Buildings account for around 35 % of Germany's total final energy consumption. Residential buildings account for the largest share of buildings' energy consumption for heating, hot water, lighting, and cooling. From an energy and climate policy perspective, reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the building sector is of great importance. Economical and effective solutions contributing to the"Wärmewende", the transition to sustainable heating, can also contribute significantly to reducing energy imports.

The successful transition to sustainable heating, i.e., saving thermal energy and decarbonizing heat consumption, is highly relevant for achieving Germany's energy and climate policy goals. High savings effects for the energy raw materials natural gas and heating oil are seen not only in new buildings but above all in existing residential buildings. But what savings can be achieved with the various measures? Which investments are worthwhile for building owners? Which political decisions can support the implementation of the necessary investments?

The TAB report "Energy-saving effects in the building sector" presents concrete and practical principles and options for action. The TAB report is thus not only aimed at decision-makers in politics and housing companies but can also provide owners of multi-family and single-family houses with basic orientation.

Agriculture is a highly technical economic sector whose production processes are based on the use of natural resources and the keeping of animals. How the increasing demands for climate protection, sustainability and animal welfare can be reconciled with the task of food security is a highly virulent question that has also repeatedly occupied TAB. Digital innovations, which are supposed to enable highly precise, data-driven agricultural production, have raised hopes of being able to better balance this area of tension. As early as 2005, precision agriculture was the subject of a TAB study - the TAB reports and Policy Briefs no. 31 and no. 32 , which have just been published, provide an updated overview of the state of digitisation in agriculture and the associated social perspectives and challenges.

The digital applications used in livestock and crop production are extremely diverse, ranging from technical hardware such as GPS control, drones, robotics and sensors to smartphone apps and cloud-based farm management software. It is often said that agriculture is a digital pioneer, which may be true if the technology on offer alone is taken as the yardstick. But the extent to which innovative digital technology is actually already being used on farms is still unclear due to a lack of reliable surveys. A significant application hurdle for many farms is the relatively high investment costs, which, in conjunction with economies of scale, mean that the economic use of many digital processes can only be expected for larger farms. In view of the existing structural change in agriculture, an important political task is to ensure equitable access to these technologies. Another controversial issue is who should have access to agricultural data and be able to profit from its commercial use. Many farmers are concerned that the existing monopolization tendencies in the upstream and downstream stages of the value chain (and thus the dependencies of smaller farms) could be further strengthened.

The central promise of digitization is to be able to control agricultural production processes more efficiently, which in principle can lead to both environmental benefits and operational savings. However, the magnitude of these savings is not easy to determine, as local production conditions have a strong influence on the reduction effects that can be achieved in practice. An important framework condition is also the degree of networking of the individual technologies. The potential of digitization can ultimately only be exploited if agricultural production on farms is "intelligently" networked with upstream and downstream value creation processes (manufacturers of inputs such as seeds and pesticides, food retailers, etc.). However, this is based on prerequisites - such as broadband coverage, provision of open machine interfaces and free availability of geodata - that have not yet been fully realized and make Agriculture 4.0 still appear to be a vision of the future. Options for action such as improving the infrastructural framework conditions, ensuring the participation of smaller family farms and, in general, the data sovereignty of farmers or closing knowledge and research gaps are discussed in Working Report No. 194. The report concludes by stating that a forward-looking design for numerous questions is dependent on answers that point beyond agriculture and concern, for example, competition policy.

Since 1991, the DBU has funded more than 10,000 projects with € 1.84 billion. At the same time, the foundation capital (€ 1.28 billion at the beginning) was increased to around € 2.32 billion.

Funded projects should achieve sustainable effects in practice, give impulses and lead to a “multiplier effect”. It is the objective of the DBU to contribute to the solution of current environmental problems, in particular, which result from unsustainable business practices and lifestyles. The DBU sees the crucial challenges primarily in the areas of climate change, biodiversity loss, unsustainable use of natural resources, and harmful emissions. The funding topics are linked both to current scientific findings on the Planetary Boundaries and to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

The Board of Trustees

The DBU is chaired by the Board of Trustees whose members are appointed by the Federal Government. It is composed of federal and state politicians as well as representatives of other socially relevant groups.

With Dr. Peer Illner (Normative Orders, Goethe University) and Prof. Darrel Moellendorf (Normative Orders, Goethe University)

Welcome Address by: Prof. Rainer Forst (Normative Orders, Goethe University)

Organized by: Dr. Peer Illner (Author)

Many communities in the United States have been abandoned by the state. What happens when natural disasters add to their misery? This book looks at the broken relationship between the federal government and civil society in times of crises.

