The 10 most recently published documents
The Transport Decarbonisation Index (TDI) is a novel indicator-based diagnostic toolkit designed to help low- and middle-income countries benchmark their surface transport systems' readiness for sustainability and decarbonisation. The TDI employs 30 indicators, classified into eight dimensions covering sustainable, low-carbon transport. The dimensions were identified using a four-phase approach. Through pilot testing in 12 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the TDI benchmarks transport performance, enabling policymakers to prioritise actions to reduce emissions and enhance transport sustainability. While the pilot countries scored relatively well based on the defined ranges and thresholds on indicators such as per capita transport greenhouse gas emissions and finance, they performed less well on public transport availability and electrification. The pilot phase revealed significant gaps for African countries in freight transport activity data and highlighted the need for improved data collection. Additionally, several metrics, including equity and informal transport, were not readily available. The TDI can be a valuable tool for benchmarking performance and informing policy decisions by offering a nuanced understanding of key transport dimensions and policy options. Although the TDI provides insights for policymaking, it is not a standalone solution and requires further analysis and stakeholder engagement for effective implementation.
At the end of February 2025, the EU Commission published the Clean Industrial Deal (CID). The paper describes how the decarbonization of European industry, the strengthening of competitiveness and innovation and the improvement of security of supply can be achieved together. To this end, the CID outlines a series of planned legislative initiatives and thus sets the guidelines for European industrial policy in the coming years. In an initial assessment, 14 researchers from the Wuppertal Institute analyze what the CID means for European - and thus indirectly for German - industrial policy.
Ende Februar 2025 hat die EU-Kommission den Clean Industrial Deal (CID) veröffentlicht. Das Papier beschreibt, wie die Dekarbonisierung der europäischen Industrie, die Stärkung der Wettbewerbs- und Innovationsfähigkeit sowie die Verbesserung der Versorgungssicherheit gemeinsam gelingen können. Dazu skizziert der CID eine Reihe geplanter Gesetzesinitiativen und setzt so die Leitlinien für die europäische Industriepolitik der nächsten Jahre. Was der CID für die europäische - und damit indirekt auch die deutsche - Industriepolitik bedeutet, analysieren 14 Forschende des Wuppertal Instituts in einer ersten Bewertung.
Die deutsche Wirtschaft steckt in einer Krise, gleichzeitig verschärft sich die globale Klimakrise. Damit sich die deutsche Industrie zukunftsfähig aufstellen kann, muss ihre Wettbewerbsfähigkeit gestärkt werden. Dies geht einher mit der Chance, international eine Vorreiterstellung im Bereich der klimaneutralen Zukunftstechnologien einzunehmen. Dafür haben das Wuppertal Institut und die Universität Kassel im Rahmen der Agora-Studie "Klimaneutrales Deutschland - Von der Zielsetzung zur Umsetzung" einen Zielpfad für die Transformation des Industriesektors erarbeitet. Die vorliegende Vertiefung der Szenariopfade zeichnet Wege, wie die deutsche Industrie das Klimaschutzziel für 2030 erreichen kann und gleichzeitig Kurs auf eine klimapositive Produktion bis 2045 nimmt.
Gender imbalance in the transport sector is a growing concern. Worldwide, women are significantly underrepresented among transport decision-makers, planners, and workers. Gender diversity is notably lacking in popular transport in the global South, where minibuses and two- and three-wheelers are almost exclusively operated by men. Popular transport therefore often fails to reflect and represent the needs of women, and their exclusion from transport professions limits their full participation in social and economic development. Hence, using the case of motorcycle taxi driving in Kigali, Rwanda, this research aims to address the gender gap in popular transport provision. We conducted an online survey targeting the female population of Kigali (N = 306). Guided by the theory of planned behavior and social norm theory, our analysis utilizes structural equation modeling to measure the extent to which women intend to become motorcycle taxi drivers and identify contributing factors. Our results show that 47.7 % of respondents are interested in this profession. This interest is primarily driven by individual factors such as attitudes and perceived behavioral control, rather than external influences and subjective norms. However, structural barriers such as safety and security concerns, domestic and familial responsibilities, and limited access to financial resources persist. It is imperative to reshape narratives and perceptions of popular transport professions within media and policy frameworks, if gender equality and women's participation in this sector are to be enhanced. Additionally, facilitating access for women to driving training programs and vehicle loans can empower them to overcome barriers and facilitate entry and advancement of women in the industry.
