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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.
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.
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.
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.
Klimapaket Autoverkehr : mit welchen Maßnahmen der PKW-Verkehr in Deutschland auf Klimakurs kommt
(2021)
Bereits in diesem Jahr droht der Verkehr sein Klimaziel nach dem Pandemie-bedingten Rückgang im vergangenen Jahr wieder um bis zu 10 Millionen Tonnen CO2 zu verfehlen, so eine aktuelle Abschätzung der Berliner Denkfabrik Agora Energiewende. Der Rückstand des Verkehrs beim Klimaschutz ist so groß, dass sich die CO2-Ziele bis zum Jahr 2030 nur mit einer Kombination mehrerer politischer Maßnahmen erreichen lassen.
Dies zeigt die vorliegende Studie des Wuppertal Instituts im Auftrag von Greenpeace. Die Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler haben kalkuliert, wie viel CO2 sich mit acht Maßnahmen im Autoverkehr jeweils einsparen lässt. Eine Zulassungssteuer für besonders umweltschädliche Autos etwa könne den CO2-Ausstoß bis 2030 in Summe um etwa 28 Millionen Tonnen senken, ein angemessener CO2-Preis für Diesel und Benzin um 16 Millionen Tonnen. Den Ausbau des Fernstraßennetzes auszusetzen, ersparte dem Klima knapp 21 Millionen Tonnen.
Angesichts der drängenden Herausforderungen unserer Zeit erwarten große Teile der Öffentlichkeit und Politik eine engagierte Wissenschaft, die sich aktiv an der Lösung ökologischer, ökonomischer und sozialer Probleme beteiligt. Diese Erwartungshaltung hat dazu beigetragen, Diskussionen über eine "third mission" der Wissenschaft aufzuwerfen. Damit verbunden sind Fragen zu gesellschaftlichem Engagement und Distanz zur Politik in Forschung und Lehre, mit denen sich bereits der amerikanische Wissenschaftssoziologe Robert K. Merton in den 30er Jahren des vergangenen Jahrhunderts beschäftigte und die ihn dazu bewogen, ein Ethos der Wissenschaft zu postulieren. (...)
Vor dem Hintergrund der Traumatisierung der Wissenschaft durch den Nationalsozialismus und seine dramatischen Folgen stellt sich heute nach wie vor die Frage, ob - und wenn ja wie - Forschung und Lehre gegen politische Intervention und Pervertierung immunisiert werden können. Gibt es überhaupt so etwas wie "reine Wissenschaft" und wie lässt sich diese abgrenzen? Brauchen wir ein Wissenschaftsethos oder gibt es dazu Alternativen?
Im Folgenden versuchen wir uns diesen Fragen zu nähern. Wir sind weder Wissenschaftssoziologen noch Wissenschaftshistoriker und werden deshalb nur sehr kursorisch auf die entsprechenden Forschungen verweisen. Wir nähern uns den Fragen zum einen aus der Perspektive der angewandten Nachhaltigkeitsforschung und zum anderen mit einem wissenschaftsphilosophischen und erkenntnistheoretischen Hintergrund. Unsere Kritik an Mertons Ansatz hat daher sowohl einen explizit praktischen als auch philosophischen Zugang.
Die nationale Wasserstoffstrategie der Bundesregierung beinhaltet zentrale Zielkonflikte: Stärkung der deutschen Wirtschaft versus hohe Importquote, günstigere Produktionskosten im Ausland versus höhere Wertschöpfung durch Produktion im Inland. Vor diesem Hintergrund wird in diesem Beitrag diskutiert, wie groß die Kostenunterschiede ausfallen, welche Bedeutung die Transportkosten haben und welche Reboundeffekte bei Importen aus Nordafrika zu beachten sind.
The impacts of the COVID-19 crisis and the global response to it will co-determine the future of climate policy. The recovery packages responding to the impacts of the pandemic may either help to chart a new sustainable course, or they will further cement existing high-emission pathways and thwart the achievement of the Paris Agreement objectives. This article discusses how international climate governance may help align the recovery packages with the climate agenda. For this purpose, the article investigates five key governance functions through which international institutions may contribute: send guidance and signals, establish rules and standards, provide transparency and accountability, organize the provision of means of implementation, and promote collective learning. Reflecting on these functions, the article finds that the process under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), together with other international institutions, could promote sustainable recovery in several ways.