Mutual aid has gained renewed importance in providing relief when hurricanes, floods and pandemics hit, as cuts to state spending put significant strain on communities struggling to survive. Harking back to the self-organised welfare programmes of the Black Panther Party, radical social movements from Occupy to Black Lives Matter are building autonomous aid networks within and against the state. However, as the federal responsibility for relief is lifted, mutual aid faces a profound dilemma: do ordinary people become complicit in their own exploitation?

Reframing disaster relief through the lens of social reproduction, Peer Illner tracks the shifts in American emergency aid, from the economic crises of the 1970s to the COVID-19 pandemic, raising difficult questions about mutual aid’s double-edged role in cuts to social spending. As sea levels rise, climate change worsens and new pandemics sweep the globe, Illner’s analysis of the interrelations between the state, the market and grassroots initiatives will prove indispensable.

Fossil fuel companies have followed the example of other industries deflecting blame (think "guns don't kill people, people kill people") or greenwashing (think of the beverage industry's "Crying Indian" commercials of the 1970s). Meanwhile, they've blocked efforts to regulate or price carbon emissions, run PR campaigns aimed at discrediting viable alternatives, and have abdicated their responsibility in fixing the problem they've created. The result has been disastrous for our planet.

In The New Climate War, Mann argues that all is not lost. He draws the battle lines between the people and the polluters-fossil fuel companies, right-wing plutocrats, and petrostates. And he outlines a plan for forcing our governments and corporations to wake up and make real change, including:

• a common-sense, attainable approach to carbon pricing- and a revision of the well-intentioned but flawed currently proposed version of the Green New Deal;
• allowing renewable energy to compete fairly against fossil fuels
• debunking the false narratives and arguments that have worked their way into the climate debate and driven a wedge between even those who support climate change solutions
• combatting climate doomism and despair-mongering

Michael E. Mann is Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science at Penn State, with joint appointments in the Department of Geosciences and the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute. In 2020 he was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. He is the author of numerous books, including Dire Predictions, Climate Wars, and The Madhouse Effect.

Bill Nye, scientist, engineer, comedian, author, and inventor, is a man with a mission: to help foster a scientifically literate society, to help people everywhere understand and appreciate the science that makes our world work. Making science entertaining and accessible is something Bill has been doing most of his life.

The institutes’ mandate is the interdisciplinary investigation of all relevant aspects of modern marine sciences, from sea floor geology to marine meteorology. Research is conducted worldwide in all oceans and adjacent seas.

The institute has four major research divisions:

• Ocean Circulation and Climate Dynamics
• Marine Biogeochemistry
• Marine Ecology
• Dynamics of the Ocean Floor.

GEOMAR cooperates closely with the University of Kiel in the education of future marine scientists. Curricula include “Physics of the Earth System: Meteorology – Oceanography – Geophysics” for the Bachelor’s degree and internationally oriented Master’s courses such as “Climate Physics: Meteorology and Physical Oceanography” and “Biological Oceanography.” The institute also provides additional contributions to other curricula, such as Geology and Geophysics. GEOMAR also has cooperative programmes with other universities around the world, and special programmes for pupils and teachers aim to stimulate interest in the marine sciences at an early stage.

In addition, the institute operates three research vessels, state-of-the-art equipment such as the manned submersible JAGO, the deep-sea robots ROV KIEL6000, PHOCA and ABYSS as well as several major laboratories, access to high-performance computing facilities and an attractive public aquarium.

Since end of 2017, GEOMAR operates a science and logistic station on the Cap Verdean Islands, the Ocean Science Centre Mindelo.

GEOMAR is among the three leading institutions in the field of marine sciences in Europe. Jointly with the National Oceanography Centre in the United Kingdom and Ifremer in France, GEOMAR has established the “G3 group” of national marine research centres. 

GEOMAR cooperates with a number of small companies active in marine technology and science, some of which were founded by former staff members of the institute. 

In addition, GEOMAR is active in a number of national and international committees and strategic alliances such as the German Alliance for Marine Research (DAM), the German Marine Research Consortium (KDM), the German Climate Consortium (DKK), the European Marine Board and the Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans (POGO).

• AWI: Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
• DLR: German Aerospace Center
• FZJ: Forschungszentrum Jülich
• GEOMAR: GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
• GFZ: Helmholtz Centre Potsdam – German Research Centre for Geosciences
• HZG: Helmholtz Centre Geesthacht, Centre for Materials and Coastal Research
• KIT: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
• UFZ: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research

The platform is coordinated at Helmholtz Centre Potsdam – German Research Centre for Geosciences.

