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.
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.
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.
Zukunftslabore, Küchen und Stadträume : wenn sich Kunst und (Nachhaltigkeits-)Wissenschaft begegnen
(2021)
The energy sector today accounts for about 10% to 15% of global freshwater withdrawal. Most water in the energy sector is used for generating electricity, especially for cooling processes in thermal power plants. At the same time the demand for electricity is expected to increase significantly due to population growth and economic development in emerging and developing economies. Growing demand is also driven by electrification strategies pursued by industrialized countries to decarbonize their economies. With the global demand for electricity expected to increase significantly in the coming decades also the water demand in the power sector is expected to rise. However, due to the on-going global energy transition, the future structure of the power supply - and hence future water demand for power generation - is subject to high levels of uncertainty because the volume of water required for electricity generation varies significantly depending on both the generation technology and cooling system. In light of these challenges the objective of this analysis is to provide more systematic and robust answers in terms of the impacts of different decarbonization strategies in the electricity sector on water demand at global and regional level. The focus is on operational water use for electricity generation.
Especially in the arid areas of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), water availability plays an important role in the expansion planning of industrial-scale solar power plants. Although power plants may account for only a very small portion of local water demand, competition for water with other sectors is expected to increase when water resources are insufficient for meeting local needs. This can lead to conflicts between different users (such as communities, farmers, tourism, businesses and utilities). Despite the increasing attention on the water-energy nexus, comprehensive studies analysing the interdependencies and potential conflicts between energy and water at the local level are absent.
To examine the linkages between water resources and energy technologies at the local level, this case study was selected because Morocco is one of the countries most affected by water scarcity and, at the same time, it is also one of the most promising countries in North Africa for the development of renewable energies and offers excellent conditions for solar and wind power plants. Nevertheless, the country's electricity system is still largely based on conventional energy sources, and the country is more than 95% dependent on energy imports. To strengthen the country's energy security and reduce the financial burden associated with energy imports, Morocco is pursuing an ambitious renewable energy expansion strategy: by 2020, around 42% of the national electricity demand should be met by renewable energies. In view of Morocco's ambitious plans, it is particularly important to identify the potential conflicts and synergies resulting from the expansion of renewable energies in relation to the water sector.
Das Jahr 2020 stand ganz im Zeichen der Corona.Pandemie, wodurch massive Veränderungen, Umbrüche und auch Verwerfungen in nahezu allen Bereichen zu spüren gewesen sind und auch weiter nachklingen. Das gilt für die Wirtschaft ganz genauso wie für die Gesellschaft. Nichts scheint mehr so zu sein wie früher, Krisenprävention und gesellschaftlicher Zusammenhalt scheinen heute eine ganz andere Bedeutung zu haben.
Einzel- und Kleineigentümer aktivieren: energetische Sanierung - was motiviert Eigenheimbesitzer?
(2021)
Einzel- und Kleineigentümer aktivieren : strategische Empfehlungen zur Erhöhung der Sanierungsrate
(2021)
Die vom Wuppertal Institut für Fridays for Future durchgeführten Analysen legen nahe, dass das Erreichen von CO2-Neutralität bis 2035 aus technischer und ökonomischer Sicht zwar extrem anspruchsvoll wäre, grundsätzlich aber möglich ist. Diese Zielsetzung wäre in allen Sektoren mit großen Herausforderungen verbunden und würde beispiellose politische Anstrengungen erfordern.
This chapter turns to the measurement of performance in delivering corporate and ecosystem purposes. The metrics are designed to capture the pain points in the ecosystem that need to be addressed and the success of the intervention in addressing them. This requires measures of non-financial as well as financial performance. The chapter provides an overview of measurements of non-financial forms of capital: natural, human, and social. In examining natural capital, it contrasts input measures that record the amount of natural resources that are used in the production process and output measures that examine the impact of the inputs on products, emissions, waste, etc. It notes that measuring inputs is in general more straightforward than outputs and it therefore argues that natural capital metrics should be constructed around inputs rather than outputs.
Das Klimaabkommen von Paris ist ein Abkommen der Vereinten Nationen. Mit Artikel 4.1 wurde die Treibhausgasneutralität zum Ziel aller globalen Klimapolitik gemacht. Die Begriffe Klimaneutralität und Treibhausgasneutralität werden vom Klimasekretariat der Vereinten Nationen in der öffentlichen Kommunikation synonym verwendet. Die Europäische Kommission hat sich bisher im Zuge der Umsetzung ebenfalls für die synonyme Verwendung entschieden. In Deutschland ist es anders - da herrscht begriffliches Chaos.
Arbeit ist das halbe Leben?! : Über ein neues Statussymbol ; die Zeit und was wir damit anfangen
(2021)
Die Stadt als Reallabor : fünf Thesen zur Rolle der Wissenschaft in urbanen Transformationsprozessen
(2020)
Die großen Transformationsprozesse im 21. Jahrhundert werden sich insbesondere in den Städten entscheiden. Sie sind technologischer, ökonomischer, institutioneller und insbesondere kultureller Schmelztiegel für Veränderungsprozesse. Um sich aus bestehenden Pfadabhängigkeiten zu lösen, bedarf die urbane Transformation sowohl kraftvoller Zukunftserzählungen als auch Experimentierorte, an denen diese Zukünfte heute schon in einer Stadt erlebbar werden. Für beides kann die enge Kooperation mit der Wissenschaft in der Stadt ein zentraler Katalysator sein. "Urbane Reallabore" sind dabei ein geeignetes Format, um eine neue Kooperationskultur zwischen Wissenschaft und Stadt zu schaffen - mit einem gemeinsamen Blick auf die Gestaltung urbaner Zukünfte.
