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Die Bauindustrie und die Immobilienwirtschaft gehören zu den ressourcenintensivsten Sektoren der heutigen Zeit. Jährlich werden Millionen Tonnen mineralischer Rohstoffe, Metalle, Holz, Kunststoff, Glas und anderen Materialien für die Erstellung und Sanierung von Wohngebäuden genutzt. Auch die Herstellung von Zement ist als ein Hauptbestandteil von Beton mit enormen Treibhausgas-Emissionen verbunden. Der Neubau, die Sanierung und der Abriss von Gebäuden sorgt zudem für große Mengen Bau- und Abbruchabfälle. Für die Immobilienwirtschaft stellt sich daher die Frage, wie sie ihren Gebäudebestand ökologisch optimieren kann. Doch was wiegt ökologisch stärker: der Mehrbedarf an Rohstoffen und die anfallenden Abfallmengen bei Abriss und Neubau oder die ressourcenintensivere Nutzungsphase von sanierten Bestandsgebäuden, wenn deren energetische Qualität niedriger ist als bei Neubauten?
Vor diesem Hintergrund hat das Wohnungsunternehmen LEG das Wuppertal Institut beauftragt, anhand von drei exemplarischen LEG-Gebäuden die energetische Gebäudesanierungen im Vergleich zur Alternative eines Abrisses und Neubaus ökologisch zu bewerten. Im Fokus der Untersuchung standen dabei der Primärenergieverbrauch, die damit verbundenen Treibhausgas-Emissionen der Nutzungsphase sowie die gespeicherte Graue Energie der Gebäude und den hiermit verbundenen Treibhausgas-Emissionen. Nun liegen die Studienergebnisse vor: Wird der gesamte Lebenszyklus berücksichtigt, verursacht die energetische Sanierung nur die Hälfte der CO2-Fußabdrücke eines Neubaus. Um das Ziel zu erreichen, müsse der Weg zur Elektrifizierung von Heizsystemen noch beschleunigt und damit die Abhängigkeit von fossilen Energieträgern verringert werden. Zwar gleicht der Neubau das Ungleichgewicht zwischen Angebot und Nachfrage aus und hat damit einen sozialen Wert, eine Alternative zur Sanierung in Beständen ist er aus ökologischer Sicht allerdings nicht.
Variations in quantity, quality and time availability of input materials pose a major risk to circular supply chains (CSC) and require new models for creating and evaluating adaptive and resilient CSC in the circular economy (CE). This can be achieved through consistent modelling of the overarching relationship between resource input- and output streams, without neglecting the associated risks.
The model proposed below consists of five components based on five resilience requirements for supply-chains (SCs). It provides a data-based recommended course of action for managers with a low entry-barrier. It consists of a CSC visualization, safety stock calculation, risk monitoring for each SC node, reporting logic, and a measurement catalogue. The inspiration for this model came from an innovative case study ("Zirkelmesser") in the metal processing industry, where secondary products and materials are used to produce new products. Here, the problem of maintaining the resource supply arose and led to resilience issues. The mentioned case study serves as an application example for the model application and contributes to making emerging circular supply chains predictable and more controllable, thus increasing their resilience.
A main goal of this study - which also functions as deliverable 210078-D07 of the Circular Economy Beacons (CEB) project - is to evaluate currently available frameworks that measure and operationalise Circular Economy (CE), with a particular focus on the urban context. The regional focus lies on the Western Balkan region, which is at the centre of the project. Such "Urban Circularity Hotspot Frameworks" (UCHF) aim at providing decision support for policy makers, companies, citizens etc. regarding the transition to CE within cities. Based on the analysis of different frameworks, suggestions are derived regarding UCHF suitable for the specific characteristics of Western Balkan municipalities, i.e. a Circular Economy Beacons Urban Circularity Hotspot Framework (CEB-UCHF) ready for short-term implementation.
This report provides an overview of the main findings from the different research tasks in the CIRCTER project and delivers selected policy messages with European coverage. The report provides: (Sec. 2) a territorial definition of the circular economy; (Sec. 3) insights into the available statistics on material and waste patterns and flows and their interpretation, alongside new territorial evidence on both aspects; (Sec. 4) a sectoral characterisation of the circular economy at regional level (NUTS-2), including data on turnover and jobs; (Sec. 5) key findings from the CIRCTER case studies; (Sec. 6) a systemic interpretation of the circular economy that works as a knowledge-integration mechanism for the entire report; (Sec. 7 and 8) an analysis of the most relevant circular economy policies and strategies at various territorial levels; (Sec. 8) a subset of policy recommendations focusing in particular on territorial and cohesion policies, and; (Sec. 9) suggestions for further research.
A clear understanding of socio-technical interdependencies and a structured vision are prerequisites for fostering and steering a transition to a fully renewables-based energy system. To facilitate such understanding, a phase model for the renewable energy (RE) transition in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries has been developed and applied to the country case of Tunisia. It is designed to support the strategy development and governance of the energy transition and to serve as a guide for decision makers.
The analysis shows that Tunisia has already taken important steps towards a RE transition. According to the MENA phase model, Tunisia can be classified as being in the "Take-Off Renewables" phase. Nevertheless, natural gas still plays the dominant role in Tunisia's highly subsidised electricity generation. In addition to the elevated political uncertainty, there are numerous structural, political, social, and economic challenges within the energy sector that hinder progress in the transition to REs.
Strong support at all levels is needed to promote the breakthrough of RE. This includes more detailed long-term planning and improving the regulatory framework, as well as reducing offtaker risks to improve the bankability of RE projects in order to attract private investment. Furthermore, institutional buy-in needs to be increased and the engagement of key non-state stakeholders must be strengthened.
In light of the growing domestic energy demand and with the on-going global decarbonisation efforts in favour of sustainable fuels, Tunisia would be well advised to embark on a sustainable energy path sooner rather than later to seize economic opportunities that can arise from RE development.
This article enriches the existing literature on the importance and role of the social sciences and humanities (SSH) in renewable energy sources research by providing a novel approach to instigating the future research agenda in this field. Employing a series of in-depth interviews, deliberative focus group workshops and a systematic horizon scanning process, which utilised the expert knowledge of 85 researchers from the field with diverse disciplinary backgrounds and expertise, the paper develops a set of 100 priority questions for future research within SSH scholarship on renewable energy sources. These questions were aggregated into four main directions: (i) deep transformations and connections to the broader economic system (i.e. radical ways of (re)arranging socio-technical, political and economic relations), (ii) cultural and geographical diversity (i.e. contextual cultural, historical, political and socio-economic factors influencing citizen support for energy transitions), (iii) complexifying energy governance (i.e. understanding energy systems from a systems dynamics perspective) and (iv) shifting from instrumental acceptance to value-based objectives (i.e. public support for energy transitions as a normative notion linked to trust-building and citizen engagement). While this agenda is not intended to be—and cannot be—exhaustive or exclusive, we argue that it advances the understanding of SSH research on renewable energy sources and may have important value in the prioritisation of SSH themes needed to enrich dialogues between policymakers, funding institutions and researchers. SSH scholarship should not be treated as instrumental to other research on renewable energy but as intrinsic and of the same hierarchical importance.
Food production is responsible for approximately 17% of Germany's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. After retail, out-of-home catering is the second largest food sales channel in Germany. A variety of means on both the supply and demand side are necessary to stimulate, facilitate and encourage a more sustainable development and minimise GHG emissions in this sector. Nudges are one of these. This paper's focus lies on the demand side. Set in real-world laboratories, we use a standardised empirical approach to compare different nudging interventions belonging to the area of physical environment and consumers’ choice making process. We compare the effects of the same intervention across different settings and the effect of different, sequential nudging interventions in the same setting. Data was collected in eight workplace and school cafeterias in Germany over two project iterations (2016/2017; 2019/2020). A similar intervention design was applied. Comparability was assured by a harmonised menu. The first project iteration revealed that only one nudge (top menu position, +22.5%) led to significant increases in sustainable food choices, while results from the second iteration showed that all nudge interventions (best counter position, +11.6%; top menu position, +6,9%; label plus information, +15.9%) positively influenced consumer choice. Possible explanations such as the stricter compliance to the experimental design in the cafeterias but also societal developments such as the appearance of the Fridays for Future movement are discussed. As results vary between specific locations and settings, our findings suggest that nudges need to be adjusted to situational conditions for achieving highest efficacy.
Which of Pope Francis' countless appearances will posterity consider truly iconic? Probably neither his journey to the shipwrecked in Lampedusa nor his encounter with the indigenous peoples of the Amazon, although both are characteristic of the pontificate - rather, it will be his appearance in the deserted St. Peter's Square during the coronavirus pandemic. A single figure in white, alone, laboriously climbing the steps to St. Peter's Basilica, then offering the Urbi et Orbi blessing with the monstrance - that image will be in the history books. This view undoubtedly thrives on contrast: the image of the Pope standing alone in the rain at nightfall in contrast to the image familiar to television viewers from all over the world where the Pope appears in St Peter's Square amidst the cheering of tens or hundreds of thousands under Bernini's colonnades. And then, in March 2020, a formidable showing of vulnerability that touched even non-believers.