Das Fortschreiten des Klimawandels und die Schädigung der Ökosysteme machen deutlich, dass die seit Jahrzehnten international geforderte nachhaltige Entwicklung zu den wichtigsten Herausforderungen gehören.
Um die von den Vereinten Nationen in der Agenda 2030 festgeschriebenen Nachhaltigkeitsziele, den sogenannten Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), zu erreichen, sind alle relevanten Akteurinnen und Akteure - die Politik, die Wirtschaft sowie jede und jeder Einzelne - gefragt.
Eine nachhaltige Entwicklung, die zugleich Umweltschonung, stabile wirtschaftliche und gesellschaftliche Entwicklung sowie soziale Gerechtigkeit berücksichtigt, beruht damit auf der Kompetenz oder auch der "Literacy" der Einzelnen, für sich und im Kollektiv nachhaltiges Handeln auszuüben und im gegenseitigen Miteinander fördern zu können. Doch welche Fähigkeiten sind notwendig, um nachhaltig Handeln zu können? Welche Fähigkeiten brauchen insbesondere Konsumentinnen und Konsumenten, um ihre Produktions- und Konsummuster nachhaltiger (mit-)gestalten zu können?
Antworten darauf liefert die "Literacy für nachhaltigen Konsum", die in dem vorliegenden Diskussionspapier entwickelt und vorgestellt wird.
Quantitative environmental assessments are crucial in working effectively towards sustainable production and consumption patterns. Over the last decades, life cycle assessments (LCA) have been established as a viable means of measuring the environmental impacts of products along the supply chain. In regard to user and consumption patterns, however, methodological weaknesses have been reported and, several attempts have been made to improve LCA accordingly, for example, by including higher order effects and behavioural science support. In a discussion of such approaches, we show that there has been no explicit attention to the concepts of consumption, often leading to product-centred assessments. We introduce social practice theories in order to make consumption patterns accessible to LCA. Social practices are routinised actions comprising interconnected elements (materials, competences, and meanings), which make them conceivable as one entity (e.g. cooking). Because most social practices include some sort of consumption (materials, energy, air), we were able to develop a framework which links social practices to the life cycle inventory of LCA. The proposed framework provides a new perspective of quantitative environmental assessments by switching the focus from products or users to social practices. Accordingly, we see the opportunity in overcoming the reductionist view that people are just users of products, and instead we see them as practitioners in social practises. This change could enable new methods of interdisciplinary research on consumption, integrating intend-oriented social sciences and impact-oriented assessments. However, the framework requires further revision and, especially, empirical validation.
Roadmaps for India's energy future foresee that coal power will continue to play a considerable role until the middle of the 21st century. Among other options, carbon capture and storage (CCS) is being considered as a potential technology for decarbonising the power sector. Consequently, it is important to quantify the relative benefits and trade-offs of coal-CCS in comparison to its competing renewable power sources from multiple sustainability perspectives. In this paper, we assess coal-CCS pathways in India up to 2050 and compare coal-CCS with conventional coal, solar PV and wind power sources through an integrated assessment approach coupled with a nexus perspective (energy-cost-climate-water nexus). Our levelized costs assessment reveals that coal-CCS is expensive and significant cost reductions would be needed for CCS to compete in the Indian power market. In addition, although carbon pricing could make coal-CCS competitive in relation to conventional coal power plants, it cannot influence the lack of competitiveness of coal-CCS with respect to renewables. From a climate perspective, CCS can significantly reduce the life cycle GHG emissions of conventional coal power plants, but renewables are better positioned than coal-CCS if the goal is ambitious climate change mitigation. Our water footprint assessment reveals that coal-CCS consumes an enormous volume of water resources in comparison to conventional coal and, in particular, to renewables. To conclude, our findings highlight that coal-CCS not only suffers from typical new technology development related challenges - such as a lack of technical potential assessments and necessary support infrastructure, and high costs - but also from severe resource constraints (especially water) in an era of global warming and the competition from outperforming renewable power sources. Our study, therefore, adds a considerable level of techno-economic and environmental nexus specificity to the current debate about coal-based large-scale CCS and the low carbon energy transition in emerging and developing economies in the Global South.
