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At the time of the Rio Conference, it had already become clear that climate change is far from being just an ecological issue; it is also an issue of equity. In particular, climate change was identified as an issue of intergenerational equity. It became ominously clear to observers that global warming, since it modifies important parameters of the ecology of the planet, such as sea levels or weather patterns, will affect the relations between present and future generations. Today's generation, by filling up the absorptive capacity of the atmosphere, lives at the expense of tomorrow's generation. At the same time, it came to the fore that the use of fossil fuels not only affects inter-generational equity, but also intra-generational equity, i.e., the relations between nations and social groups within a generation. Who will be allowed to reap the benefits from fossil fuel combustion? Who will have to carry the burden of emission abatement? Equity within a generation has at least two dimensions (Wuppertal Institute, 2005). First, it implies the fair distribution of burdens and benefits of fossil fuel use among nations. Secondly, however, it also implies the universal protection of human dignity by securing the fundamental rights of every human person to water, food, housing, and health. The article will focus on the latter dimension; it will explore the links between human rights and climate change, without, however, losing sight of the broader framework of equity in climate politics.
Der Verkehrssektor ist keineswegs der einzige, jedoch ein wesentlicher Verursacher der Klimaprobleme. Der Automobilverkehr als traditioneller Hauptbelaster im Verkehrsbereich zeigt zwar vergleichsweise positive Tendenzen, trotzdem ist auch hier noch erheblicher weiterer Handlungsbedarf gegeben. Das Wuppertal Institut hat hier in übersichtlicher und systematischer Form Stand und Perspektiven zusammengetragen. Nach einer ausführlichen Einbettung in den Klimadiskurs erfolgt die schrittweise Konzentration auf den PKW-Verkehr Deutschlands. Für diesen Bereich werden im Detail die denkbaren technischen Ansätze und die möglichen Umsetzungsmaßnahmen erörtert.
In 2005 two very important milestones of international climate policy were reached: The entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol and the installation of a European wide emissions trading system. In Germany, the publication of the fifth report of the inter-ministerial working group on climate policy was published with an evaluation of climate protection policies. In 2004 the Japanese climate protection policy was fully revised so that Japan will also bring forth important developments in this area. The traditional close cooperation in this area between Japan and Germany, must now result in more concrete projects to keep this dynamic going well into the future. There is much potential to achieve a lot.
Within the unique framework of the Germany in Japan Year 2005-2006, the German Ministry for the Environment, the Ministry for Innovation of Northrhine-Westfalia, together with the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (Japan) and the Wuppertal Institute (Germany) put together a two day event in Tokyo comprising an experts workshop and a one day conference.
At the conference, experts and practitioners of the German government, the states, the private sector and environmental organisations from Germany and Europe presented the decisive factors for success as well as the difficulties encountered namely in introducing an eco-tax and the Emissions Trading Scheme. Japanese experts and practitioners reported on Japanese approaches and reviewed the German/European experiences in light of the Japanese situation. At the expert workshop, researchers and decision makers discussed the experiences with policy dialogues and stakeholder involvement. They assessed the transferability of German/European experiences into the Japanese context and the broader inclusion of civil society into the governmental decision making process, that is so say, the opportunities in co-operating with politics, private sector and environmental organisations. This report documents the events and highlights the most outstanding conclusions and ideas for further cooperation in the future.
The role of hydrogen in long run sustainable energy scenarios for the world and for the case of Germany is analysed, based on key criteria for sustainable energy systems. The possible range of hydrogen within long-term energy scenarios is broad and uncertain depending on assumptions on used primary energy, technology mix, rate of energy efficiency increase and costs degression ("learning effects"). In any case, sustainable energy strategies must give energy efficiency highest priority combined with an accelerated market introduction of renewables ("integrated strategy"). Under these conditions hydrogen will play a major role not before 2030 using natural gas as a bridge to renewable hydrogen. Against the background of an ambitious CO2-reduction goal which is under discussion in Germany the potentials for efficiency increase, the necessary structural change of the power plant system (corresponding to the decision to phase out nuclear energy, the transformation of the transportation sector and the market implementation order of renewable energies ("following efficiency guidelines first for electricity generation purposes, than for heat generation and than for the transportation sector")) are analysed based on latest sustainable energy scenarios.
Was wird dann aus der Wirtschaft? : Über Suffizienz, Wirtschaftswachstum und Arbeitslosigkeit
(2006)
In einer Situation, in der das Wirtschaftswachstum als eine der wichtigsten Aufgaben dieser Gesellschaft gilt und als eines der entscheidenden Mittel zur Minderung der Arbeitslosigkeit angesehen wird, gerät Suffizienz, die sich für eine maßvolle Nutzung der Ressourcen und ein anderes Verständnis von Wohlstand einsetzt, leicht in den Ruf ökonomischer und sozialer Unverträglichkeit. Dieser Verdacht ist unberechtigt. Einmal ist in entwickelten Industriegesellschaften nur noch mit einem bescheidenen Wirtschaftswachstum zu rechnen, das kaum neue Arbeit schaffen wird. Dann wird zu zeigen sein, dass ein an Suffizienz orientiertes Wirtschaften nicht nur Ressourcen schont sondern auch neue Erwerbsarbeit ermöglicht. Hohe Arbeitslosigkeit lässt sich darüber hinaus auch durch kluge Sozial- und Arbeitsmarktpolitik vermindern. Zu überwinden ist sie nur, wenn die Erwerbsarbeit geteilt wird.