Im Zeitalter des Anthropozän, also die geologische Epoche, die vom Menschen dominiert wird, sind die Menschen die treibende Kraft. Zehn Prozent der Menschheit verursachen die Hälfte der Emissionen der gesamten Weltbevölkerung. In der Enzyklika "Fratelli tutti" widmet sich Papst Franziskus dem Gedanken der Brüderlichkeit und plädiert für eine gerechte und geschwisterliche Welt. Wolfgang Sachs führt diesen Gedanken weiter und überträgt ihn auf das Machtverhältnis Mensch und Natur. Sein Beitrag verbindet die christlichen Leitgedanken des päpstlichen Lehrschreibens mit aktuellen Problematiken und er formuliert damit eine wichtige Leitfrage: Wie kann aus kollektivem Kontrollverlust wieder gemeinschaftliches Handlungspotenzial werden?
When dealing with the Great Transformation towards a sustainable world (WBGU 2011), one defining factor is the stark contradiction in the availability of knowledge: While there is almost unlimited knowledge on many technical and economic aspects of the sustainability transformation, while in some way all the tools are available and we, in theory, know exactly how to use them, there is a lack of action at all levels. If we assume that in principle a majority of decision-makers has understood the necessity to act, this ultimately points to a lack of knowledge on how major transformations can be triggered. To use a common distinction, we have solid knowledge of the systems at play, we know the targets society should be heading for, and these targets have been globally and politically agreed to, but our knowledge on transformations, while growing, is obviously lacking. While this is true for all forms of knowledge to some extent, especially transformation knowledge requires more than just disciplinary or interdisciplinary research because it depends on transdisciplinary approaches that integrate the knowledge of practitioners from politics, administration, civil society and business.
Steigende Energiepreise und die Importabhängigkeit von fossilen Energieträgern - unter anderem aufgrund des Krieges in der Ukraine - erfordern eine politische und gesellschaftliche Reaktion. Wie kann es gelingen, weniger Energie zu verbrauchen? Hier kann die Energiesuffizienz als Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie Ansatzpunkte liefern. Der vorliegende Beitrag widmet sich der Frage, welche Pläne und Instrumente für Energiesuffizienz die politischen Institutionen in Deutschland vorlegen.
By applying a phase model for the renewables-based energy transition in the MENA countries to Israel, the study provides a guiding vision to support the strategy development and steering of the energy transition process.
The transition towards a renewable-based energy system can reduce import dependencies and increase the energy security in Israel.
Key issues that need to be tackled in order to advance the energy transition in Israel are the expansion of flexibility options, discussion on the long-term role of natural gas, increasing participation and awareness, and exploring the future role of power-to-X in the energy system.
Die Dekarbonisierung der Mietwohnungsbestände ist zwingende Voraussetzung für die Einhaltung deutscher Klimaschutzziele. Hierzu ist eine schnelle und deutliche Verbesserung der Energieeffizienz unabdinglich. Aber: funktioniert der Markt für Energieeffizienz bei Mietwohnungen? Eine empirische Untersuchung auf dem Wuppertaler Mietwohnungsmarkt gibt Antworten darauf. Um die Sanierungsrate signifikant zu steigern, etwa durch eine höhere Zahlungsbereitschaft für Energieeffizienz, braucht es sowohl für Vermieter als auch für Mieter verbesserte Rahmenbedingungen.
Im Auftrag der Fraktion BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN im Bayerischen Landtag haben Forschende des Wuppertal Instituts wissenschaftlich überprüft, wie viele Treibhausgas-Emissionen im Jahr 2030 bestimmte landespolitische Klimaschutz-Maßnahmen potenziell einsparen können. Die vorliegende Studie schätzt dabei sowohl die Effekte der Maßnahmen auf die insgesamt verursachten Treibhausgas-Emissionen (Verursacherprinzip) als auch auf die in Bayern selbst statistisch erfassten Emissionen (Quellenprinzip) ab.
Die Maßnahmen adressieren die folgenden fünf Bereiche: 1) Gebäude und Verkehrsmittel im Besitz der öffentlichen Hand. 2) Ausbau der Windenergie und Photovoltaik. 3) Energieeffizienz im Gebäudesektor. 4) Energieeffizienz und Verkehrsverlagerung im Transportsektor. 5) Landwirtschaft und Landnutzung.
Zwei Beispiele der untersuchten Maßnahmen sind Verbesserungen der Rahmenbedingungen für den Bau neuer Windenergieanlagen und eine stärkere Nutzung des industriellen Abwärmepotenzials.
Ziel dieses Teilvorhabens innerhalb des FlexGeber-Projektes war die Initiierung und Begleitung eines Prozesses zur Identifikation und (idealerweise späteren) Realisierung von Effizienz-, Erneuerbaren- und Flexibilitätspotenzialen in den Industriebetrieben Taifun-Tofu GmbH (Lebensmittel) und Hermann Peter KG (Baustoffe).
Dazu haben die Forschenden jeweils in einem Workshop relevante Akteure zusammengebracht und Wissen zur Bestimmung und Bewertung von Flexibilitäten aus technischer, rechtlich-politischer sowie strukturell-organisatorischer Sicht erarbeitet und vermittelt. Gemeinsam klärten sie, welche Informationen in welchem Format für Unternehmen erforderlich und relevant sind, um Flexibilitätsoptionen identifizieren und umsetzen zu können.
Insgesamt gliedert sich die methodische Vorgehensweise in vier zentrale Arbeitsschritte: Vor-Ort-Begehungen bei den Reallaboren, Identifikation technischer Hotspots, Akteursworkshop sowie abschließende Auswertung. Der vorliegende Teilbericht dokumentiert diesen Prozess und fokussiert auf die Identifikation von möglichen Effizienz-, Erneuerbaren- und Flexibilitätsoptionen und der Erfassung von Hemmnissen, die einer Umsetzung von Maßnahmen zur Erschließung der Potenziale bei den Praxispartnern entgegenstehen.
Da die Workshops vornehmlich auf die Unternehmen Taifun-Tofu und Hermann Peter ausgerichtet waren, fokussiert dieser Bericht auf Hemmnisse, die diese Unternehmen bzw. Unternehmen dieser Branchen betreffen. Darüber hinaus ist ein Kapitel zu Hemmnissen, die sich aus dem Demonstrationsvorhaben des Fraunhofer ISE-Campus (Ausbau des Kältenetzes und Installation von Kältespeichern) ableiten, ist in diesem Bericht enthalten.
Das Forschungsvorhaben FlexGeber hat die Darstellung des Flexibilitätspotentials von gewerblich und industriell genutzten Gebäuden in Deutschland sowie die Verknüpfung mit den sich wandelnden Anforderungen des Energiesystems zum Ziel. Im Rahmen des Projekts wurde durch die Projektpartner eine gemeinsame Vision für einen treibhausgasneutralen Nichtwohngebäudebestand erarbeitet. Die Vision stellt ein von den Projektpartner geteiltes Zielszenario dar, in welchem ein treibhausgasneutraler Nichtwohngebäudebestand Realität ist. Im vorliegenden Bericht betrachten das IKEM und das Wuppertal Institut die für ein solches Szenario erforderlichen gesellschaftlichen, wirtschaftlichen, ökologischen und politischen Rahmenbedingungen.
The construction sector is the second largest area for the application for plastics. Due to the long life times of construction products, the implementation of the circular economy faces its own challenges. To investigate this challenge, the study covers a market study for Germany, voluntary take-back and recycling schemes of construction products, as well as the use of plastic recyclates in construction products. In addition, plastic packaging of construction products is covered. Opportunities and barriers to the use of recycled plastics in construction products are derived from the intersection of available technologies, recyclate supply, and technical requirements for construction products. The report concludes with recommendations to various stakeholders on how to promote the use of recyclates in construction products and their packaging. Important points here are the introduction of a recyclate quota for films as construction product packaging and the description of recycling possibilities and recyclate content in the technical documentation of construction products.
Das Ziel der Klimaneutralität bis zum Jahr 2045 stellt nicht zuletzt den Industriesektor vor erhebliche Herausforderungen. Für diesen Sektor werden teilweise sehr unterschiedliche Entwicklungspfade in Richtung Klimaneutralität beschrieben, wie ein Blick in verschiedene aktuelle Szenariostudien zeigt. Dennoch gibt es auch im Industriesektor bestimmte Emissionsminderungsstrategien, die in allen vorliegenden Szenarien als unverzichtbar angesehen werden.
In den vergangenen zwei Jahren hat sich die Welt verändert und vermehrt beherrschen Krisen das Bild. Jahrzehntelange Gewissheiten gelten nicht mehr, Risiken und Unsicherheiten nehmen zu, die Herausforderungen werden immer komplexer und erfordern gleichzeitig immer schnelleres und konsequenteres Handeln.