The transdisciplinary research mode has gained prominence in the research on and for sustainability transformations. Yet, solution-oriented research addressing complex sustainability problems has become complex itself, with new transdisciplinary research formats being developed and tested for this purpose. Application of new formats offers learning potentials from experience. To this end, we accompanied fourteen research projects conceptualized as real-world labs (RwLs) from 2015 to 2018. RwLs were part of a funding program on "Science for Sustainability" in the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg. Here, we combine conceptual and empirical work to a structured collection of experiences and provide a comprehensive account of RwLs. First, we outline characteristics of RwLs as transformation oriented, transdisciplinary research approach, using experiments, enabling learning and having a long-term orientation. Second, we outline eleven success factors and concrete design notes we gained through a survey of the 14 RwLs: (1) find the right balance between scientific and societal aims, (2) address the practitioners needs and restrictions, (3) make use of the experimentation concept, (4) actively communicate, (5) develop a "collaboration culture", (6) be attached to concrete sites, (7) create lasting impact and transferability, (8) plan for sufficient time and financial means, (9) adaptability, (10) research-based learning, and (11) recognize dependency on external actors. Characteristics and success factors are combined to illustrate practical challenges in RwLs. Third, we show which methods could be used to cope with challenges in RwLs. We conclude discussing the state of debate on RwLs and outline future avenues of research.
Water availability plays an important role in the expansion planning of utility-scale solar power plants, especially in the arid regions of the Middle East and North Africa. Although these power plants usually account for only a small fraction of local water demand, competition for water resources between communities, farmers, companies, and power suppliers is already emerging and is likely to intensify in future. Despite this, to date there has been a lack of comprehensive studies analyzing interdependencies and potential conflicts between energy and water at local level. This study addresses this research gap and examines the linkages between water resources and energy technologies at local level based on a case study conducted in Ouarzazate, Morocco, where one of the largest solar power complexes in the world was recently completed. To better understand the challenges faced by the region in light of increased water demand and diminishing water supply, a mixed-method research design was applied to integrate the knowledge of local stakeholders through a series of workshops. In a first step, regional socio-economic water demand scenarios were developed and, in a second step, water saving measures to avoid critical development pathways were systematically evaluated using a participatory multi-criteria evaluation approach. The results are a set of water demand scenarios for the region and a preferential ranking of water saving measures that could be drawn upon to support decision-making relating to energy and water development in the region.
Expenditure-based indicators of energy poverty : an analysis of income and expenditure elasticities
(2021)
Energy poverty is high up on national and European Union policy agendas. A number of possible indicators to measure the issue have been identified in the literature, but comparable data with European coverage is scarce. The EU Commission thus proposes four independent indicators on the "EU Energy Poverty Observatory" based on self-reported items from the pan-European surveys on income and living conditions (SILC) and household budgets (HBS). It is of increasing public interest to analyse social impacts of energy policies, and quantify energy poverty indicators also from modelling. This paper first shortly outlines how the expenditure-based indicators using HBS micro data may be directly linked to existing macroeconomic models through their defining variables (energy expenditure and income). As endogenous modelling based on micro data is difficult, the link may be country-specific elasticities. The main contribution of the paper is a systematic in-depth sensitivity analysis of the two indicators to changes in income and energy expenditure following varying patterns in the underlying distributions of the micro data. The results may be used by future soft links to models. The results display sometimes counterintuitive effects. We find that whether these indicators increase/decrease after a change of income or energy expenditure largely depends on the specific country-wise income and energy expenditure distribution between households on a micro-level. Due to their definition, the examined indicators are especially sensitive, when income changes alter the indicator threshold values, which in these cases are the median values in underlying distributions. We discuss these findings and relate them to several indicator shortcomings and potential remedies through changes in indicator definition.