The eskp.de website vividly conveys knowledge on the central topics of natural hazards, climate change, pollutants and the effects of the energy turnaround on the environment in the form of scientific articles, interviews, video clips, science GIFs, information graphics and more.

ESKP processes research findings for society. The range of expertise in the Research Area Earth and Environment allows complex topics to be examined from different perspectives and to be presented as a whole, in particular via the format of the “Themenspezial” (currently only in German). The contributions also point out open questions as an impulse back into the science community and provide action options. The aim is to improve the basis for decision-making in politics and society.

The network was established in 2006 by an international group of parliamentarians under the direction of the then-member of the German Parliament Hans-Josef Fell with the idea that zero-emission technologies and especially the field of renewable energy needed much more political advocacy in order to withstand the political influence of the conventional energy sector.

Until today, policies are often shaped by international organizations and governments heavily influenced by the conventional energy industry that profits from the status quo. The powerful fossil and nuclear industry often use science as a tool to serve their own interests, leading to an intentional underestimation of the growth potential of renewable energy and its manifold opportunities for mankind.

As an independent think-and-do-tank, we are committed to change the status quo and open new perspectives, giving a voice to objective science. We are dedicated to change political action towards 100% renewable energy and climate protection.

* The EWG is a project of the Global Eco Transition gGmbH.

This statement, coming from a man who is not exactly known for his altruism and concern for the environment, might only have anecdotal value. But even anecdotes can be indicators. Cramer, after all, is not alone: At almost exactly the same time as Cramer was making his comments, Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, wrote an open letter to the CEOs of the companies in which BlackRock invests – and that’s almost every listed company. In the letter, Fink talks of no less than “a fundamental reshaping of finance.” He says that because climate risks are investment risks, there is a need for transparency for shareholders on sustainability-related issues, and all investments must become more sustainable in general (Fink, 2020).

Like lawyers, medical practitioners or pharmacists, architects belong to the group of liberal professions, whose occupational titles are protected by law. Only those professionals registered with the chamber of architects in his or her federal state are allowed to call themselves architect, landscape architect, interior architect or urban planner. Even though the admission rules vary slightly between the individual federal states, the chamber system guarantees that all professionals maintain a high level of professional training. This safeguards the quality of architectural and planning services in Germany so esteemed also abroad.

Amongst other things, the professional policy activities of the BAK focuses on professional training, competition and public procurement law, yet include also questions of standardisation and the development of the "Honorarordnung für Architekten und Ingenieure" (HOAI - German Fee Scales for Architects and Engineers). The HOAI constitutes a well-proven, transparent and reliable negotiation basis for fees for all those involved. It ensures that competition in planning services is based on quality and not on price, so that architects can work for the benefit of the awarding authorities and individuals, the users and the public.

The "Deutsche Architektenblatt" is the monthly member magazine of the BAK and the Federal State Chambers of Architects. It distinguished itself as a magazine with which architects can identify as regards their work in general, their questions, professional challenges and successes.

In detail, the team of authors examined the regulation scenario "REG", the carbon pricing scenario "CPRICE" and the mixed scenario "MIX". Evaluation criteria were short-term feasibility and long-term goal achievement. As a result, the two dozen or so experts recommended that the European Union should consistently use carbon pricing as the core instrument of climate policy. According to the paper, the ambitious climate goal will be missed if policymakers choose the path of least resistance.

At first glance, the familiar mix of instruments seems to be the easiest path to take, but in the long run it may involve risks. It will only work if the instruments and enforcement mechanisms are well coordinated. Otherwise, measures can hinder each other and will not have the desired effects. According to the Ariadne report, it is better to align the instruments and measures with the carbon price, and at the same time organise a continuous adaptation process.

The Ariadne energy transition project guides through a joint learning process with politics, business, and society. It also researches options for energy transition, and provides political decision-makers with important orientation knowledge.

Further information:

The Ariadne press release on the new Ariadne Dossier can be found here (English). The Ariadne Dossier itself (in German) can be found here.

The warning signs are clear: Business as usual will not work. The rising gap between the wealthiest and poorest parts of society is made worse by a lot of the rent-seeking activities of the financial sector. It is also contributing to the increasingly present and worsening effects of climate change on the environment by supporting the brown economy, as brown projects are more profitable. This will not change whilst fossil fuel subsidies and a very low carbon price continue to exist. We are sleepwalking into future financial crises and environmental collapse. The financial firms that operate the system have not been held to account for the last crisis and are not being held to account for the current issues in the system. This has to change immediately if the system is going to change.