Die vorliegende Darstellung vergleicht fünf ausgewählte aktuelle Klimaschutzszenarien für Deutschland in Hinblick auf zentrale Entwicklungen im Energiesystem bis Mitte des Jahrhunderts. Die fünf Szenarien sind zwischen April und Oktober 2021 erschienen und beschreiben unterschiedliche Pfade, wie Klimaneutralität in Deutschland bis zum Jahr 2045 bzw. 2050 erreicht werden könnte. Die Szenarien wurden von verschiedenen Organisationen in Auftrag gegeben und von unterschiedlichen wissenschaftlichen Instituten bzw. Beratungsunternehmen erarbeitet.
Im vorliegenden Vergleich werden verschiedene Kenngrößen des Energiesystems auf Energieangebots- sowie Energienachfrageseite betrachtet. Die Gegenüberstellung der jeweiligen Entwicklungen in den Szenarien soll aufzeigen, in welchen Bereichen die Studien auf dem Weg zur Klimaneutralität ähnliche Entwicklungen vorsehen und in welchen Bereichen es derzeit noch deutlich abweichende Vorstellungen über die genaue Ausgestaltung der Energiesystemtransformation gibt.
Um einen angemessenen Beitrag zu einer Begrenzung des weltweiten Temperaturanstiegs auf 1,5 Grad Celsius zu leisten, müsste Deutschland und damit auch der Gebäudesektor schon bis 2035 treibhausgasneutral sein. Greenpeace hat daher das Wuppertal Institut beauftragt, ein Sechs-Punkte-Sofortprogramm für erneuerbare Wärme und effiziente Gebäude zu erarbeiten, mit dem dieses Ziel erreichbar wird. Das Sofortprogramm sieht vor, dass in drei zentralen Bereichen jeweils eine ordnungsrechtliche Maßnahme mit einer spezifischen, dazu passenden finanziellen Fördermaßnahme kombiniert wird:
1) Ausstiegsgesetz für fossile Heizungen und Förderung für elektrische Wärmepumpen und Solarthermie. 2) Pflicht und Förderung für die energetische Sanierung ineffizienter Gebäude mit ökologischen Kriterien. 3) Gesetz mit Zielen sowie förderlichen Bestimmungen und dazu passende Förderung für Erneuerbare-Wärmenetze: Ausbau und Umstieg auf grüne Wärmeerzeugung.
So erhöht das Sofortprogramm die energetische Sanierungsrate auf drei bis vier Prozent pro Jahr und führt dazu, dass schon 2035 fast zwei Drittel der Gebäude mit Wärmepumpen und etwa ein Viertel mit Nah- und Fernwärme aus erneuerbaren Energien beheizt werden und ein Drittel zusätzlich mit thermischen Solaranlagen ausgestattet wird.
Kreislaufwirtschaft beschreibt ein Konzept, bei dem Abfall und Verschmutzung nicht per se im Wirtschaftsdesign vorausgesetzt werden. Sie greift damit die Ursachen der derzeit global dringlichsten Querschnittsthemen nachhaltiger Entwicklung mit dem Ziel auf, verantwortungsvoll mit Ressourcen, Wertstoffen, Produkten und der Umwelt umzugehen. Entstehen soll damit eine Welt, in der kein Müll produziert wird. Das Konzept verfolgt dabei einen multidimensionalen Ansatz und umfasst alle Wirtschaftsbereiche - von der Ressourcengewinnung über die Produktion, die Lagerung und den Konsum bis hin zur Entsorgung beziehungsweise zum Recycling. Mithilfe der Kreislaufwirtschaft können multiple Nachhaltigkeitsziele der Agenda 2030 schneller erreicht werden, weshalb sie als ein zentraler Baustein nachhaltiger Entwicklung gilt.
Dominant agricultural and food systems lead to continuous resource depletion and unacceptable environmental and social impacts. While current calls for changing agrifood systems are increasingly framed in the context of sustainability transitions, they rarely make an explicit link to transition studies to address these systemic challenges, nor do transition scholars sufficiently address agri-food systems, despite their global pertinence. From this viewpoint, we illustrate several gaps in the agri-food systems debate that sustainability transition studies could engage in. We propose four avenues for research in the next decade of transition research on agri-food systems: 1) Crossscale dynamics between coupled systems; 2) Social justice, equity and inclusion; 3) Sustainability transitions in low- and middle-income countries; 4) Cross-sectoral governance and system integration. We call for a decade of new transition research that moves beyond single-scale and sector perspectives toward more inclusive and integrated analyses of food system dynamics.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected human mobility via lockdowns, social distancing rules, home quarantines, and the full or partial suspension of transportation. Evidence-based policy recommendations are urgently needed to ensure that transport systems have resilience to future pandemic outbreaks, particularly within Global South megacities where demand for public transport is high and reduced access can exacerbate socio-economic inequalities. This study focuses on Metro Manila - a characteristic megacity that experienced one of the most stringent lockdowns worldwide. It analyzes aggregated cell phone and GPS data from Google and Apple that provide a comprehensive representation of mobility behavior before and during the lockdown. While significant decreases are observed for all transport modes, public transport experienced the largest drop (-74.5 %, on average). The study demonstrates that: (i) those most reliant on public transport were disproportionately affected by lockdowns; (ii) public transport was unable to fulfil its role as public service; and, (iii) this drove a paradigm shift towards active mobility. Moving forwards, in the short-term policymakers must promote active mobility and prioritize public transport to reduce unequal access to transport. Longer-term, policymakers must leverage the increased active transport to encourage modal shift via infrastructure investment, and better utilize big data to support decision-making.
Technological breakthroughs and policy measures targeting energy efficiency and clean energy alone will not suffice to deliver Paris Agreement-compliant greenhouse gas emissions trajectories in the next decades. Strong cases have recently been made for acknowledging the decarbonisation potential lying in transforming linear economic models into closed-loop industrial ecosystems and in shifting lifestyle patterns towards this direction. This perspective highlights the research capacity needed to inform on the role and potential of the circular economy for climate change mitigation and to enhance the scientific capabilities to quantitatively explore their synergies and trade-offs. This begins with establishing conceptual and methodological bridges amongst the relevant and currently fragmented research communities, thereby allowing an interdisciplinary integration and assessment of circularity, decarbonisation, and sustainable development. Following similar calls for science in support of climate action, a transdisciplinary scientific agenda is needed to co-create the goals and scientific processes underpinning the transition pathways towards a circular, net-zero economy with representatives from policy, industry, and civil society. Here, it is argued that such integration of disciplines, methods, and communities can then lead to new and/or structurally enhanced quantitative systems models that better represent critical industrial value chains, consumption patterns, and mitigation technologies. This will be a crucial advancement towards assessing the material implications of, and the contribution of enhanced circularity performance to, mitigation pathways that are compatible with the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement and the transition to a circular economy.
Deutschlands Klimaschutzstrategie baut auf den Einsatz von grünem Wasserstoff aus erneuerbaren Energien. Doch wo soll der Wasserstoff herkommen, aus heimischer Produktion oder importiert aus dem Ausland? Eine Studie des Wuppertal Instituts und DIW Econ schafft einen Überblick über die aktuelle Datenlage und ermittelt Wertschöpfungs- und Beschäftigungseffekte beider Strategien. Das Resümee: Es trifft nicht zu, dass importierter Wasserstoff allgemein günstiger ist, entscheidend sind je nach Herkunftsland die tatsächlich realisierbaren Strom- und Transportkosten. Wird der grüne Wasserstoff stattdessen im eigenen Land produziert, wird dies zudem eine positive Beschäftigungswirkung und Wertschöpfung entfalten. Mit der Erreichung der Klimaziele 2050 betrüge die zusätzliche Wertschöpfung bei einer stark auf die heimische Erzeugung ausgerichtete Strategie bis zu 30 Milliarden Euro im Jahr 2050 und es könnten bis zu 800.000 Arbeitsplätze geschaffen werden.
Diese Fallstudie untersuchte den durch die geringe Wettbewerbsfähigkeit des Steinkohlebergbaus ausgelösten Strukturwandel im Ruhrgebiet vom Ende der 1950er Jahre bis 2015. Mit Hilfe verschiedener qualitativer und quantitativer Methoden der empirischen Sozial- und Wirtschaftsforschung analysierte sie den Strukturwandelprozess und die in Reaktion auf diesen Prozess umgesetzte Strukturpolitik mit dem Ziel, dieses Wissen für zukünftige Strukturwandelprozesse in anderen (Kohle-)Regionen zur Verfügung zu stellen. Eine Diskursanalyse half zu erkennen, wer warum welche strukturpolitischen Ansätze unterstützte - und gibt damit Hinweise auf die mögliche Relevanz von Erfahrungen für andere Regionen.