Flexible, system-oriented operating strategies are becoming increasingly important in terms of achieving a climate-neutral energy system transformation. Solid-oxide electrolysis (SOEC) can play an important role in the production of green synthesis gas from renewable energy in the future. Therefore, it is important to investigate the extent to which SOEC can be used flexibly and which feedback effects and constraints must be taken into account. In this study, we derived a specific load profile from an energy turnaround scenario that supports the energy system. SOEC short-stacks were operated and we investigated the impact that the load profile has on electrical stack performance and stack degradation as well as the product gas composition by means of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The stacks could follow the grid-related requirement profiles of secondary control power and minute reserves very well with transition times of less than two minutes per 25% of relative power. Only short-term disturbances of the H2/CO ratio were observed during transitions due to the adjustment of feed gases. No elevated degradation effects resulting from flexible operation were apparent over 1300 h, although other causes of degradation were present.
The need for a transition towards a circular economy (CE) is evident, as the current economic model is based on the exploitation of far more resources than the planet can replenish sustainably. A significant part of this economic transition is the inception of new, CE-oriented startups and business activities. While business model frameworks (BMF), such as the Business Model Canvas (BMC), were at the center of discussions about structuring business ideas in the beginning of the millennium, the conversation must now shift towards circular BMFs (CBMF). This paper follows the Design Research Methodology (DRM) for an empirical approach to devising a novel CBMF, including expert interviews as well as a first application of the framework with a startup. Throughout this process, a new and innovative tool called Circular Business Framework (CBF) was created and tested based on CE principles.
Cities are becoming digital and are aiming to be sustainable. How they are combining the two is not always apparent from the outside. What we need is a look from inside. In recent years, cities have increasingly called themselves Smart City. This can mean different things, but generally includes a look towards new digital technologies and claim that a Smart City has various advantages for its citizens, roughly in line with the demands of sustainable development. A city can be seen as smart in a narrow sense, technology wise, sustainable or smart and sustainable. Current city rankings, which often evaluate and classify cities in terms of the target dimensions 2smart" and "sustainable", certify that some cities are both. In its most established academic definitions, the Smart City also serves both to improve the quality of life of its citizens and to promote sustainable development. Some cities have obviously managed to combine the two. The question that arises is as follows: What are the underlying processes towards a sustainable Smart City and are cities really using smart tools to make themselves sustainable in the sense of the 2015 United Nations Sustainability Goal 11? This question is to be answered by a method that has not yet been applied in research on cities and smart cities: the innovation biography. Based on evolutionary economics, the innovation biography approaches the process towards a Smart City as an innovation process. It will highlight which actors are involved, how knowledge is shared among them, what form citizen participation processes take and whether the use of digital and smart services within a Smart City leads to a more sustainable city. Such a process-oriented method should show, among other things, to what extent and when sustainability-relevant motives play a role and which actors and citizens are involved in the process at all.
The demand for metals from the entire periodic table is currently increasing due to the ongoing digitalization. However, their use within electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) poses problems as they cannot be recovered sufficiently in the end-of-life (EoL) phase. In this paper, we address the unleashed dissipation of metals caused by the design of EEE for which no globally established recycling technology exists. We describe the European Union's (EU) plan to strive for a circular economy (CE) as a political response to tackle this challenge. However, there is a lack of feedback from a design perspective. It is still unknown what the implications for products would be if politics were to take the path of a CE at the level of metals. To provide clarification in this respect, a case study for indium is presented and linked to its corresponding recycling-metallurgy of zinc and lead. As a result, a first material-specific rule on the design of so-called "anti-dissipative" products is derived, which actually supports designing EEE with recycling in mind and represents an already achieved CE on the material level. In addition, the design of electrotechnical standardization is being introduced. As a promising tool, it addresses the multi-dimensional problems of recovering metals from urban ores and assists in the challenge of enhancing recycling rates. Extending the focus to other recycling-metallurgy besides zinc and lead in further research would enable the scope for material-specific rules to be widened.