This climate protection strategy revolves around the transition of the entire transport system from fossil fuels to electricity and fuel generated by renewable energy. The transformation of the transport sector includes increasing the efficiency of the entire traffic system by avoiding unnecessary traffic, transitioning to environmentally friendly modes of transport and improving individual modes of transport. The environmentally friendly development of urban traffic is a key component of the necessary revolution.

The transformation of our transport system is a complex challenge facing all of society. It can only be done by the key societal players working together. Agora Verkehrswende provides the platform for this collaboration, develops processes and provides scientific information on scenarios and methods. Agora Verkehrswende focuses on the land-based transport of passengers and goods in Germany in a European context.

Our clients predominantly comprise building companies, mechanical engineering firms, plant manufacturers, contractors, developers, architects, planners and licensing authorities, as well as private and public-sector institutions engaged in construction research. The application of building science expertise to related areas of specialization has expanded our circle of partners to include companies from the automotive and aviation industries. We carry out complex building physics studies at our efficient and well-equipped laboratories and test centers and at our outdoor testing site in Holzkirchen, which to the best of our knowledge is the largest facility of its kind. Modern laboratory measuring techniques and computational methods help researchers develop and optimize building products for practical applications. We also carry out experiments in environmental test chambers, simulation facilities and existing buildings to assess components and overall systems for new buildings and renovation projects based on the principles of building physics.

The Fraunhofer IBP has been approved by the German building inspection authorities as a testing, monitoring and certification center for building materials and building techniques in Germany and the rest of Europe. Four of the institute’s test laboratories have been granted flexible accreditation by the German accreditation body Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle GmbH (DAkkS) in accordance with DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025. This entitles them to develop new test methods and to modify existing methods.

ICAP facilitates cooperation between countries, sub-national jurisdictions and supranational institutions that have established or are actively pursuing carbon markets through mandatory cap and trade systems. 

Founded in 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal, by leaders of more than 15 governments, ICAP provides the opportunity for member jurisdictions to share best practices and discuss ETS design elements with a view to creating a well-functioning global carbon market through linking ETS.

The work of ICAP focuses on the three pillars of technical dialogue, ETS knowledge sharing and capacity building activities.

Join ITIF for a presentation of a new report on gene-edited solutions for climate change and a panel discussion on the implications of these technologies.

Speakers 

David M. Hart

Senior Fellow, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, Moderator

Val Giddings

Senior Fellow, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, Presenter

Robert Rozansky

Former Senior Policy Analyst, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, Presenter

Pamela Ronald

Professor, Dept. of Plant Pathology and the Genome Center, UC Davis, Panelist

Scott Knight

Head of Genome Editing and Yield, Disease & Quality Research, Bayer Crop Science, Panelist

The lowest CO2 emissions are produced when HD video is streamed at home over a fibre optic connection, with only two grams of CO2 per hour of video streaming for the data centre and data transmission. A copper cable (VDSL) generates four grams per hour. UMTS data transmission (3G), however, produces 90 grams of CO2 per hour. If the transmission technology used to transmit data is 5G instead, only about five grams of CO2 are emitted per hour. The electricity used by the end device is not factored into this calculation.

The COVID-19 pandemic has only reinforced the urgency of the strategy. EU Heads of States have agreed that the European Green Deal is one foundation of the post-COVID-19 economic recovery. Despite the recession, the European Commission under the leadership of Ursula von der Leyen will present a comprehensive plan to increase the EU's climate target to at least 50 per cent and as much as 55 per cent by 2030. This will inevitably require a faster lignite phase-out than previously planned because of all the fossil fuels lignite is the most CO2-intensive. In this light, Agora Energiewende and Forum Energii have jointly commissioned a study to Aurora Energy Research to look at the effects of the withdrawal from lignite in Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany in parallel by assessing the consequences for the power sector and answering the following questions: - How will security of supply be ensured after lignite power is shut down? - Who will be an importer and who will be an exporter of electricity in the region? How will electricity flows change? - How will CO2 emissions change? - What will be the costs of eliminating coal from the energy mix and how will it affect wholesale energy prices? On 3 September we will focus on the key results with regards to the Czech Republic digging deeper into the question, which challenges arise from phasing out lignite in the Czech power sector. The virtual event targets experts working on the Czech power sector. It will be held in English and includes a Q & A session.

The day the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published its 1.5-degree report, commissioned by the UN, was also the day William Nordhaus was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics “for integrating climate change into long-run macroeconomic analysis” as embodied in his influential Dynamic Integrated Climate-Economy (DICE) model. The UN Paris Agreement called to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees to contain climate risks. Nordhaus’s numbers point to 3.5 degrees as the economically optimal warming by the year 2100. Now a new study published in Nature Climate Change has produced an update to the DICE model that can help to reconcile the camps.