Diese Fallstudie untersuchte den durch den Systemwechsel von der Plan- zur Marktwirtschaft ausgelösten Strukturwandel in der Lausitz im Zeitraum 1990-2015. Mit Hilfe verschiedener qualitativer und quantitativer Methoden der empirischen Sozial- und Wirtschaftsforschung analysierte sie den Strukturwandelprozess und die in Reaktion auf diesen Prozess umgesetzte Strukturpolitik mit dem Ziel, dieses Wissen für zukünftige Strukturwandelprozesse in anderen (Kohle-)Regionen zur Verfügung zu stellen. Eine Diskursanalyse half zu erkennen, wer warum welche strukturpolitischen Ansätze unterstützte - und gibt damit Hinweise auf die mögliche Relevanz von Erfahrungen für andere Regionen.
Analysis of the historical structural change in the German hard coal mining Ruhr area (case study)
(2022)
This case study examined the structural change in the Ruhr area caused by the low international competitiveness of German hard coal mining over the period from the late 1950s to 2015. It analysed the structural change process and the structural policies implemented as a reaction to this process with the objective to make this knowledge available for future structural change processes in other (coal) regions by deploying various qualitative and quantitative methods of empirical social and economic research. A discourse analysis helped to recognise who supported which structural policy approaches and why - and thus gives indications of the possible relevance of experiences for other regions.
This case study examined the structural change in Lusatia caused by the system change from a centrally planned economy to a market economy in the period 1990-2015. It analysed the structural change process and the structural policies implemented as a reaction to this process with the objective to make this knowledge available for future structural change processes in other (coal) regions by deploying various qualitative and quantitative methods of empirical social and economic research. A discourse analysis helped to recognise who supported which structural policy approaches and why - and thus gives indications of the possible relevance of experiences for other regions.
Effective policies to mitigate climate change need to be accompanied by a socially just transition. Based on experiences of past and ongoing transition policies in coal regions in Europe and with indications to the specificity of framework conditions and challenges and to the potential effectiveness and transferability of approaches, this paper presents lessons learnt which can be inspirational for similar transitions in other coal regions and for transitions in other sectors.
Die direkte Abscheidung von Kohlenstoffdioxid (CO2) aus der Luft, das sogenannte Direct Air Capture (DAC), wird vermehrt als eine der Möglichkeiten zur Reduzierung von Treibhausgasen und damit der Begrenzung der Klimaerwärmung diskutiert. Vorteilhaft gegenüber anderen technischen Ansätzen zur Entnahme von atmosphärischen CO2 (Negativemissionstechnologien) ist die genaue Planbarkeit, die geringen Auswirkungen auf die Umwelt und die Ausgabe von CO2 in Reinform. Das CO2 kann anschließend dauerhaft gespeichert (Direct Air Capture and Sequestration) oder zur Erzeugung von bspw. synthetischen Brennstoffen (Direct Air Carbon Capture and Utilization) in Power-to-X-Routen (PtX) genutzt werden.
Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, im Kontext der deutschen Klimaneutralitätsziele bis 2045 beispielhaft eine Auslegung von DAC-Anlagen in Deutschland zu untersuchen. Dabei werden die unterschiedlichen Ressourcenverbräuche (Energie, Wasser, Fläche) sowie Kosten und mögliche Einsparungen durch eine Abwärmenutzung dargestellt und verglichen.
Dabei soll diese Arbeit zur Beantwortung der folgenden Forschungsfragen beitragen:
Welche technologischen DAC-Ansätze sind für Deutschland realisierbar? Welche Mengen an CO2 müssen in Deutschland umgesetzt werden, um den Bedarf an Negativemission zu decken? Welcher Ressourcenverbrauch entsteht in Deutschland, wenn die betrachteten Fallstudien umgesetzt werden? Welchen Infrastrukturaufwand hat dies zur Folge? Ist eine Implementierung in den notwendigen Größenordnungen realisierbar, und welche Faktoren wirken hierbei beschränkend?
Für eine systematische Analyse wurden die DAC-, die PtX- und die elektrischen und Wärmeenergieerzeugungsanlagen modular für die Jahre 2020, 2030, 2040 und 2045 aufbereitet. Die Bezugsgrößen wurden so gewählt, dass sie dem DAC-Modul entsprechen. In vier Fallstudien wurden mögliche Kombinationsmöglichkeiten und Implementierungspfade bis 2045 zusammengestellt, analysiert und diskutiert. Es zeigt sich, dass ein großskaliger Einsatz von DAC in Deutschland realisierbar ist. Zentrale Herausforderungen ergeben sich allerdings aus dem hohen Flächen- und Energiebedarf. Der Flächenbedarf resultiert dabei vor allem aus den flächenintensiven erneuerbaren Energieerzeugern. Mit Fokus auf ertragreiche Standorte sind Nord- und Süddeutschland, mit Blick auf ihr Wind- bzw. Sonnenpotenzial, als vielversprechend bei der Implementierung der DAC- Technologie einzustufen. Eine Implementierung der DAC-Technologie mit dem Ziel der dauerhaften CO2-Speicherung ist an norddeutschen Küstengebieten im Vergleich zu Süddeutschland vorteilhafter. Die Installation der DAC-Technologie in Kombination mit der PtX-Route wird aufgrund des hohen elektrischen Energiebedarfs in Deutschland als nicht realisierbar eingeschätzt.
Um den Klimawandel begrenzen zu können, wird zunehmend der Einsatz von Direct Air Capture (DAC) zur Erzeugung von Negativemissionen diskutiert. Anhand von Kosten sowie dem Flächen-, Wasser- und Energieverbrauch werden in diesem Artikel mögliche Implementierungspfade der DAC-Technologie, aufbauend auf einem bestehenden Klimaneutralitätsszenario für Deutschland, analysiert. Während die technische Realisierung machbar sein sollte, stellt der hohe Flächen- und Energiebedarf eine kritische Größe dar.
This paper analyses the potential of digital information technology to enable the reliable provision of product information along the plastics supply chain. The authors investigate the possible contribution of a product passport equipped with decentralised identifiers and verifiable credentials to overcome information deficits and information asymmetry in the circular plastics economy. Through this, high-quality plastics recycling could be enabled on a larger scale than currently possible.
The transport sector accounts for 20 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions in Germany and it is therefore key to success for German climate policy. At present, however, there is no other sector with a wider gap in missing the trajectory to climate neutrality. The present study, conducted on behalf of Huawei within the project "Shaping the Digital Transformation - Digital Solution Systems for the Sustainability Transition", points out new pathways towards a sustainable and climate friendly transition of the transport sector. The report specifies concrete options to follow up on the ambitious goals of the new coalition agreement to foster clean and digital mobility solutions.
The authors refined eight theses on how digitalisation can foster sustainable mobility solutions and how to shape a supporting policy framework, which is aligning the financial and regulatory guardrails for ramping up a sustainable mobility system while gradually phasing down the usage of private cars.
Der Verkehrssektor verursacht rund 20 Prozent der Treibhausgas-Emissionen in Deutschland und ist damit unverzichtbar, um die nationalen Klimaschutzziele zu erreichen. Doch in keinem anderen Sektor liegen Wunsch und Wirklichkeit auf dem Weg zur Klimaneutralität noch so weit auseinander wie im Verkehrssektor. Die vorliegende Studie zeigt daher neue Wege für den Einstieg in eine klimaschonende und nachhaltige Verkehrswende in Deutschland. Sie liefert Handlungsoptionen für die Umsetzung der Ziele des Koalitionsvertrags zum Ausbau ambitionierter, digitaler Mobilitätslösungen.
Die Forschenden formulieren acht Thesen, wie sich das Potenzial der Digitalisierung für eine nachhaltige Mobilität nutzen lässt und welche politische Flankierung und Unterstützung dafür erforderlich sind. Entscheidend sei demnach die finanziellen und regulatorischen Leitplanken so auszugestalten, dass sie einerseits den schnellen Ausbau des digitalisierten Umweltverbunds vorantreiben und andererseits zu einer schrittweisen Eingrenzung des Pkw-Verkehrs führen.
Klimasteuern in Deutschland (eingebunden in die EU) : Nutzen für die Entwicklungszusammenarbeit
(2021)
Die Publikation soll es Fachleuten aus Drittstaaten ermöglichen, aus den Erfahrungen, die in Deutschland mit "Klimasteuern" gemacht worden sind, Anregungen für die eigene Steuerpolitik mitzunehmen.
"Klima-Steuern" sollen Preisrelationen für Wirtschaftssubjekte so ändern, dass klimafreundliche Optionen profitabler werden. Dabei wird ein sehr weites Verständnis von "Klimasteuern" zugrunde gelegt. Nach methodischen und begrifflichen Vorüberlegungen wird eine Art "Architektur" für mögliche Ansatzpunkte solcher Steuern bereitgestellt. Exemplifiziert wird dieses moderne Verständnis von "Klimasteuern" in den Sektoren Transport, Gebäude, Elektrizität (Verbrauch und Herstellung) sowie Landwirtschaft.