Im vergangenen Jahr waren die Zuwachszahlen im Bereich der Elektromobilität in Deutschland höher als jemals zuvor. Das enorme Wachstum ist vor allem der EU-Verordnung zur Flottenemissionsnorm zu verdanken. Die Elektromobilität hat damit einen wichtigen Schritt gemacht und gezeigt, dass sie das Potenzial hat, den Verbrennungsmotor bald zu verdrängen. Doch allein ein sehr hoher Marktanteil an Elektroautos genügt nicht, um die mittelfristigen deutschen Klimaschutzziele zu erreichen. Dies ist eine der zentralen Aussagen der Autoren des vorliegenden Impulspapiers. Sie empfehlen, dass die Europäische Union Herstellern weiterhin ambitionierte Zielvorgaben für emissionsarme Pkw machen sollte, damit schon im Jahr 2030 annähernd alle neu zugelassenen Pkw elektrisch angetrieben werden. Autos mit Hybridantrieb sind auf diesem Weg maximal eine wichtige Übergangstechnologie. Zentrale Voraussetzung ist zudem, dass die derzeitigen Ladevorgänge erleichtert werden, damit der Umstieg auf Fahrzeuge mit alternativem Antriebskonzept deutlich attraktiver wird.
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.
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.
Water and energy are two pivotal areas for future sustainable development, with complex linkages existing between the two sectors. These linkages require special attention in the context of the energy transition. Against this background, this paper analyses the role of water availability in the development of solar thermal and photovoltaic power plants for the case of the Draa Valley in southern Morocco. Located in a semi-arid to arid mountainous area, the Drâa Valley faces high water stress - a situation expected to worsen due to climate change. At the same time, the region has one of the greatest potentials for solar energy in the world. To examine whether limited water availability could accelerate or delay the implementation of solar thermal and photovoltaic power plants, this paper compares regional water availability and demand in the Draa Valley for different scenarios, paying particular attention to potential socio-economic development pathways. The Water Evaluation and Planning System software is applied to allocate the water resources in the study region. The water supply is modelled under the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 climate scenario, while the water demand for the Drâa Valley is modelled for a combination of three socio-economic and two energy scenarios. The climate scenario describes a significant decrease in water availability by 2050, while the socio-economic and energy scenarios show an increase in water demand. The results demonstrate that during a sequence of dry years the reservoirs water availability is reduced and shortages in water supply can result in high levels of unmet demand. If this situation occurs, oasis farming, water for drinking and energy production could compete directly with each other for water resources. The energy scenarios indicate that the use of dry cooling technologies in concentrated solar power and photovoltaic hybrid systems could be one option for reducing competition for the scarce water resources in the region. However, given that energy generation accounts for only a small share of the regional water demand, the results also suggest that socio-economic demand reduction, especially in the agricultural sector, for example by reducing the cultivated area, will most likely become necessary.
In this paper, we aim to present a comprehensive analysis on the emerging phenomenon of distributed innovation in commons-based peer production (CBPP) platforms. Starting with the exploration of the widely held belief on value-creation confined to industrial settings, we raise several questions regarding the feasibility of, and a need for, an inclusive innovation process that can tap grassroots capacity into both traditional (industrial research and development) and emerging (peer-to-peer) innovation models to yield sustainable solutions. In particular, we explore the emergence and structuration of digital innovations in the maker movement, as it presents an alternative construct of innovation wherein access to and sharing of knowledge is predominantly distributed. With innovation outcomes often freely revealed, its very structuration could pose a principal challenge to our conceptualizations of value creation and competitive advantage in the current economic model. Drawing from responses received from 200 collaborative innovation platforms, six semi‐structured interviews focusing on socio-technical innovation cases, as well as four in-depth narrative interviews with maker turned entrepreneurs, we present a detailed analysis on the topology of network, typology of actors, as well as the underlying innovation ecosystem in CBPP networks in Germany. In doing so, we contribute to the conceptualization of peer-to-peer distributed innovations in collaborative platforms.
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 Lebanon. It is designed to support the strategy development and governance of the energy transition and to serve as a guide for decision makers.
Lebanon's energy transition towards REs stands at a very early stage of the first transformation phase. Although abundant solar and wind energy potential does exist, the pathway towards a 100% renewables energy seems very challenging for Lebanon, as a consequence of highly unstable political conditions. The most pressing concern for Lebanon's electricity sector is combating the country's fiscal imbalance, while providing secure and reliable electricity supply. At the operational level, Lebanon's grid network requires significant investments to rebuild, retrofit, and expand the overall capacity and energy efficiency improvements.