This series of online events offers an opportunity for Parties and other stakeholders to continue exchanging views and sharing information in order to maintain momentum in the UNFCCC process and to showcase how climate action is progressing under the special circumstances the world is currently facing.

This will include advancing technical work under the constituted bodies, as well as providing a platform for information exchange and engagement on other work being done under the UNFCCC, including on adaptation, mitigation, science, finance, technology, capacity-building, transparency, gender, Action on Climate Empowerment, and the preparation and submission of nationally determined contributions. Formal negotiations and decision-making are not envisaged for these events; they will take place at the SB sessions in October of this year.

On the occasion of this year’s 20th anniversary of the German Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), the Berlin-based Think-and-Do Tank Energy Watch Group (EWG) presents a legislative proposal to stimulate the system integration of renewable energy. The underlying purpose of the policy proposal is to allow renewable energy sources to finally assume responsibility for the system security of the power supply – i.e. to cover the required energy demand at every hour of the year. With a so-called combined power plant tariff, the instrument intends to stimulate investments for full demand coverage by 100% renewable energy. Based on own techno-economic cost estimates and a legal examination of EU regulations, the EWG proposes a fixed-feed-in-tariff of 8 cents/kWh, supported by a sliding market premium.

While renewables keep setting records in terms of their shares of national electricity mixes – Germany has recently hit the 50% mark –, a full transformation to an entirely renewable-based energy system is not yet widely regarded to be a tangible reality. One of the main reasons is the prevailing mistrust of the ability of renewables to provide year-round supply. Many scientific studies have already shown that a complete conversion to renewables is not only critical for reasons of climate protection, but also that it is technologically feasible (in combination with storage technologies and digital control technology) at any hour of the year and at cost-effective prices. What is still missing, however, is a legal basis to enable the market penetration of reliable and adequate 100% renewable energy systems.

This blog post draws on data and research discussed in our entries on Environmental impacts of food production and CO₂ and Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

What is the best way to reduce the carbon footprint of our diet?

I have shown previously that what we choose to eat has the largest impact, making a bigger difference than how far our food has traveled, or how much packaging it’s wrapped in. This is because only a small fraction comes from transport and packaging and most of our food emissions come from processes on the farm, or from land use change.

Regardless of whether you compare the footprint of foods in terms of their weight (e.g. one kilogram of cheese versus one kilogram of peas); protein content ; or calories, the overall conclusion is the same: plant-based foods tend to have a lower carbon footprint than meat and dairy. In many cases a much smaller footprint.

As an example: producing 100 grams of protein from peas emits just 0.4 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂eq). To get the same amount of protein from beef, emissions would be nearly 90 times higher, at 35 kgCO₂eq.

Speakers:

Luca Lo Re (IEA),

Hugh Salway (BEIS, UK),

Yongsik Choi (Korea),

Marta Martinez (Iberdrola),

Ana Quelhas (EDP).

Moderated by William Acworth (ICAP Secretariat).

SPEAKERS

Florian Bieberbach is the Chief Executive Officer of Stadtwerke München. Bieberbach is president of CEDEC, the European Association of Local Energy Companies, and vice president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Munich and Upper Bavaria. At TUM School of Management he serves as an honorary professor for energy markets and he is chairman of Forschungsstelle für Energiewirtschaft e.V., an energy research institution.

Juliet Davenport is founder and Chief Executive Officer of Good Energy – a renewable energy company with a mission to power a greener, cleaner future together with its customers. Davenport has been an innovator for over 20 years, working on ideas to fight climate change and transform the energy sector for the better. In 2013, she was awarded an OBE for services to renewables.

Rasita Chudasama is the Principal Transport Planner for Nottingham City Council and is heading up the city’s ambitious £6.1million Go Ultra Low City programme. She previously developed Nottingham’s transport policy and more recently delivered the £16m Local Sustainable Transport Fund programme aimed at promoting more walking, cycling and public transport use.

Keith Townsend is the Corporate Director of Environment and Regeneration at Islington Council. He currently acts as chief technical advisor to the West London Waste Authority and is a Commissioner for the Mayor of London’s Green Spaces Commission.