In warm and hot climates, ceiling fans and/or air conditioners (ACs) are used to maintain thermal comfort. Ceiling fans provide air movement near the skin, which enhances the evaporation of sweat, reduces heat stress, and enhances thermal comfort. This is also called the cooling effect. However, AC usage behaviour and the effects of elevated air speed through the use of ceiling fans on indoor operative temperature during AC usage are not widely studied. This study investigated the optimum AC (cooling) set point temperature and air velocity necessary for maintaining thermal comfort while achieving energy conservation, in mixed-mode buildings in India, through field studies by using used custom-built Internet of Things (IOT) devices. In the current study, the results indicate a 79% probability that comfort conditions can be maintained by achieving a temperature drop of 3K. If this drop can be achieved, as much as possible, through passive measures, the duration of AC operation and its energy consumption are reduced, at least by 67.5 and 58.4%, respectively. During the air-conditioned period, there is a possibility that the cooing effect is reduced because of increase in operative temperature due to ceiling fan operation. Therefore, the optimum solution is to maintain the highest AC set point and minimum fan speed setting that are acceptable.
The idea for the Green Recovery Tracker was born in spring 2020 when governments started making announcements on economic Corona recovery measures. From a climate and resilience perspective it is key that those recovery packages, investments and subsidies are in line with long-term climate and sustainability targets. Thus, recovery packages should not only boost the economy in the short-term, but also strike the path to a just transition towards climate neutrality.
Against this background, Wuppertal Institute and E3G have launched the Green Recovery Tracker project in late summer 2020 to shed light on the following questions: What can be considered an effective green recovery? What are good examples, which can be used as an inspiration for recovery programs aiming to support sustainable development? Where do the individual Member States stand with respect to aligning their recovery activities with the climate policy agenda?
In this report, you will find our Methodology as well our Policy Briefing highlighting our key takeaways of our country and sectoral analyses. It further includes a section on "What can we learn from our experience with the Green Recovery Tracker?". The briefing concludes with a "Guidance for future funding programs and achieving climate targets overall".
Cities around the globe are implementing innovative transport solutions as part of measures to address pertinent socio-economic and environmental challenges in urban areas and help drive the transition to low carbon development. Planning and implementing such solutions require an effective and collective approach that includes the needs and aspirations of all relevant stakeholders. In the planning and implementation of urban transport projects, capacity building components have assumed great significance but seem to be the most eluded activity for project implementers. The Living Lab concept, which allows for co-creation in innovation development, presents the opportunity to adopt innovative participatory approach in capacity building activities in transport projects; and is largely seen as a potential catalyst for rapid transformation to low carbon and sustainability transitions in cities. To this end, this paper highlights the usefulness of the Living Lab approach and provides some perspectives on how key elements of the approach are adapted in the process of assessing the capacity needs of nine (9) cities in planning and implementing e-mobility innovations. The cities are participating in an innovation research project. In the case studied, the project’s capacity needs assessment process was analyzed using an assessment framework built on four (4) key elements of the Living Lab approach, namely: extent of real-life contextualization, level of participation, diversity of stakeholders, and the time span of engagement. Insights from the assessment suggest that relevant project partners and city representatives with diverse expertise were actively involved from the onset and throughout the first 5 months of the project in defining and refining the capacity needs of partner cities based on local e-mobility conditions. This co-creative process helped determine priority areas where the need for capacity building mostly lied. Designing and operationalizing capacity building interventions tailored to the identified needs, as realized in the project, could therefore help build the necessary capacity and complement other measures aimed at developing e-mobility in the project’s partner cities.
By use of macro-economic model EXIOMOD, the expected impacts of actions described in the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) have been analyzed. The results of this analysis show that the R&I actions described in the SRIA contribute to decoupling economic growth from resource use. The actions are expected to cause an increasing gross domestic product and a decreasing raw material demand. This results in an increasing extracted resource productivity, a measure used to show the decoupling of economic growth and resource use. It can however be questioned whether the actions in the SRIA - or the measures implemented in the model - assume a strong enough pace for decoupling economic growth and material use. The actions contribute to the climate goals of the European Commission, by showing a pathway through which the emissions of greenhouse gas can be reduced.
How do recent changes in consumption in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic affect the avoidance of packaging waste? How can an increase in packaging waste be countered and the previous trend towards unpackaged and reusable solutions be revived and promoted?
To tackle these questions, we use a systemic approach that regards packaging as a network of interrelated interests of industry (manufacturing and logistics), trade (retail and catering), consumers and the waste management sector. To analyse this network, we applied three methods. First, we analysed secondary sources such as surveys. Second, we conducted semi-structured interviews with seven actors from industry, consumer education and waste management in May and June 2020. Third, we used the questions from the interview guideline to do an online survey among representatives of the public waste management industry.
This study presents in detail: the use of plastic products and the opportunities for recyclate use in the construction sector, quantities of plastic used, take-back systems, recycling techniques, current recyclate use and plastic construction product packaging.Potentials for increasing high-quality recyclate use were identified. Existing hurdles and options for action for industry and politics are presented. Current recyclate use as well as its potential use are strongly dependent on the application area of plastics. The biggest hurdles for the use of recycled materials are product life time, dismantling and technical requirements.
CICERONE aims to bring national, regional and local governments together to jointly tackle the circular economy transition needed to reach net-zero carbon emissions and meet the targets set in the Paris Agreement and EU Green Deal. This document represents one of the key outcomes of the project: a Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda (SRIA) for Europe, to support owners and funders of circular economy programmes in aligning priorities and approaching the circular economy transition in a systemic way.
On the basis of a literature research, this subtask develops a conceptional framework for a common understanding of CE within the project team and for the following work packages and tasks. After a brief introduction into the objectives and the context of a circular economy, a more elaborated look into the necessity of an explicit understanding of CE, the objectives, the spatial perspective of CE and the specific challenges within the CICERONE context will be done, in order to develop a basis for a common understanding within the project context. Circular economy can and has to be understood as an (eco-)innovation agenda. Therefore, the paper investigates the role policy has to play to support innovation for a CE transition, for creating the framework conditions and why CE has also to be build from the ground up. Finally, the paper looks from two perspectives at emerging trends and business models in a CE to sketch next steps towards the transition in a selection of central sectors. Conclusions are drawn on the basis of the insights gained by the preceding chapters.
The key objective of this deliverable is to gain insights on and assess how CE is being implemented and R&I is being funded at regional level, e.g., via the RIS3 strategy and Structural Funds. As such it sets the scope for the project and provides the background against which programmes and measures can be understood, assessed, developed and recommended in succinct tasks and work packages. The objective of this report is to provide a concise overview of the current R&I priorities, as expressed in running and newly introduced funding and legislative measures with respect to Circular Economy in European countries and regions.
Der Diskurs um die Transformation des Energiesystems ist in den vergangenen Jahren vermehrt über wissenschaftlich fundierte Szenarien geführt worden, die aus verschiedenen gesellschaftlichen Perspektiven in Auftrag gegeben wurden. Der Vergleich von vier im Jahr 2021 erschienenen Studien zeigt auf, wo weitgehende Einigkeit über die erforderlichen Strategien zur Erreichung der Klimaneutralität bis 2045 besteht, und wo die größten Differenzen liegen.
In dieser Studie werden detailliert dargestellt: die Verwendung von Kunststoffprodukten und Möglichkeiten des Rezyklateinsatzes im Baubereich, verwendete Kunststoffmengen, Rücknahmesysteme, Verwertungstechniken, aktueller Rezyklateneinsatz und Bauproduktverpackungen aus Kunststoff. Potentiale zur Steigerung des hochwertigen Rezyklateinsatzes wurden identifiziert und bestehende Hürden und Handlungsoptionen für Politik und Wirtschaft dargestellt. Aktueller Rezyklateinsatz sowie technische und mengenmäßige Potentiale sind stark abhängig vom Einsatzbereich der Kunststoffe. Die größten Hürden für einen Rezyklateinsatz sind dabei Produktlebensdauer, Rückbaufähigkeit und technische Anforderungen.
Deutschland soll bis 2045 klimaneutral werden. So steht es im verschärften Klimaschutzgesetz, das im Juni 2021 vom Bundestag verabschiedet wurde. Die deutsche Industrie verursacht derzeit knapp ein Viertel der Treibhausgasemissionen, etwa ein Drittel davon entfällt auf die Eisen- und Stahlproduktion. Um das Klimaziel zu erreichen, müssen somit große CO2-Einsparungen in der Stahlindustrie realisiert werden.
An important instrument to enhance the market uptake of energy-efficient new buildings and the energy-efficient renovation of existing buildings in the European Union (EU) are the Energy Performance Certificates (EPC). However, their implementation and use has varied between EU Member States. The European Commission has therefore provided funding to a number of Horizon2020 projects to develop next-generation EPC schemes.
One of these is the QualDeEPC project, aiming to both improve quality and cross-EU convergence of EPC schemes, and particularly the link between EPCs and deep renovation. The objective of the project is to improve the practical implementation of the assessment, issuance, design, and use of EPCs as well as their renovation recommendations, in the participating countries and beyond.