The need to strengthen the energy system after the political turmoil of the civil war is likely to offer several long-term opportunities, such as developing the economy, reducing environmental pollution, and increasing the energy security. In order to move forward into the first phase, Lebanon needs to improve the framework conditions for REs and implement its visions. It needs to support the market development in a realistic timeframe, where structural reforms represent the highest priority.
The results of the analysis along the transition phase model towards 100% renewables energy are intended to stimulate and support the discussion on Lebanon's future energy system by providing an overarching guiding vision for the energy transition and the development of appropriate policies.
Urban transitions and transformations research fosters a dialogue between sustainability transitions theory an inter- and transdisciplinary research on urban change. As a field, urban transitions and transformations research encompasses plural analytical and conceptual perspectives. In doing so, this field opens up sustainability transitions research to new communities of practice in urban environments, including mayors, transnational municipal networks, and international organizations.
Welche Faktoren bedingen Implementationserfolg, auch und gerade über die rechtliche Umsetzung hinaus? Diese Frage wird von der EU-Implementationsforschung bislang nicht zufriedenstellend beantwortet. Fähigkeiten und Kapazitäten sowie Motivationen scheinen aber eine Rolle zu spielen. Die Implementation von EU-Informationsinstrumenten zur Energieeffizienz in Deutschland stellt für die Untersuchung dieser Frage einen idealen Fall dar: Ein gleichzeitig organisatorisch hochkomplexes Feld mit erwartbar geringen Implementationsfähigkeiten trifft auf eine politisch eher nicht-konfrontative Umsetzungsaufgabe mit vermutet guter Motivation. Die Ergebnisse aus den Fallstudien zu Gebäudeenergieausweisen, Energielabels auf Produkten und Energieaudits für große Unternehmen zeigten klar den hohen Erklärungswert des Faktors "Motivation", wohingegen "Fähigkeiten" kein eigenständiger Faktor sind. Mangelnde Fähigkeiten wurden von den Implementierern sehr geschickt adressiert und beseitigt, wenn das notwendig oder wünschenswert war. Dabei wurden alle Fälle von Wirtschaftsinteressen dominiert, aber auch von Europäisierungsmodi im Sinne von hierarchischem Druck, der als mindestens gleichwertiger Faktor neben dem Faktor Motivation steht.
In this thesis, the systematic, situation-oriented selection of approaches to sustainability assessment and effects of selection on assessment results are investigated. The central focus lies on the practice-oriented design of a framework to support selection decisions as well as the necessary criteria and scales for the systematic, quantifiable description of assessment approaches and assessment situations within such a framework. Sustainability assessments are important instruments for the derivation of goals, strategies and measures for shaping sustainable development in all domains. They provide decision-makers in science, industry, politics and society with vital answers to sustainability-related questions that arise in the most diverse contexts. Numerous different assessment approaches are available for carrying out sustainability assessments within such assessment situations. Because of the multitude and diversity of assessment situations and approaches, not every approach is fitting for every situation. In current practice, the fit between approaches and assessment situations is not, or only insufficiently, taken into account when selecting sustainability assessment approaches. Furthermore, no systematic studies have yet been conducted on the effects of approach selection on assessment results. The central result of this work is a concept for the situation-oriented selection support of sustainability assessment approaches based on a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making framework. With the framework, "fitness scores" are calculated, which are used to quantify and operationalize the fit between assessment approaches and assessment situations. With the developed concept, different assessment approaches are selected and exemplarily applied within a use case. Hereby, the effects of approach selection on assessment results are examined. On the basis of the knowledge gained with regard to approach selection, framework development and application, the potentials and limits of assessment approaches widely fitting for diverse assessment situations are finally derived.