Proponents of clean energy alternatives struggle to present convincing narratives on the coal-to-clean energy transition in national debates in the region. Power market reforms are introduced at a slow pace and regional integration and cooperation remains a serious challenge. As a result, RES deployment remains far below the economically viable potential. This conference aims to look at some of the burning questions surrounding the ongoing reforms in the energy sector in Europe, assessing the status quo and discussing options and requirements for finally moving towards a decarbonised energy future. It shall support a fact-based dialogue on the energy transition in Southeast Europe and create a space for making inclusive alliances comprised of governments, EU institutions, utilities, think-tanks, NGOs and citizens.

In Reinventing Prosperity, Graeme Maxton and Jorgen Randers take a radically different approach and offer thirteen politically feasible proposals to improve our world. From shortening the work year and raising the retirement age to boosting welfare and redefining what we mean by work, the authors’ suggestions challenge many long-standing economic ideas and explain how it is possible to reduce unemployment, inequality, and the pace of climate change—and still have economic growth, if society wishes.

“Do you want a cogent and accessible explanation of why our paramount policy goal of GDP growth is increasing unemployment, inequality, and environmental destruction—while reducing welfare? Then read this informative book for both answers and better policies!” Herman Daly, Emeritus Professor, University of Maryland

“The problems society faces to achieve a sustainable and desirable future are well known, but solutions seem impossible. Maxton and Randers describe thirteen politically feasible proposals that can actually solve these problems.” Prof. Robert Costanza, VC’s Chair in Public Policy, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University

“This book has the power to induce policy changes that are imperative for the creation of an equitable, peaceful and sustainable future for human society.” Rajendra K. Pachauri, past-chair, International Panel of Climate Change (IPCC); executive vice chairman, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)

With reference to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the Planetary Boundaries it introduces the theory and practice of Collective Stewardship as a management tool that respects the integrity of human and natural systems. Drawing on the work of transdisciplinary scientific scholars and seasoned sustainability practitioners, it shows how transformative change can be built on life’s inherent tendency to generate patterns of vitality and resilience. This ground-breaking monograph shows workable pathways to stewarding patterns of aliveness in social and ecological systems at all levels of the global society. As a highly regarded author and expert in collective leadership, Petra Kuenkel inspires academics and practitioners alike to explore new routes towards co-creating responsible futures in the era of the Anthropocene, where the human footprint has begun to change the course of planetary evolution. She invites decision-makers, researchers, planners and social activists to become stewards of systems patterns, enhance their collaborative competencies and guide life-enhancing socio-ecological interaction at scale.

The conceptual architecture the author elaborates builds on transformation literacy and boils it down to a practical guidance for planning and implementing interventions across all sectors of society. It helps bring about change through a deliberate combination of enlivening narratives, empowering metrics, enabling processes, multi-level governance, guiding regulations, and life-supporting innovation.

To discuss the report and its findings during the event, Claude Turmes, Minister for Energy & Spatial Planning, Luxemburg, and Patrick Graichen, Executive Director of Agora Energiewende, were joined by a prestigious line-up of leading EU decision-makers: Sami Andoura (EU Commission), Aurélie Beauvais (SolarPower Europe), Eva Chamizo Llatas (Iberdrola), Giles Dickson (WindEurope), Fiona Hall (eceee), Susanne Nies (ENTSO-E), William Todts (Transport&Environment), Robert van der Meer (HeidelbergCement), Paul Voss (Euroheat&Power), and James Watson (Eurogas).

The recent IPCC report emphasises that climate-related risks are significantly more dangerous to human life and to the systems that sustain us at 2^oC warming compared with 1.5^oC. Yet global action is lagging, stymied by political meandering. To avoid the worst outcomes, global carbon emissions must be cut by half by 2030 and to zero by 2050 – an unprecedented task which requires bold and compelling action. The Club of Rome – Climate Emergency Plan proposes ten action points to achieve the goal set by the historic Paris Agreement, aligned with science and economic pragmatism, to limit temperature increase to 1.5^oC.

To avoid further collapse of environmental, political and socio-economic systems, urgent leadership is required now from governments, industry and citizens. Climate change is no longer a future threat. It is already affecting billions of people across the globe and every economy. Annual losses for the US alone will reach hundreds of billions of dollars by the end of the century, according to the new US Climate Assessment and continued climate related impacts could create 140 million climate migrants globally by 2050.

The Club of Rome in its seminal 1972 report The Limits to Growth alerted the world to the environmental and demographic challenges. The central message was that the quest for unlimited growth in population, material goods and resources, on a finite planet, would eventually result in the collapse of its economic and environmental systems. That prediction is clearly manifesting in the climate change crisis awe are confronted with today.

The Climate Emergency Plan of the Club of Rome was launched on December 4th 2018 at the European Parliament. You can download the full report here.