The earth's capacity to absorb greenhouse gases is ultimately a critical limiting factor in the handling of metals. The fact that the demand for metals far exceeds their secondary production is extremely problematic at this point. Nevertheless, metals are crucial for climate protection and energy system transformation. Examples are the rare earth metal neodymium used in high-performance permanent magnets in wind turbines, the alkali metal lithium as the most important component in batteries, or the metal tellurium used in thin-film solar cells to generate solar power. It is therefore essential to promote the aspects of resource efficiency and to strengthen the critical role of metals in national and European policy programs. Next to a global solution, a European solo effort with predominantly market-based instruments and the effects of committed behaviour by civil society in the European Union (EU), show that the EU can make a considerable contribution to sustainable development on its own. Thus, a comprehensive approach is needed for sustainable metal management in the sense of a circular economy on the European level fostering sustainable production and consumption pathways. But, this need and the special role of metals are not seen in the current debate about resources in society and politics. Due to the fact that in public perception, metallic raw materials are often discussed as less urgent than energy or polymer raw materials, this article aims to highlight the critical role of metals.
Further, the objective of this contribution is to show which prerequisites exist for the development and establishment of a holistic metal management and where political strategies have to start. Challenges needed to be overcome to achieve such a holistic metal strategy and management are highlighted. In particular, the role of the metal industry, circular product design and labelling and corresponding indicator systems is examined. In addition, the special role of digitalisation is being worked out. Finally, conclusions are drawn and shown which aspects have to be considered for a holistic metal strategy and management.
The ultimate goal of German Resource Efficiency Programme (ProgRess) is to make the extraction and use of natural resources more sustainable and reduce associated environmental pollution as much as possible. By doing this - also with responsibility towards future generations - the programme should create a prerequisite for securing a long-term high quality of life. To bring the policy approaches formulated in ProgRess to reality, efforts to implement resource efficiency measures have to be increased at all levels - from international to regional to local.
The chapter intends to provide an impetus for the current debate on ProgRess policy development. The chapter identifies, analyses and describes deficits and possibilities of vertical integration of the German programme in particular and derives recommendations for action which may also serve as indications for other strategies. The following sections are based on results of the advisory report "Vertical integration of the national resource efficiency programme ProgRess (VertRess)", conducted by the German Institute of Urban Affairs (Difu) and the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy on behalf of the German Environmental Agency (UBA) and the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).
Sustainable consumption policies affect households differently, in particular when they are confronted with limitations on income, time or freedom of movement (e.g. driving to work). And although it is possible to assess either the average or individual material footprint (per capita or via surveys), we lack methods to describe different types of households, their lifestyles and footprints in a representative manner.
We explore possibilities to do so in this article. Our interest lies in finding an applicable method that allows us to describe the footprint of households regarding their socio-demographic characteristics but also find the causes consumption behaviour. This type of monitoring would enable us to tailor policies for sustainable consumption that respect people's needs and restrictions.
Vor zehn Jahren, schon bald nach dem Beginn der Finanzkrise, setzte weltweit die Erkenntnis ein, dass die eingebrochenen privaten Investitionen mit staatlichen Konjunkturprogrammen kompensiert werden müssten. Die Regierungen der Welt wendeten sich überraschend schnell von den bisher dominanten laissez-faire Ansätzen ab. Weltweit schlug die Stunde von Staatsinterventionen. Unter dem Titel "Green New Deal" und später "Green Growth" katapultierte sich die ökologische Modernisierung der Wirtschaft quasi über Nacht aus der umweltpolitischen Nische heraus in den konjunkturpolitischen Mainstream. Zwar gab und gibt es immer noch Regierungen und internationale Institutionen, die diese ökologische Wende der Konjunkturpolitik nicht nachvollziehen, allerdings dürften sich diese spätestens seit dem Jahr 2009 in der Minderheit befinden. Die Forschung kam mit dem Tempo der Entwicklungen kaum hinterher. Dennoch lassen sich aus den vergangenen zehn Jahren seit der Finanzkrise von 2008 wichtige Erkenntnisse und Faustregeln z. B. für den European Green Deal aber auch für die angekündigten nationalstaatlichen Konjunkturprogramme nach der Coronakrise ableiten. Der Text begründet die These von einer ökologischen Wende der Konjunkturpolitik. Im Anschluss leitet er daraus wichtige Lektionen für den sich anbahnenden European Green Deal als eine wirtschaftspolitische Antwort auf die Coronakrise ab.
Effectiveness and efficiency of food-waste prevention policies, circular economy, and food industry
(2020)
Dass Megatrends das Leben in den Städten und Gemeinden sowie die Umsetzung der Energiewende in NRW maßgeblich beeinflussen, ist nicht von der Hand zu weisen. Aber bei Entscheidungsträgern in Verwaltung, Politik und Wirtschaft auf kommunaler Ebene klafft eine Lücke zwischen Wissen über Megatrends und umsetzungsorientierter Reaktionen auf diese. Dabei sind die Handlungsmöglichkeiten an der Schnittstelle von Energiewende und Megatrends umfassend - und noch lange nicht ausgeschöpft.