This paper presents the policy proposals and concepts for tools that the QualDeEPC project has developed as priorities for enhanced EPC schemes:
- Improving the recommendations for renovation, which are provided on the EPCs, towards deep energy renovation
- An online tool for comparing EPC recommendations to deep energy renovation recommendations
- Creating Deep Renovation Network Platforms (One-stop Shops plus networking and joint communication of supply-side actors)
- Regular mandatory EPC assessor training (on assessment and renovation recommendations) required for certification/accreditation and registry
- Achieving a high user-friendliness of the EPC
- Voluntary/mandatory advertising guidelines for EPCs
- Improving compliance with the mandatory use of EPCs in real estate advertisements
The paper will focus on the aspects related to improving the impact of EPCs for stimulating deep renovation. It will also present lessons learnt from the discussion with stakeholders at national and European workshops and from the testing of the proposals and tools in around 100 buildings, as well as from the first steps of their country-specific adaptation.
With the move to a hydrogen-based primary steel production envisioned for the near future in Europe, existing regional industrial clusters loose major assets. Such a restructuring of industries may result in a new geographical distribution of the steel industry and also to another quality of vertical integration at sites. Both implications could turn out as drivers or barriers to invest in new technologies and are thus important in respect to vertical integration of sites and to regional policy. This paper describes an approach to model production stock invest for the steel industries in North-Western Europe. Current spatial structures are reproduced with capacity, technical and energy efficiency data on the level of single facilities like blast furnaces. With the model developed both investments in specific technologies and at specific production sites can be modelled. The model is used to simulate different possible future scenarios. The case with a clear move to hydrogen-based production is compared to a reference scenario without technological shift. The scenarios show that existing trends like movement of production to the coast may be accelerated by the new technology but that sites in the hinterland can also adapt to a hydrogen economy. Possible effects of business cycles or a circular economy on regional value chains are explored with a Monte-Carlo analysis.
Transformation zur "Grünsten Industrieregion der Welt" - aufgezeigt für die Metropole Ruhr : Studie
(2021)
Industrieregionen stehen vor besonderen Herausforderungen für eine nachhaltige und klimagerechte Entwicklung, sie müssen zu "grünen Industrieregionen" werden. Doch was macht eine "grüne Industrieregion" überhaupt aus? Die vorliegende Studie des Wuppertal Instituts verdeutlicht, worauf es besonders ankommt, wie Fortschritte gemessen werden können und welche Maßnahmen die erforderliche Transformation beschleunigen können. Das Autorenteam schätzt die Vorreiterpotenziale der Metropole Ruhr für sieben Indikatoren ein, die besonders deutlich bei der Umweltwirtschaft und der Entwicklung der Grün- und Erholungsflächen herausstechen.
This chapter reconstructs the main actors, objectives and the pertinent contextual factors that co-determined the German coal phase-out. The German decision to phase out coal no later than 2038 was prepared by intense negotiations under the German "coal commission". It was tasked with finding an end date for coal-fired electricity generation and proposing ways and means to support coal workers and the affected regions. This latter objective was the dominant one, supported by a coalition of trade unions, industry, state-level governments as well as major political parties fearing a surge of far-right populism. Meanwhile, meeting the German climate targets was a key condition in the mandate of the coal commission. Yet, the German targets date back to 2010 and are not aligned with the more ambitious objectives enshrined in the Paris Agreement. This explains why the German coal phase-out schedule is so late and so expensive.
Seitdem Einweg-Plastikartikel wie Kunststofftüten und Strohhalme verboten wurden, sind Straßen und Strände sauberer geworden. Zudem wurde auch die öffentliche Diskussion über nachhaltigen Konsum intensiviert. Die Gesamtmenge an Kunststoff-Abfällen ließ sich mit "Plastikverboten" hingegen nicht signifikant reduzieren. Zu diesem Ergebnis kommt der vorliegende Polyproblem-Report der gemeinnützigen Röchling Stiftung und des Beratungshauses Wider Sense in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Wuppertal Institut. Die Autor*innen haben die Wirkung staatlicher Verbote von Einweg-Plastikprodukten unter die Lupe genommen und die Erfahrungen aus Deutschland, Kenia und Kalifornien analysiert.
The challenges and also potentials of the energy transition are tremendous in Germany, as well as in Japan. Sometimes, structures of the old energy world need "creative destruction" to clear the way for innovations for a decarbonized, low-risk energy system. In these times of disruptive changes, a constructive and sometimes controversial dialog within leading industrial nation as Japan and Germany over the energy transition is even more important. The German-Japanese Energy Transition Council (GJETC) released a summarizing report for the first project phase 2016-2018. It includes jointly formulated recommendations for politics as well as a controversial dialogue part.
The Council jointly states and recommends that:
Ambitious long-term targets and strategies for a low-carbon energy system must be defined and ambitiously implemented; Germany and Japan as high technology countries need to take the leadership.
Both countries will have to restructure their energy systems substantially until 2050 while maintaining their competitiveness and securing energy supply.
Highest priority is given to the forced implementation of efficiency technologies and renewable energies, despite different views on nuclear energy.
In both countries all relevant stakeholders - but above all the decision-makers on all levels of energy policy - need to increase their efforts for a successful implementation of the energy transition.
Design of the electricity market needs more incentives for flexibility options and for the extensive expansion of variable power generation, alongside with strategies for cost reduction for electricity from photovoltaic and wind energy.
The implementation gap of the energy efficiency needs to be closed by an innovative energy policy package to promote the principle of "Energy Efficiency First".
Synergies and co-benefits of an enhanced energy and resource efficiency policy need to be realized.
Co-existence of central infrastructure and the growing diversity of the activities for decentralization (citizens funding, energy cooperatives, establishment of public utility companies) should be supported.
Scientific cooperation can be intensified by a joint working group for scenarios and by the establishment of an academic exchange program.
The German-Japanese Energy Transition Council (GJETC) was established in 2016 by experts from research institutions, energy policy think tanks, and practitioners in Germany and Japan.
The objectives and main activities of the Council and the supporting secretariats are to identify and analyze current and future issues regarding policy frameworks, markets, infrastructure, and technological developments in the energy transition, and to hold Council meetings to exchange ideas and propose better policies and strategies. In its second project phase (2018-2020), the GJETC had six members from academia on the Japanese side, and eight members on the German side, with one Co-Chair from each country.
From October 2018 to March 2020, the GJETC worked on and debated six topics:
1) Digitalization and the energy transition. 2) Hydrogen society. 3) Review of German and Japanese long-term energy scenarios and their evaluation mechanism. 4) Buildings, energy efficiency, heating/cooling. 5) Integration costs of renewable energies. 6) Transport and sector coupling.
The outputs and the recommendations of the second phase of the GJETC are summarized in this report.
Bewegende Energie - das charakterisiert den beruflichen und akademischen Lebensweg von Peter Hennicke. Seine bis heute andauernde Arbeit zur Energiewende hat vieles in Bewegung gebracht. Er hat den Begriff "Energiewende" zwar nicht erfunden, aber maßgeblich mitgeprägt. Weil ihn dieses Ziel so erfüllt und sein Engagement so voller positiver Energie ist, begeistert und bewegt er die Menschen, die mit ihm zusammenwirken, und häufig auch diejenigen, die seinen Ideen zunächst skeptisch oder kritisch gegenüberstehen.
Die Autorinnen und Autoren dieses Buches stellen wesentliche Ideen und wissenschaftliche Konzepte von Peter Hennicke entlang ihrer beruflichen und wissenschaftlichen Aktivitäten vor. Damit gelingt es ihnen, sowohl 40 Jahre Energiewende und Transformation zur Nachhaltigkeit nachzuzeichnen als auch Impulse und eine Agenda für die zweite Phase der Energiewende zu setzen.
Model-based scenario analyses of future energy systems often come to deviating results and conclusions when different models are used. This may be caused by heterogeneous input data and by inherent differences in model formulations. The representation of technologies for the conversion, storage, use, and transport of energy is usually stylized in comprehensive system models in order to limit the size of the mathematical problem, and may substantially differ between models. This paper presents a systematic comparison of nine power sector models with sector coupling. We analyze the impact of differences in the representation of technologies, optimization approaches, and further model features on model outcomes. The comparison uses fully harmonized input data and highly simplified system configurations to isolate and quantify model-specific effects. We identify structural differences in terms of the optimization approach between the models. Furthermore, we find substantial differences in technology modeling primarily for battery electric vehicles, reservoir hydro power, power transmission, and demand response. These depend largely on the specific focus of the models. In model analyses where these technologies are a relevant factor, it is therefore important to be aware of potential effects of the chosen modeling approach. For the detailed analysis of the effect of individual differences in technology modeling and model features, the chosen approach of highly simplified test cases is suitable, as it allows to isolate the effects of model-specific differences on results. However, it strongly limits the model's degrees of freedom, which reduces its suitability for the evaluation of fundamentally different modeling approaches.
