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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.
The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a concept of a policy instrument particularly pushed by policy circles to contribute to a circular economy. The preliminary design of the DPP is supposed to have product-related information compiled mainly by manufactures and, thus, to provide the basis for more circular products. Given the lack of scientific debate on the DPP, this study seeks to work out design options of the DPP and how these options might benefit stakeholders in a product's value chain. In so doing, we introduce the concept of the DPP and, then, describe the existing regime of regulated and voluntary product information tools focusing on the role of stakeholders. These initial results are reflected in an actor-centered analysis on potential advantages gained through the DPP. Data is generated through desk research and a stakeholder workshop. In particular, by having explored the role the DPP for different actors, we find substantial demand for further research on a variety of issues, for instance, on how to reduce red tape and increase incentives for manufacturers to deliver certain information and on how or through what data collection tool (e.g., database) relevant data can be compiled and how such data is provided to which stakeholder group. We call upon other researchers to close the research gaps explored in this paper also to provide better policy direction on the DPP.
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.
In order to calculate the financial return of energy efficiency measures, a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is a proven tool for investors. Generally, however, most CBAs for investors have a narrow focus, which is - simply speaking - on investment costs compared with energy cost savings over the life span of the investment. This only provides part of the full picture. Ideally, a comprehensive or extended CBA would take additional benefits as well as additional costs into account. The objective of this paper is to reflect upon integrating into a CBA two important cost components: transaction costs and energy efficiency services - and how they interact. Even though this concept has not been carried out to the knowledge of the authors, we even go a step further to try to apply this idea. In so doing, we carried out a meta-analysis on relevant literature and existing data and interviewed a limited number of energy experts with comprehensive experience in carrying out energy services. Even though data is hardly available, we succeeded in constructing three real-world cases and applied an extended CBA making use of information gathered on transaction costs and energy services costs. We were able to show that, despite these additional cost components, the energy efficiency measures are economically viable. Quantitative data was not available on how energy services reduce transaction costs; more information on this aspect could render our results even more positive. Even though empirical and conceptual research must intensify efforts to design an even more comprehensive CBA, these first-of-its-kind findings can counterargue those that believe energy efficiency is not worth it (in monetary terms) due to transaction costs or energy services costs. In fact, this is good news for energy efficiency and for those that seek to make use of our findings to argue in favor of taking up energy efficiency investments in businesses.
Durch den "European Green Deal" und den "Circular Economy Action Plan" der Europäischen Union (EU) hat die EU-Produktpolitik 2019 und 2020 neue Impulse erhalten. In beiden Strategiepapieren der Europäischen Kommission wird ein elektronischer bzw. digitaler Produktpass als wesentliches Instrument für eine klimaschonende und ressourceneffiziente Wirtschaft genannt. Dieser soll unter anderem Informationen über Herkunft, Zusammensetzung, Reparatur- und Demontagemöglichkeiten eines Produktes sowie über die Handhabung am Ende seiner Lebensdauer liefern.
Auch auf nationaler Ebene wird das Thema "digitaler Produktpass" diskutiert und insbesondere in der Umweltpolitischen Digitalagenda des Bundesumweltministeriums als zentrale Maßnahme genannt.
Auch wenn das Thema derzeit stärker in den Mittelpunkt rückt, ist ein breit anwendbarer digitaler Produktpass in der Praxis bislang nicht etabliert. Erste Teilansätze bestehen, die allerdings bislang oftmals nicht durch verpflichtende Standarddatensätze oder zentrale Datenbanken institutionalisiert sind. Entsprechend sind auf politischer Ebene auch noch keine konkreten und umfassenden Konzepte vorhanden, wie ein solcher umfassender Produktpass in Zukunft ausgestaltet und implementiert werden soll. An diesem Punkt setzt diese Kurzstudie an. Sie greift hierbei auch Erfahrungen aus bestehenden Projekten und Initiativen auf, bei denen bereits Erkenntnisse hinsichtlich der (Teil-)Umsetzung von unterschiedlichen Konzepten rund um das Thema Produktpass gewonnen werden konnten. Diese Kurzstudie hat entsprechend das Ziel, den aktuellen Diskussionsstand zum Thema "digitaler Produktpass" kompakt darzustellen und Handlungsoptionen für eine mögliche Umsetzung zu skizzieren. Dabei hat sie nicht den Anspruch und die Möglichkeit ein umfassendes Konzept zu erarbeiten, sondern soll erste Ansätze und Optionen vermitteln, um weitere Diskussionen und Forschungsansätze anzuregen. Insbesondere soll die Kurzstudie Impulse für anschließende Initiativen auf nationaler und europäischer Ebene liefern.