Germany consumes some 1.3 billion tonnes of fossil fuels, minerals, ores and biomass per year. UBA's Use of Natural Resources Report claims that the majority of raw material consumption is non-metallic minerals (45%), fossil fuels (29%) and biomass (21%). Although raw material consumption in Germany is becoming more and more efficient thanks to industry efforts and total raw material productivity has increased by 26% since 2000, Germany has an excessively high level of raw material consumption compared to other countries: 10% higher than the average in Europe, and even 100% higher than the global average. More than half of the raw materials consumed for the production of goods is sourced from abroad.

The Methodological Convention for Estimating Environmental Costs 3.0 included a large number of parameters to calculate the costs of environmental pollution. This included the costs of restoring damaged building and infrastructures, of the market value of crop losses and production losses, as well as the sum which people would be prepared to pay for the avoidance of damage to their health. The Methodological Convention 3.0 helps to compare and contrast the costs of environmental pollution and the costs of environmental protection.

The report can be downloaded here.

Authors: Sony Kapoor Managing Director re-define.org; Dr. Belay Begashaw Director SDG Center for Africa

Panellists:

• Dr Cemal Karakas, Policy Analyst, European Parliamentary Research Services, European Parliament
• Stanislas Jourdan, Head of Positive Money Europe, Former Coordinator of the European Citizens’ Initiative for Basic Income and co-Founder of the French Movement for Basic Income
• Sophie Swaton, University of Lausanne, Faculty of Geosciences and Environment, Author of “Pour un revenu de transition écologique” (2018)
• Jeroen Van Ranst, CSC, Youth Officer for the Flemish part of Belgium
• Ludovic Voet, CSC, Youth Officer for the French-speaking part of Belgium

Panellists:

• Efi Achtsióglou, Greek Minister of Labour
• Christian Felber, Economy for the Common Good
• Leida Rijnhout, SDG Watch Steering Committee
• Patrick ten Brink, European Environmental Bureau, Director of EU Policy
• Joost Koorte, European Commission, DG EMPL, Director General

Panellists:

• Riccardo Mastini, Friends of the Earth Europe, campaigner Resource justice and sustainability
• Blake Alcott, Cambridge University, Author of The Jevons Paradox and the Myth of Resource Efficiency Improvements
• Fulvia Raffaëlli, European Commission, DG GROW, Head of Unit responsible for Clean Technologies and Products
• Philippe Tulkens, European Commission, DG Research & Innovation, Energy Directorate, Deputy Head of Unit
• Peter Zapfel, European Commission, DG CLIMA, ETS Policy Development and Auctioning

Panellists:

• Denis Bouget, European Social Observatory, European Trade Union Institute, Emeritus Professor of Nantes University
• Clive Spash, WU Vienna University
• Anne Bucher, European Commission, Chair of the Scrutiny Regulatory Board
• Stefan Ulrich Speck, European Environment Agency, Projet manager (sustainability assessments)

Panellists:

• Fran Boait, Positive Money, Executive Director
• Josh Ryan-Collins, UCL Institution for Innovation and Public Purpose, Head of Research
• Thorsten Guthke, Association of German Public Banks, VÖB

Panellists:

• Jean-Christophe Defraigne, Saint-Louis University
• Joaquim Nunes de Almeida, European Commission, DG GROW, Director, Single Market Policy
• Gabriele Bischoff, DGB, Special adviser on European policy issues, German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) ; European Economic and Social Committee, President of the Workers’ Group
• Daniel Seikel, Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI) of the Hans Böckler Foundation

Panellists:

• Martin Spolc, DG EcFin, Capital Markets Union, Head of Unit
• Rens van Tilburg, University van Utrecht, NL and Director of the Sustainable Finance Lab
• Yannis Dafermos, Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK

Panellists:

• Guillaume Pitron, Author of “La guerre des métaux rares”
• José Bellver, Researcher at FUHEM Ecosocial, Member of the Transitions Forum and the Inclusive Economy Group
• Paul Hodson, European Commission, DG ENER, Energy Efficiency Unit
• Doris Schroecker, European Commission, DG Industrial Technologies, Research and Innovation, Head of Strategy Unit

Panellists:

• Fritz Hinterberger, Founding President of Sustainable Europe Research Institute (SERI)
• Olivier de Schutter, Professor at the University of Louvain (Belgium) and at SciencesPo (Paris), former UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food (2008-2014)
• Patrizia Heidegger, Global Policies Director at the EEB
• Luisa Santos, Business Europe

Climate protection is important. And the goal for Germany is clear: From over 11 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent to less than 1 tonne of CO₂-equivalent per person and year. This is the position of the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) in line with the international community of states. We still have a lot to do in order to achieve this goal. And ultimately we'll only get there if we have effective government framework conditions.