Although smart energy technologies (SETs) can fulfill multiple tasks in increasingly decarbonized and digitalized energy systems, market diffusion is still limited. This study investigates which beliefs influence consumers' intention to adopt two smart-energy offerings, whether the rapid growth of the smart home market will now drive SET adoption, and if consumer-driven diffusion will lead to sustainability potentials being realized. Building on UTAUT2, a new theoretical model is proposed, and a consumer acceptance survey was conducted in Germany (n = 700). Results indicate that a growing smart home market will not increase SET adoption and that "adjustable green defaults" should be introduced.
Die aktuellen Berichte des Weltklimarates (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC) und des International Resource Panel zeigen erneut die Dringlichkeit einer umfassenden sozial-ökologischen Transformation auf. Das bedeutet, dass die Umsetzung der "Agenda 2030", welche im Jahr 2015 durch die Vereinten Nationen beschlossen wurde, als ein international geltendes Maßnahmenprogramm zur Umsetzung einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung gesetzt und ihr ein zentraler politischer Stellenwert zugeordnet werden muss. Das SDG 12 "Nachhaltige Konsum- und Produktionsmuster sicherstellen" setzt die besondere Rolle nachhaltiger Produktions- und Konsummuster als Ausgangspunkt für eine Klima- und Ressourcenwende und Generationen- sowie soziale Gerechtigkeit.
Der Zukunftsimpuls formuliert zehn Botschaften zur Umsetzung von SDG 12 "Nachhaltige Konsum- und Produktionsmuster sicherstellen" als Ausgangspunkt einer großen Transformation. Es beleuchtet kurz und knapp vielfältige Handlungsvoraussetzungen als auch Akteurinnen und Akteure, die relevant für die Verwirklichung einer nachhaltigen Zukunft sind.
Der Zukunftsimpuls thematisiert unter anderem die Vorbildfunktion des Staates, die Chancen, die sich auf kommunaler Ebene bieten und die internationale Perspektive, welche sich durch globale Kooperationen und stetigen Wissens- und Erfahrungsaustausch auszeichnen sollte. Ein weiterer Fokus liegt auf nachhaltiger Produktion und nachhaltigem Konsum. Dies lässt sich durch die Stärkung des Nachhaltigkeitsbewusstseins und der -kompetenz sowie der Schaffung von ausreichend Gelegenheiten erreichen, damit einer dynamisch wachsenden Gruppe nachhaltiges Produzieren und nachhaltiger Konsum ermöglicht wird. Ziel ist daher die Bildung eines politischen und gesetzlichen Rahmens, welcher nachhaltige Lebensstile als auch nachhaltige Produktions- und Dienstleistungssysteme begünstigt, fördert und als Daseinsvorsorge sieht. Um die Entwicklung und Fortschritte zu sichern, bedarf es neuer Indikatoren und regelmäßiger Monitorings, die Handlungslücken in Realzeit aufdecken und das Schließen der Lücken ermöglichen. Die Umsetzung des SDG 12 benötigt einen Rahmen, der von Politik, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft getragen wird.
Within the Shaping Digitalisation project, we aim to highlight and discuss the opportunities that digitalisation can bring to Germany. In particular, we are discussing three stand-out areas where action is most needed to achieve ecological transformation: mobility, the circular economy, and agriculture and food.
This report addresses the second area in need of action. Up until now, discussions on the circular economy have been limited to recycling and the re-use of materials. We must expand the scope of these discussions to include new, resource-efficient business models and the comprehensive transformation of value chains and industrial structures. Our analysis has found that digitalisation is indispensable for this transformation if used properly.
We hope this report will provide the impetus needed to kick-start a climate- and resource-friendly industrial transformation in Germany. Here, we have incorporated the findings of our interdisciplinary workshop on "Shaping the Digital-Ecological Industrial Transformation - Business Models and Political Framework Conditions for Climate and Resource Protection" that was attended by experts from international research institutes, civil organizations, public authorities, and private companies.
Innerhalb des Projekts "Digitalisierung gestalten - Transformation zur Nachhaltigkeit ermöglichen" werden die besonderen Transformationspotenziale der Digitalisierung herausgearbeitet und für Deutschland am Beispiel der ausgewählten Handlungsfelder Mobilität, Circular Economy sowie Landwirtschaft und Ernährung diskutiert.
Dieser Bericht adressiert das Handlungsfeld einer klimaschonenden und ressourceneffizienten Kreislaufwirtschaft, die Circular Economy. Bisher wird Kreislaufwirtschaft dabei vor allem mit Fokus auf Recycling und Wiederverwertung von Materialien diskutiert. Das greift jedoch zu kurz - es muss um die Skalierung von neuen, ressourcenschonenden Geschäftsmodellen und der umfassenden Transformation von Wertschöpfungsketten und Industriestrukturen gehen.
Die Analyse zeigt: richtig eingesetzt ist Digitalisierung unverzichtbar für diesen Wandel.
Der vorliegende Bericht möchte Anstöße für diesen Weg liefern und neue Impulse für eine klima- und ressourcenschonende Industrietransformation in Deutschland setzen. Der Bericht verarbeitet dabei Ergebnisse eines interdisziplinären Workshops zum Thema "Die digital-ökologische Industrietransformation gestalten - Geschäftsmodelle und politische Rahmenbedingungen für Klima- und Ressourcenschutz" mit Expertinnen und Experten aus Forschung, Zivilgesellschaft, Behörden und Privatunternehmen.
This report was prepared by the Wuppertal Institute in cooperation with the German Economic Institute as part of the SCI4climate.NRW project. The report aims to shed light on the possible phenomenon that the availability and costs of "green" energy sources may become a relevant location factor for basic materials produced in a climate-neutral manner in the future.
For this purpose, we introduce the term "Renewables Pull". We define Renewables Pull as the initially hypothetical phenomenon of a shift of industrial production from one region to another as a result of different marginal costs of renewable energies (or of secondary energy sources or feedstocks based on renewable energies).
Shifts in industrial production in the sense of Renewables Pull can in principle be caused by differences in the stringency of climate policies in different countries, as in the case of Carbon Leakage. Unlike Carbon Leakage, however, Renewables Pull can also occur if similarly ambitious climate policies are implemented in different countries. This is because Renewables Pull is primarily determined by differences in the costs and availability of renewable energies. In addition, Renewables Pull can also be triggered by cost reductions of renewable energies and by changing preferences on the demand side towards climate-friendly products. Another important difference to Carbon Leakage is that the Renewables Pull effect does not necessarily counteract climate policy.
Similar to Carbon Leakage, it is to be expected that Renewables Pull could become relevant primarily for very energy-intensive products in basic materials industries. In these sectors (e.g. in the steel or chemical industry), there is also the possibility that relocations of specific energy-intensive parts of the production process could trigger domino effects. As a result, large parts of the value chains previously existing in a country or region could also be subjected to an (indirect) Renewables Pull effect.
For the federal state of NRW, in which the basic materials industry plays an important role, the possible emergence of Renewables Pull is associated with significant challenges as climate policy in Germany, the EU and also worldwide is expected to become more ambitious in the future.
This report aims to enable and initiate a deeper analysis of the potential future developments and challenges associated with the Renewables Pull effect. Thus, in the final chapter of the report, several research questions are formulated that can be answered in the further course of the SCI4climate.NRW project as well as in other research projects.
To limit global warming, the use of carbon capture and storage technologies (CCS) is considered to be of major importance. In addition to the technical-economic, ecological and political aspects, the question of social acceptance is a decisive factor for the implementation of such low-carbon technologies. This study is the first literature review addressing the acceptance of industrial CCS (iCCS). In contrast to electricity generation, the technical options for large-scale reduction of CO2 emissions in the energy-intensive industry sector are not sufficient to achieve the targeted GHG neutrality in the industrial sector without the use of CCS. Therefore, it will be crucial to determine which factors influence the acceptance of iCCS and how these findings can be used for policy and industry decision-making processes. The results show that there has been limited research on the acceptance of iCCS. In addition, the study highlights some important differences between the acceptance of iCCS and CCS. Due to the technical diversity of future iCCS applications, future acceptance research must be able to better address the complexity of the research subject.
The Glasgow climate conference marked a symbolic juncture, lying half-way between the adoption of the UNFCCC in 1992 and the year 2050 in which according to the IPCC special report on the 1.5°C limit net zero CO2 emissions need to be reached, globally, in order to maintain a good chance of achieving the 1.5°C limit. This article undertakes an assessment of what the UNFCCC and in particular the Paris Agreement and its implementation process have actually achieved so far up to and including the results of the Glasgow conference. The article discusses efforts at ambition raising both within and outside the formal diplomatic process, the finalization of the implementation rules of the Paris Agreement, as well as progress on gender responsiveness, climate finance, adaptation and loss and damage. In summary, the Paris Agreement and its implementation can be considered a success as it is having a discernible impact on the behavior of parties as well as on non-party actors. However, significant further efforts will be required to actually achieve the objectives of the Agreement.