With increasing world population and an unsettling resource scarcity in the back, sustainble consumption has moved to the foreground of political, economical and social discussions. One major school-of-thought is Circular Economy (CE), an approach summarizing various sustainable consumption activites under one roof. However, quantitative studies on the consumer are rare, yet crucial for a transfer from linear to circular consumption. This dissertation adds to literature by providing pioneer insights into consumer behavior in CE as an overarching concept, instead limiting research on singular subconcepts. Namely, four consumer activities are studied: recycling, upcycling, renting and sharing. In order to identify relevant insights for both academics and practitioners in CE, the research question ("what drives participation in CE?") is broken down into sub-hypotheses, which are addressed by three empirical studies. Using the SOR-Model (adaption Belk 1975) as overarching logic, the three studies deal with (1) the consumer (and their motivation) and situational stimuli (both (2) offline and (3) online). Respectively, three data sets are consulted to assess the sub-hypotheses and to identify overarching insights on how to accelerate consumer participation in CE, The research methodology employed ranges from a structured equation model (SEM), a random allocation field experiment during Fashion Week in Berlin to a discrete-choice model with best-worst scaling. The dissertation succeeds in revealing that (1) different activities in CE can be summarized in one latent variable, proving CE as a wholesome concept in consumer-related activities; that (2) Trust has a leveraging effect on participation in CE activities. Further, Trust can be enhanced offline via face-to-face interaction and online via third-party online attributes.; and that (3) experience in CE activities affects perception of online attributes, implying the need for adapted measures when dealing with CE-unexperienced consumers as compared to consumers with prior experience in CE activities.
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?
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.
Klimaneutralität : Optionen für eine ambitionierte Weichenstellung und Umsetzung : Positionspapier
(2021)
Immer mehr Unternehmen verkünden, klimaneutral sein zu wollen und zahlreiche Firmen bieten bereits klimaneutrale Produkte oder Dienstleistungen an: Von der klimaneutralen Paketzustellung bis zur Flugreise. Doch was bedeuten die Neutralitätsziele der Unternehmen genau? Ist das gesetzte Ziel ambitioniert? Und welche Rolle spielt Offsetting, also der Ankauf von Klimaschutzzertifikaten und deren Anrechnung auf das eigene Klimaschutzziel? Die hinter den verkündeten Zielen stehenden Ansätze sind häufig nur schwer nachvollziehbar. Vor diesem Hintergrund gibt der vorliegende Zukunftsimpuls zehn Empfehlungen für die Festlegung und Umsetzung von Neutralitätszielen. Die Autorinnen und Autoren sprechen sich dabei unter anderem für die Nutzung einer robusten Datenbasis als Grundlage für Neutralitätsziele aus, betonen die Bedeutung einer transparenten Kommunikation und zeigen auf, welche Rolle Offsetting spielen sollte. So sollten angekaufte Klimaschutz-Zertifikate einen möglichst begrenzten Beitrag zur Zielerfüllung leisen und ausschließlich zum Ausgleich von Emissionen genutzt werden, die nicht reduziert oder vermieden werden können. Insgesamt sollten Neutralitätsziele nicht zum alleinigen Kriterium für ambitionierten Klimaschutz von Unternehmen gemacht werden, sie stellen vielmehr ein Baustein einer weitaus umfassenderen unternehmerischen Klimaschutzstrategie dar.
Urban development faces numerous challenges in the 21st century and a central task is the sustainable and liveable design of the city. Can the concept of a Smart City be a tool to making cities more liveable and sustainable? To find out, we chose a biographical method to analyse the steps towards a successful Smart City and to better understand the structures behind it. We combine the innovation biography method with a process model from sustainability governance research, namely Steurer's sustainability governance model and apply them to Vienna's Smart City, especially the preparation of the Vienna Smart City framework strategy (Steurer & Trattnigg, 2010). On the one hand, this article shows that a transfer of the innovation biography method to urban research can generate deeper insights on urban development processes in general. On the other hand, the approach chosen can show that Vienna integrates the sustainable urban design into the process of Smart City design. So the smart and sustainable city design, often called for in theoretical contributions, is practised in Vienna. Due to its reconstructive character, the biographical method has revealed that it is possible to govern sustainability by using Smart City as an umbrella strategy, as long as one manages it in an integrated and holistic way, recognises trends and is able to acquire and use research funds effectively and efficiently.