But today we can already take the lead as individuals. We can already avoid not only kilograms but tonnes of carbon - both when it comes to our own emissions (our carbon footprint) as well as when it comes to helping others avoid emissions (our carbon handprint). The UBA Carbon Calculator will help you keep track: Where do you stand today? What are the main tools at your disposal? What contribution can you make to climate protection in future?

Please note: Calculations only apply to the German context. Using the calculator while living in other countries will only give you some indication of your footprint, the actual values might differ substantially.

Emissions from shared amenities such as heating and electricity are automatically divided by the number of members in your household. Only in the case of car rides you have to make this allocation yourself, as only you can estimate the way you share.

“Currently we have a twofold problem,” explains lead author Max Franks from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK): “There is a huge underprovision of basic necessary public goods such as public health systems, access to schools and clean water. On the other hand greenhouse gas emissions are still rising and there is an overuse of the atmosphere, a global common good, as a disposal space for these emissions”. So far, the two problems have mostly been dealt with separately. “But if you look at both climate and sustainable development policies at the same time, it turns out that carbon pricing could indeed address both problems simultaneously and effectively,” Franks says.

A better understanding of the cognitive dimensions of human agents in their individual and collective behavior could be the key to implementing the different goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda in a coordinated manner. The symposium addresses the question of how to strengthen “brain power” for sustainable development and aims at identifying the cognitive preconditions for a successful sustainability transition.

With this symposium, Leopoldina continues the dialogue between science and politics on sustainability and builds on the symposium “The Turn to Sustainability?”, which was held in Berlin in October 2016.

Since the Industrial Revolution, however, energy-driven consumption of fossil fuels has led to a rapid increase in CO2 emissions, disrupting the global carbon cycle and leading to a planetary warming impact. Global warming and a changing climate have a range of potential ecological, physical and health impacts, including extreme weather events (such as floods, droughts, storms, and heatwaves); sea-level rise; altered crop growth; and disrupted water systems. The most extensive source of analysis on the potential impacts of climatic change can be found in the 5th Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report; this presents full coverage of all impacts in its chapter on Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. In light of this evidence, UN member parties have set a target of limiting average warming to 2 degrees celsius above pre-industrial temperatures. This entry provides a historical to present day perspective of how CO2 emissions have evolved, how emissions are distributed, and the key factors that both drive these trends and hold the key to mitigating climate change.

Background:

The transport sector consumes more than half of global oil demand and accounts for almost one quarter of global energy-related CO2 emissions. Furthermore, the sector’s emissions are on the rise, with some forecasts predicting emissions to grow 60% by 2050. Such projected increases pose a major challenge to climate policy. They underscore that significant progress in reducing CO2 emissions in transport is essential for meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.

In order to spotlight the crucial importance of the transport sector for climate policy, GIZ and Agora Verkehrswende have jointly compiled the report “Towards Decarbonising Transport – Taking Stock of G20 Sectoral Ambition”. The report summarises the mitigation policies enacted for the transport sector by G20 countries, and illuminates where more action is needed. Ultimately, the report aims to serve as a valuable tool for the climate community to gain a better understanding of the overall status of CO2 mitigation policies in the transport sector.

The Paris climate agreement obliges the international community to limit global warming to two degrees. However, man-made greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase instead of decreasing. Is climate engineering a solution to slow global warming? In the current issue of the journal Nature, Professor Andreas Oschlies from GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel warns of an underestimated long-term risk of solar radiation management, one of the proposed climate engineering measures.

When the Pinatubo volcano erupted in the Philippines in 1991, it blew huge amounts of dust and gases into the atmosphere. Therefore, solar radiation was partly reflected instead of warming the earth's surface. Global average temperatures in the lower atmosphere temporarily dropped by half a degree. So why not copy the volcano by deploying large quantities of aerosols into the atmosphere in order to slow down the current global warming?

This idea is already being discussed internationally and first tests are under way. However, in today's issue of the journal Nature, the biogeochemist Prof. Dr. Andreas Oschlies from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel warns of an often disregarded side effect of so-called Solar Radiation Management (SRM). "Once you start SRM on a large scale, you cannot stop it without significant risks. This has been shown by many computer simulations of the Earth system," he emphasizes.

Reference:

Oschlies, A. (2018): Solar engineering must take temperature debt into account. Nature 554, 423 (2018), https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-02203-x