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21.01.2020 Everyone is talking about sustainability - including the construction industry. A prize that the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) have been organising since today provides the perfect talking point: With the new "Federal Environment and Building Prize", which will be awarded for the first time in 2020, the initiators want to recognise projects that are exemplary in terms of sustainability - not only in the classic areas of existing and new buildings, but also in five other categories. All players in the construction sector can apply. The closing date for entries is 15 April 2020 and the patron of the competition is the Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Svenja Schulze.
The desire of more and more building owners and planners to combine high utility value and architectural quality with Climate - and environmental protection has resulted in many exciting projects. They demonstrate by practical example that sustainable construction offers many advantages over the life cycle - also in terms of costs.
Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze: "This is precisely where the Federal Environment and Building Award comes in. On the one hand, the prize is intended to illustrate the spectrum of what is already structurally and technically possible today. On the other hand, it is intended to raise awareness of the outstanding examples through the award and thus invite imitation."
Professor Dirk Messner, President of the Federal Environment Agency: "It's about holistic solutions that incorporate the technology, the design of the building and its surroundings. Individual 'greenfield' projects are expressly not supported. In no other competition is the interplay between the environment and building assessed in such a way as in the Federal Environment & Building Award."
About the Federal AwardIn order to show the breadth of sustainable building, the Federal Award comprises the categories "Residential buildings", "Non-residential buildings", "Neighbourhoods" and "Sustainability and innovations". The first two categories focus in particular on the energy-efficient refurbishment of existing buildings, as this is where the greatest need for action exists from a climate protection perspective.
In addition to these competition categories, the BMU and UBA also award three special prizes for particularly innovative approaches. Under the headings "Resilience" and "Sufficiency", the focus is on adaptation to climate change and strategies for reducing the use of resources. Building projects that take particular account of aspects of biodiversity and thus make a substantial contribution to the protection and implementation of "urban nature" are also to be honoured. The third field "Building envelope & building product" is intended for novel solutions with innovative materials and building constructions.
Conditions of participationDue to the thematic breadth, all players in the construction sector are invited to apply: from clients and property developers to architecture, building services, urban and landscape planning offices, manufacturers and research institutions. The competition is aimed at buildings or neighbourhoods completed in Germany that are at an advanced stage of planning; multiple applications in different categories are possible.
What awaits the winnersThe award winners can look forward to public recognition on several levels. The award ceremony will take place on 29 September at a congress on sustainable building at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety in Berlin, where the award-winning projects will be presented to experts and the media. The award-winning projects and their plus points will also be presented on the websites of the UBA and the Federal Ministry for the Environment - including in the form of videos: This is because the UBA is having films made about the award-winning sustainability examples, which the winners can then use for their own public relations work. In addition, all award-winning projects will be documented in a book.
Interested parties can find more information on the conditions of participation in the Federal Environment & Building Award and the selection procedure on the UBA website:
www.umweltbundesamt.de/bundespreis-umwelt-bauen-start
The application deadline is 15 April 2020.
Keywords:
DE-News, Building, Climate protection, Mix of uses, Quarters, Resource efficiency, Settlements, Sufficiency, Transition Town, Contests & Prizes, Housing, Housing projects, Ecology
and new financing policy in the energy sector
- No new financing for fossil fuel projects after 2021
- Financing to drive future innovation in clean energy, energy efficiency and renewables
- EIB Group to mobilise €1 trillion of investment in climate action and environmental sustainability by 2030
- All EIB Group financing activities will be aligned with the objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement by 2020
The Board of Directors of the European Investment Bank (EIB) today adopted a new energy lending policy and confirmed more ambitious targets for climate action and environmental sustainability.
"Climate is now high on the political agenda," said EIB President Werner Hoyer. "Science predicts that the temperature will rise by three to four degrees Celsius by the end of the 21st century if we do nothing to combat climate change. Large areas of the earth will then be uninhabitable - with devastating consequences for humanity. The EU Bank has been Europe's climate bank for many years. Today we have taken a big step forward. We will stop financing fossil fuel projects and pursue a climate strategy in the future that exceeds the ambitions of all other public financial institutions. I thank our shareholders, the EU countries, for their support over the past months. Now we will work closely with Member States, the EU Council of Ministers, the European Commission, the European Parliament, international institutions, financial institutions and, above all, the private sector to make Europe's economy climate neutral by 2050."
