper analyzes the South African banking sector with a specific focus on Standard Bank and Nedbank as exemplary case studies. Relying on the concept of "climate mainstreaming", we critically assess the banks' annual reports and compare their self-portrayal with publicly available sources on the bank's business practices, chiefly provided by non-governmental organizations and media. We find that Nedbank pushes a holistic narrative of climate change as an inevitable business opportunity. Standard Bank, in turn, relies on a "narrative of balance" between climate change and other profit-oriented investments to safeguard its stakes in the fossil industry. In so doing, this paper sheds light on greenwashing practices within disclosure specifically and the lack of binding corporate regulation more generally.
Although small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) contribute considerably to Germany's carbon emissions, regional savings and cooperative banks - SMEs' most important financiers - hardly consider this aspect in lending to these businesses. However, given Germany's commitment to climate neutrality by 2045, suitable approaches for injecting climate finance into these SME lending processes are greatly required. Against this background, the paper at hand aims to introduce the specific case of regional banks into the debate on green finance and green banking and suggest future research in this context. In discussing the state of research on the peculiarities of regional savings and cooperative banks, we outline the resulting opportunities and limitations for climate impact assessments in SME lending. We argue that while the dual bottom-line orientation of regional banks in Germany precludes them from applying simple positive or negative screenings, their in-depth knowledge about local clients and circumstances enables them to be active and engaging partners for the green transformation of SMEs. Nonetheless, we explain why developing solutions to utilise this knowledge for climate finance by integrating climate impact assessments into routine lending processes remains a particularly challenging task.
Fortschreitende Digitalisierung und zunehmende Internationalisierung von Märkten bergen Herausforderungen für Unternehmen mit traditionell geprägten Arbeits- und Fertigungsstrukturen. Um den steigenden Anforderungen gerecht zu werden, sollten in diesen Unternehmen die digitale Arbeitsfähigkeit und Kompetenzen für Agilität ausgebaut werden. Dieser Beitrag beschreibt die Konzeption einer digitalen Plattform zur Steigerung derartiger Kompetenzen in kleinen und mittelständischen Unternehmen (KMU). Die digitale Kompetenzplattform soll insbesondere produzierenden KMU strukturschwacher Regionen helfen, ihre Agilität zu steigern und so zur Innovations- und Zukunftsfähigkeit des Unternehmens beitragen.
Studies show that people can tolerate elevated temperatures in the presence of appreciable air movement (e.g., from using ceiling fans). This minimises the use of air-conditioners and extends their set-point temperature (Tset), resulting in energy savings in space cooling. However, there is little empirical evidence on the energy savings from using ceiling fans with Room Air-Conditioners (RACs). To address this gap, we analysed the energy performance of RACs with both fixed-speed compressors and inverter technology at different set-point temperatures and ceiling fan speed settings in 15 residential Mixed-Mode Buildings (MMBs) in India. Thermal comfort conditions (as predicted by the Indian Model for Adaptive Comfort-Residential (IMAC-R)) with minimum energy consumption were maintained at a set-point temperature (𝑇set) of 28 and 30 C and a fan speed setting of one. Compared with a Tset of 24 °C, a 𝑇set of 28 and 30 °C resulted in energy savings of 44 and 67%, respectively. With the use of RACs, a configuration with a minimum fan speed was satisfactory for an optimal use of energy and for maintaining the conditions of thermal comfort. In addition, RACs with inverter technology used 34-68% less energy than fixed-speed compressors. With the rising use of RACs, particularly in tropical regions, the study's outcomes offer a significant potential for reducing space-cooling energy consumption and the resultant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Biodiversity is under threat all over the planet. Implementing sustainable out-of-home catering (OHC) is a key way to reduce the environmental impact of the agri-food sector. Thus far, there have been no studies that show the impact of food on biodiversity at the menu level in Germany. This means that neither commercial kitchens nor their patrons can record the biodiversity impact of the menus or dishes served there. This article describes the development of an assessment framework and some initial findings. The framework was developed on the basis of a systematic literature review and expert interviews. Taking this as a starting point, an indicator-based approach was developed with a focus on land use. The approach was then validated by assessing recipes used at OHC facilities. The results show that using the BiTe Biodiversity Index (BBI) that was developed, it is possible to assess the biodiversity impacts of meals and optimize them at the level of the dish. The article outlines the possible areas for improvement. Overall, it is clear that this approach can already be used in the OHC context today.
Better integration of climate action and sustainable development can help enhance the ambition of the next nationally determined contributions, as well as implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Governments should use this year as an opportunity to emphasize the links between climate and sustainable development.