The knowledge gained from the new method for urban and Smart City research is twofold. Firstly, the transfer of the method previously developed in the human sciences and subsequently for organisations, institutions and products and services also works in urban research. Second, the innovation biography provides in-depth insights into the process towards the Smart City and the stakeholders involved. The use of the biographical method highlights the relevance of good governance in terms of interdisciplinary cooperation on the one hand and high political commitment on the other through the micro-level perspective and is also sensitive enough to highlight the importance of an appropriate narrative in and for the process towards the Smart City.
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.
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.
Green hydrogen will play a key role in building a climate-neutral energy-intensive industry, as key technologies for defossilising the production of steel and basic chemicals depend on it. Thus, policy-making needs to support the creation of a market for green hydrogen and its use in industry. However, it is unclear how appropriate policies should be designed, and a number of challenges need to be addressed. Based on an analysis of the ongoing German debate on hydrogen policies, this paper analyses how policy-making for green hydrogen development may support industry defossilisation. For the assessment of policy instruments, a simplified multi-criteria analysis (MCA) is used with an innovative approach that derives criteria from specific challenges. Four challenges and seven relevant policy instruments are identified. The results of the MCA reveal the potential of each of the selected instruments to address the challenges. The paper furthermore outlines how instruments might be combined in a policy package that supports industry defossilisation, creates synergies and avoids trade-offs. The paper's impact may reach beyond the German case, as the challenges are not specific to the country. The results are relevant for policy-makers in other countries with energy-intensive industries aiming to set the course towards a hydrogen future.
Wie gestalten wir Wohlstand zukunftsfähig - obwohl es immer weniger Erwerbsarbeit für alle gibt? Wie müssen Wettbewerb und Kooperation zusammenwirken? Wie verbessern wir die Balance zwischen den Marktgütern und den marktfreien Gütern, die heute so stark gefährdet erscheint?
Marktfreie Güter wie menschliche Zuwendung, selbstbestimmte Lebensführung, gesellschaftliche Integration und soziale Verantwortlichkeit sind nicht zu kaufen. Sie werden in Familie und Gruppe, in Nachbarschaft und bürgerschaftlichem Engagement hervorgebracht. Und sie sind nötiger denn je - zumal in den städtischen Räumen. Ausgehend von empirischen Untersuchungen, zeichnen die Autoren die Ansätze und Perspektiven einer Tätigkeitsgesellschaft, in der sich Erwerbs- und Subsistenzwirtschaft produktiv ergänzen.
Sustainable supply chains : global cooperative regional economies for prosperity and resilience
(2021)
Two thirds of today's world trade is based on global value chains and supply networks. Purely regional supply chains have become less important in recent decades. The effects of these globalised structures are manifold. On the one hand, they promote employment and generate prosperity. On the other hand, they are beset by extreme social, ecological and economic imbalances.
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the fragility of existing supply chain systems. The lockdown continues to disrupt complex supply chains and many problems of existing production and consumption continue to worsen. COVID-19 is one example of the crises that can shake globally networked supply chains in the short term. Other crises, such as climate change, develop more insidiously and are less immediately recognisable. Different as they are, such crises have one thing in common: they highlight the vulnerability of global social and economic structures and illustrate the impact of global trade on the regions and people of the world.
This is precisely where global sustainability strategy comes in - it aims to fundamentally reduce differences and inequalities in opportunities and quality of life. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the entire world into upheaval, creating an opportunity to make sustainability a central political resilience strategy.
In the wake of the Corona pandemic, the discussion about resilient communities has flared up. In order to guarantee supply in the face of such crises, these should be more strongly regional and circular in their economic approach and global and sustainable in their perspective. The aim should be sustainable, transparent, non-exploitative supply chains that guarantee the security of supply to cover basic needs and public services despite sudden changes and crises.
This discussion paper draws a future scenario of globally cooperative, circular regional economies that fundamentally reduce global inequalities in opportunities and quality of life, while at the same time permanently preserving the natural foundations of life.
Ambition coefficients : aligning baselines for international carbon markets with net zero pathways
(2021)
Zukunftslabore, Küchen und Stadträume : wenn sich Kunst und (Nachhaltigkeits-)Wissenschaft begegnen
(2021)
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.
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.
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.
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.