More commitment to clean energy
The EIB's new energy lending policy sets out five principles that will guide the Bank's future activities in the energy sector:
- Prioritising energy efficiency to meet the new target of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive
- Decarbonisation of energy supply through increased promotion of low-emission or zero-emission technologies in order to achieve an EU-wide renewable energy share of 32 percent by 2030
- More funds for decentralised energy generation, innovative energy storage and e-mobility
- Promote grid investments, which are particularly important for new, intermittent energy sources such as wind and solar power, and expand cross-border interconnections
- More effective investments in the energy transition outside the EU
Andrew McDowell, EIB Vice-President with oversight of the energy sector: "In 2018, CO2-emissions from the global energy industry have reached a new record high. We need to act urgently to stop this trend. The new energy financing policy adopted by the EIB today is an important milestone in the fight against global warming. After a long debate, we were able to agree on a compromise: From the end of 2021, the EU bank will not finance fossil energy projects without CO2-reduction more. This also applies to gas. I would like to thank everyone who took part in the largest public consultation in the EIB's history over the past months. I would also like to thank the Bank's energy experts, who have shown how the EU's bank can drive the global effort towards zero-carbon energy."
Today's agreement brings to an end a review process in which industry, institutions, civil society and the general public have been able to engage. The Bank has received over 149 written submissions from organisations and individuals, as well as petitions with more than 30,000 signatures since January.
Over the past five years, the European Investment Bank has provided more than €65 billion for investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy distribution.
In line with the revised energy sector lending policy approved by the Board of Directors today, from the end of 2021 the Bank will not provide new financing for fossil fuel projects without CO2-reduction. This also applies to gas. In addition, the Bank has set a new emission standard of 250 grams CO2 per kilowatt hour, replacing the previous standard of 550 grams. The EIB had already revised its financing policy in the energy sector in 2013 and adopted a stricter emissions standard. As a result, it was the first international financing institution to stop funding projects for coal and lignite-fired power generation.
For a fair energy transition
Ten EU countries face particular challenges in investing in the energy sector. They are to be supported from a fund for a fair transition. In doing so, the EIB will work closely with the European Commission. For new energy projects in these countries, the bank can finance up to 75 percent of the eligible costs. It also supports these projects with advisory services.
More ambitious targets for climate protection and environmental sustainability
The EU's bank has been Europe's climate bank for many years. Since 2012, the EIB has mobilised a total of €550 billion for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help countries adapt to the impacts of climate change. This makes the EIB one of the world's largest multilateral donors in this field.
The EIB's Board of Directors today approved a new strategy for climate action and environmental sustainability. The strategy focuses on three main areas:
- The EIB Group aims to support €1 trillion of investment in climate action and environmental sustainability over the crucial period 2021-2030.
- The EIB will gradually increase the share of its lending for climate action and environmental sustainability to 50 percent by 2025 and maintain this level thereafter.
- The EIB Group will align all its lending with the objectives and principles of the Paris Agreement by the end of 2020. In addition, the Bank will ensure that its lending in particularly affected regions and countries contributes to a fair energy transition so that no one is left behind.
Emma Navarro, EIB Vice-President overseeing climate action and the environment: "If we are to meet the Paris climate targets, it is essential that we raise our ambition. And that is exactly what we have done today. Two weeks before the UN Climate Change Conference in Madrid, we are sending an important signal to the world: the European Union and its bank - the EIB - will mobilise unprecedented amounts of money for climate change projects around the world. We are also doing everything we can to ensure that from the end of 2020 all our financing is in line with the goals and principles of the Paris Agreement. As agreed in Paris, any financing that is not yet green must become green."