In Argentina, renewable energies are promoted as a way of decarbonising the electricity mix and providing reliable energy services. The national goal is to generate 20% of electricity from renewable sources by 2025. However, despite significant natural potential, solar photovoltaic still represents only a small share of Argentina's total electricity generation. Although this picture may look bleak, a wide range of market segments relating to decentralised photovoltaic generation in Argentina have developed. The general objective of this study is to examine the dynamics that currently enable or constrain the diffusion of distributed photovoltaic systems in Argentina. By applying the Technical Innovation System (TIS) approach, the aim is to understand which functions of the system are strong/weak and how these are influenced by endogenous/exogenous system strengths and weaknesses. To that end, a mixed method research strategy is applied. The exploratory sequential research design allows first to explore system strengths and weaknesses based on qualitative approaches, and then to further analyse the contextual embeddedness and the level of importance of the identified variables using quantitative survey instruments. Thereby, this study provides an important analytical method that contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the interdependencies of the TIS. The empirical results indicate that system weaknesses are shaped to a large extent by the overall contextual dynamics - such as political instability, energy subsidies and high inflation rates. System strengths relate to both the TIS itself (particularly knowledge development through pilot projects and market formation through provincial and national support programmes), to contextual relationships (linked to the availability of educational institutions that enable the rapid diffusion of knowledge) and to the importance of rural areas as protected spaces for the application of photovoltaic systems. Consequently, the study highlights the challenges to overcome for the broader diffusion of distributed photovoltaic generation.
A clear understanding of socio-technical interdependencies and a structured vision are prerequisites for fostering and steering a transition to a fully renewables-based energy system. To facilitate such understanding, a phase model for the renewable energy transition in MENA countries has been developed and applied to the country case of Egypt. It is designed to support the strategy development and governance of the energy transition and to serve as a guide for decision makers.
Egypt, with its abundant solar and wind energy potential, has excellent preconditions to embark on the pathway towards a 100% renewable energy system. The country has successfully taken its first steps in this direction by attracting international finance and implementing several large-scale solar and wind projects. Yet, while Egypt has made significant progress, increased efforts are still required if the country aims to proceed towards a fully renewables-based system. The stronger system integration of renewable energies requires, for example, an alignment of regulations for the electricity, mobility and heat sectors. In this context, Egypt would be well advised to develop and implement an overall strategy for the energy transition that includes not only electricity generation but all sectors.
By placing a stronger focus on renewable energy, also to decarbonise the industrial sector, Egypt, as Africa's second most industrialised country, could seize the opportunity for economic development within a decarbonising global economy. The results of the analysis along the transition phase model towards 100% renewable energy are intended to stimulate and support the discussion on Egypt's future energy system by providing an overarching guiding vision for the energy transition and the development of appropriate policies.
A clear understanding of socio-technical interdependencies and a structured vision are prerequisites for fostering and steering a transition to a fully renewables-based energy system. To facilitate such understanding, a phase model for the renewable energy transition in MENA countries has been developed and applied to the country case of Iraq. It is designed to support the strategy development and governance of the energy transition and to serve as a guide for decision makers.
The transition towards renewable energies is still at a very early stage in Iraq. Despite the drop in renewable technology costs over the last decade and the increasing deployment of renewables in the MENA region, the pathway towards renewable energies seems to be challenging for Iraq. This is attributable to the country's political instability and the dominant economic role played by the fossil fuel sector. The most pressing concern for Iraq's electricity sector is the need to secure a constant electricity supply. At operational level, Iraq's electricity infrastructure requires significant investment to rebuilt, retro-fit and expand its overall capacity and to improve efficiencies.
Yet, the need to rebuild the energy system after the war and the subsequent violent conflicts could offer an opportunity for a transition towards renewables that would benefit Iraq in the short term and also provide a long-term economic development perspective. To take advantage of this opportunity, Iraq needs to improve the framework conditions for renewable energies and raise awareness about the benefits it offers. Renewable energy regulations need to be introduced, market development supported, a realistic timeframe for the transition process established and an appropriate and reliable legal framework developed. The results of the analysis along the transition phase model towards 100% renewables are intended to stimulate and support the discussion about Iraq's future energy system by providing an overarching guiding vision for the energy transition and the development of appropriate policy strategies.
Direct Air Capture (DAC) is increasingly being discussed as a possibility to limit climate change. In this study, a possible rollout of the DAC technology at German coastal areas is analysed based on an existing climate neutrality scenario. For the year 2045 the resulting costs as well as land, water and energy consumption are examined. It is concluded that a realization of the DAC technology in Germany might be possible from a technical point of view. However, there is a high demand for land and energy. Since a rollout is needed to start in 20 years at the latest, the required discussion and evaluation should be initiated as quickly as possible.
Das vorliegende Papier zeigt, welche Weichen die Politik stellen muss, um den Gebäudebestand bis 2045 klimaneutral zu machen. Im Fokus stehen höhere Effizienzanforderungen für Bestands- und Neubauten, ein schnellerer Ausstieg aus Gas- und Ölheizungen, gleichzeitig aber auch höhere Anreize und bessere Unterstützung für Gebäudebesitzende sowie warmmietenneutrale Sanierungen, um Mietende vor einer Überlastung zu schützen.
Dabei müssen bestehende Gebäude so renoviert werden, dass sie ähnlich wie Neubauten kaum noch Energie verbrauchen. Gleichzeitig müssen Heizenergie und Stromversorgung komplett auf erneuerbare Energien umgestellt werden. Zudem muss durch intelligentere Nutzungskonzepte der Anstieg der Gebäudeflächen gebremst werden. Die kommende Legislaturperiode ist somit entscheidend, damit Klimaneutralität im Gebäudesektor bis spätestens 2045 erreicht werden kann.
Dieser Zukunftsimpuls schlägt daher ein 14 Maßnahmen umfassendes und konsistentes Politikpaket vor. Neben den oben genannten Maßnahmen des Förderns und Forderns gehören dazu insbesondere klare Vorgaben für eine bessere energetische Sanierung und ein deutliches Ziel für den Ausstieg aus fossilen Gas- und Ölheizungen, die allen Beteiligten Sicherheit geben. Individuelle Sanierungsfahrpläne für alle heute noch nicht effizienten Gebäude bis spätestens 2028 und kommunale Wärmepläne helfen den Gebäudebesitzenden bei der technischen Entwicklung ihrer Gebäude und der Investitionsplanung. Häufig sind es die nicht-monetären Hemmnisse, die maßgeblich für die geringe Sanierungsrate sind. One-Stop-Shops verringern die Hemmschwelle Maßnahmen umzusetzen. Darüber hinaus wirkt Quartiersmanagement unterstützend und hilft Kräfte zu bündeln.
Making school-based GHG-emissions tangible by student-led carbon footprint assessment program
(2021)
Schools play an important role in achieving climate protection goals, because they lay the foundation of knowledge for a responsible next generation. Therefore, schools as institutions have a special role model function. Enabling schools to become aware of their own carbon footprint (CF) is an important prerequisite for being able to tap the substantial CO2 reduction potential. Aiming at the direct involvement of students in the assessment process, a new assessment tool was developed within the Schools4Future project that gives students the opportunity to determine their own school's CF. With this instrument the CO2 emissions caused by mobility, heating and electricity consumption as well as for food in the school canteen and for consumables (paper) can be recorded. It also takes into account existing renewable energy sources. Through the development of the tool, not only a monitoring instrument was established but also a concrete starting point from which students could take actions to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. This paper presents the tool and its methods used to calculate the CF and compares it with existing approaches. A comparative case study of four pilot schools in Germany demonstrates the practicability of the tool and reveals fundamental differences between the GHG emissions.
2019 haben das Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, die Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, das Wuppertal Institut für Klima, Umwelt, Energie und das Ecological Research Network das Netzwerk Reallabore der Nachhaltigkeit gegründet. Die Kommunikations- und Kooperationsplattform will zu einer transformativen Nachhaltigkeitsforschung beitragen.
To address climate change, the decarbonisation of Germany's existing building stock urgently needs to be prioritised. However, the rate and depth of refurbishment has lagged behind official targets for years. This is a particular problem in the rental sector, where the costs and benefits of energy efficiency measures tend to be unevenly distributed between landlords and tenants (the so-called "landlord-tenant dilemma"). Within the context of the current policy landscape, investments in energy efficiency consequently make most sense for landlords if the upfront costs can be refinanced via increased rental income or reduced vacant periods. This paper seeks to investigate the validity of this statement at city level by using a large dataset from one of Germany’s main internet property platforms to examine how the willingness of tenants to pay for energy efficiency varies across residential locations in the city of Wuppertal.
The small-scale spatial analysis highlights the existence of a price premium for energy efficiency in the rental market for apartments; however, this premium is generally small (especially in comparison to other property enhancements, especially visible improvements) or even non-existent in some residential areas. Consequently, investing in energy efficiency is rarely an attractive option for landlords. Therefore, strong policy action, aligned with social and urban development policy objectives, is necessary to establish an effective incentive structure in the market and make investing in energy efficiency more attractive for both landlords and tenants.