Given the urgent need to promote climate-friendly behaviours, the implementation of carbon footprint calculators with actionable recommendations is increasing. This study analysed data from >7000 users of a Japanese carbon footprint calculator to investigate the characteristics and factors affecting voluntary commitment to decarbonisation actions and the gaps in achieving the 1.5-degree mitigation target. The results showed voluntarily committed actions were insufficient to meet the 2030 personal carbon footprint target, with only 31 %, 18 %, and 7.3 % of users potentially achieving targets in the domains of housing, mobility, and goods/services, respectively. The seven user segments that were identified exhibited very different levels of engagement. For example, "lifestyle change enthusiasts" committed to as many as 25 actions, corresponding to an equivalent of 2.8 tCO2e of footprint reduction, while "curious bystanders" rarely committed to any actions. Demographically, younger and male users tended to prioritise high-impact actions, whereas female users and users aged 50–60 years old were more likely to commit to a range of actions. Notably, actions requiring substantial financial investment had an 8 % lower commitment probability, and "shift" actions were 6 % less preferred than "avoid" actions". These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the considerable gap between self-committed actions and mitigation targets, and suggest that more effective use of footprint information could facilitate greater engagement. Tailored strategies could better motivate the "curious bystanders" segment and encourage female and older users to focus on high-impact actions.
Die Zukunft braucht einen mutigen Kurswechsel - weniger Ressourcenverbrauch und weniger Ungleichheit. Der Schlüssel hierzu lautet: soziale Gerechtigkeit und ökologische Nachhaltigkeit verbinden!
Dieses Buch stellt revolutionäre Ansätze vor: Städte, die Parkplätze in bürgerfreundliche Oasen verwandeln, Wohnungen, die clever geteilt statt neu gebaut werden, und Mobilität, die allen zugutekommt - ohne Blechlawinen und CO₂-Schleudern. Pointiert wird aufgezeigt, wie eine gerechte und nachhaltige Gesellschaft Realität werden kann - wenn wir den Mut haben, neu zu denken und gemeinsam zu handeln.
Eine Einladung, aktiv eine lebenswerte Welt mitzugestalten, und ein Aufruf zu einer neuen Politik, die Effizienz, Konsistenz und Suffizienz vereint - für mehr Klimaschutz und die Einhaltung planetarer Grenzen.
Providing a knowledge base for decarbonizing the Kazakh metals industries (DeKaMe) : final report
(2025)
Kazakhstan is one of the world's largest producers of metals such as uranium, iron, steel, copper, zinc and aluminium. This makes metallurgy, in particular the iron and steel industry, one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases (GHG) in Kazakhstan's industrial sector. Kazakhstan has set itself the goal of achieving a climate-neutral economy by 2060. The country’s strategy for achieving climate neutrality includes the transformation of the Kazakh steel and aluminium industries to almost GHG neutral production.
Against this background, the overarching objective of the DeKaMe project was to provide a knowledge base on which Kazakh policymakers and stakeholders can draw to define technological pathways towards a deep decarbonisation of steel and aluminium industries in Kazakhstan and for the design of supporting policy instruments.
The project team identified and described technological options for decarbonising the iron and steel industry as well as the aluminium industry and summarised their advantages and disadvantages in the Kazakh context. In order to provide the Kazakh authorities with a broad portfolio of policy options, the researchers also identified and described policy instruments for decarbonising the steel and aluminium industries, including best-practice examples and international activities on green lead markets. To collect data and validate the findings, stakeholder interviews were conducted. The project results were presented in a webinar to Kazakh stakeholders.