EIB energy lending policy: Supporting the energy transformation
Source: EIB PM of 14 November 2019
Keywords:
Procurement, Renewable, Funding, Climate protection, Sustainable management, News Blog Europe (without DE), Environmental policy, Ecology, Economics
"While cars are getting heavier and heavier and the farewell to the diesel engine is not succeeding, electric vehicles on two and three wheels have moved into the fast lane. The Zweirad-Industrie-Verband (ZIV) published a market estimate for electrically powered cargo bikes for the first time in addition to its sales figures for 2016 presented in March. The Berlin-based cargo bike expert Arne Behrensen has published this on his portal "Cargobike jetzt". Drawn attention. According to the figures, more than 15,000 e-bikes were sold nationwide last year - significantly more than the 11,400 newly registered electric cars."
Read the whole article from 27.3.2017: www.klimaretter.info/mobilitaet/nachricht/22881-e-lastenrad-ueberholt-e-auto
In 2016, a total of 605,000 e-bikes were sold in Germany. By model group, the total market for e-bikes breaks down into the following categories (source cargobike.now/...):
45% E-City/-Urban
35,5% E-Trekking
15% E-MTB
2.5% E-load wheels
1% fast e-bikes
1% Other
The DLR writes: "The use of electric cargo bikes in inner-city freight transport holds great potential in terms of climate protection and the economic viability of courier and express services - this is the conclusion reached by scientists at the Institute for Transport Research of the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The project "I replace a car" tested the use of electric cargo bikes in courier and express services. There were 98% savings in consumption costs for car courier services.
Source: www.dlr.de/dlr/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-10122/333_read-10155/#/gallery/7197
Keywords:
Bike-/Velo-City, DE-News, Bicycle, Mobility, eMobility
Resilient Cities Congress of the Cities Network ICLEI in Bonn
The Paris Climate Agreement involves all levels of government in addressing climate change. At the local level, these are cities and municipalities. The ICLEI network of cities, which includes 22 German cities, is meeting in Bonn from 26 to 28 April for the "Resilient Cities Congress". Around 400 participants will exchange their experiences on climate protection measures and climate cooperation. The congress is an official part of the Talanoa Dialogue. Talanoa is a Fijian principle of decision-making and refers to an open dialogue that involves all stakeholders.
BMU State Secretary Jochen Flasbarth: "Cities and regions have a key role in climate protection. Worldwide, 1,500 cities are linked in the ICLEI network. In Bonn, city representatives from all over the world discuss what can be done for climate protection at the municipal level and how climate change can be countered. Ideally, the climate activities of all levels of government are coordinated. The Talanoa Dialogue is one way to organise this. It is also an opportunity to bring together voices from different actors around the world - including the visions and commitments of cities and regions - to sustain the positive momentum of Paris and stimulate the improvement of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by 2020."
Two examples of a German ICLEI member and an Asian city network illustrate climate protection efforts at the municipal level. Münster is one of the 22 German cities that is a member of the ICLEI network. The city relies on cooperation for climate protection. The local "Alliance for Climate Protection" aims to bring together relevant actors to jointly develop concrete local climate protection projects. At the same time, the actors involved in the alliance commit to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. In doing so, they contribute to the implementation of the ambitious climate goals of the city of Münster. By 2050, greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced by 95% and final energy consumption by 50% compared to 1990. 21% CO2 reduction could already be achieved by 2015. The "100% Climate Protection Master Plan" translates the vision of the city of Münster into a concrete strategy until 2050. The Master Plan and the Alliance are funded within the framework of the National Climate Protection Initiative (NKI) of the Federal Ministry for the Environment.
www.stadt-muenster.de/umwelt/klimaschutzkonzept-2020.html
The project "Ambitious City Promises - Climate-friendly urban development in South-East Asian cities" is also about bundling the activities of local civil society actors in the sense of ambitious municipal commitments. The international city network ICLEI is involved in the project of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment and supports the development of holistic climate strategies in Hanoi (Vietnam), Jakarta (Indonesia) and Pasig City (Philippines). An important project partner is the government of the Seoul metropolitan region (Korea), which already published an ambitious mitigation plan in 2015. The "Seoul Pledge" envisages greenhouse gas reductions of 25% by 2020 and 40% by 2030 compared to 2005 and defines concrete measures for the sectors of energy, transport, resource management, water, health, urban agriculture and urban planning.
Keywords:
100% EEs, Stakeholders, Bonn, Climate protection, Communities, News Blog Europe (without DE), News Blog NRW, SDG 2030, Environmental policy
