The federal government's goal of reducing daily land consumption to 30 hectares per day is a long way off. Currently, daily land consumption for settlement and transport still averages 66 hectares per day. This year's 30-hectare day thus fell on 15 June. Since the beginning of the year until this day, so much land has been built up nationwide that no more land may be used for settlement and transport until the end of the year if the 30 hectare target is to be met.
Statement of scientists on the protests for more climate protection (#Scientists4Future)
with:
- Prof. Dr. Maja Göpel, Secretary General of the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU)
- Dr. Eckart von Hirschhausen, physician, science journalist
- Volker Quaschning, Professor for Regenerative Energy Systems at the HTW in Berlin
- Prof. Dr. Karen Helen Wiltshire, Deputy Director of the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI)
- Luisa Neubauer, Fridays for Future
- Jakob Blasel, Fridays for Future Naive
A study funded by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture determined the potential of hardwood as a substitute for coniferous wood. The results of the study are now available in a brochure published by the Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e. V. (FNR). There is considerable potential for hardwood to be used in industrial timber, but it cannot yet be a substitute for softwood in construction.
Already today, almost twice as much hardwood is provided in Germany as 20 years ago. Beech and oak are the dominant deciduous tree species with a share of 70 %. In wood use, there is considerable potential for using the accumulating hardwood industrial wood as a material. These potentials for low-priced wood assortments lie in particular in the production of wood-based materials such as chipboard or fibreboard. Higher-quality hardwood assortments are suitable, among other things, for windows and exterior doors, solid parquet flooring, interior fittings, solid wood panels and in exterior applications.
Potentials in wood-based materials and interior design
However, the study also makes clear that hardwood can only replace softwood to a limited extent. The timber industry with the key use of building with wood is dependent on softwood. The available hardwood cannot substitute softwood in comparable quantities for technical and economic reasons. The large number of species in hardwood with their widely differing properties makes standardisation difficult. Moreover, processing is usually technically more complex and causes higher costs.
More courage and innovation needed
In order to further develop the potential of hardwood use, the authors recommend, among other things, that companies be more courageous and innovative in establishing and expanding manufacturing processes specialized in hardwood use. In addition, sales-promoting industry communication and marketing for domestic hardwood are crucial for buyer behaviour.
The brochure "Hardwood product markets from a technical-economic and market structure perspective" is available in the Media Libraryavailable.
Background:
A conversion of forests towards more deciduous forests has been taking place in Germany since the 1990s. In particular, beech and oak trees are being planted in the spruce or pine forests. This is intended to make the forests not only more natural but also more stable against external influences such as storms and drought as well as climate change. As a result of the forest conversion, more hardwood will be available as a renewable raw material in the future.
The brochure is based on the BMEL-funded research project "Market potentials of hardwood products from a technical-economic and market-structural point of view - hardwood product markets" by PD Dr. Marcus Knauf, Bielefeld, with the assistance of Prof. Dr. Arno Frühwald, Reinbek.
The research project identified market potentials for products made of hardwood. Product areas in which hardwood is competitive with softwood or can complement softwood were analysed. The analyses were based on official statistics, published market studies, literature, the authors' own experience and interviews with experts. The final report is available at fnr.de under the funding code 22023214 available.
The FNR has been active as a project management agency of the BMEL for the funding programme Renewable Resources since 1993. It also supports research topics in the fields of sustainable forestry and innovative wood use.
With efficiency, greater electrification and renewable energies, it is possible to organise completely greenhouse gas-neutral transport without having to accept restrictions on growth and quality of life. This is the result of scenarios developed by the Öko-Institut and presented today in Berlin by Parliamentary State Secretary Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter. The scenarios for greenhouse gas-neutral transport were developed together with key players from business and society.
Schwarzelühr-Sutter: "The options are there, the opportunities for the economy, the environment and people are great. Renewbility shows us that climate protection in transport is possible! And without sacrificing growth and prosperity, but on the contrary with a better quality of life. Climate protection in transport is no longer a question of whether. It's about how we design climate-neutral transport in the long term."
The results show: Complete decarbonisation of the transport sector is possible - and there are various options for achieving this. To achieve this, the energy basis of transport must be switched to renewable energies. And: Efficient vehicles and modes of transport must be prioritised. The latter is particularly important for two reasons. Firstly, it saves a lot of costs if renewable energies are not wasted unnecessarily. And secondly, it drastically improves the quality of life if, in addition to an energy transition, more environmentally friendly modes of transport are used.
Until now, it was often assumed that environmentally friendly transport would ultimately have to restrict the mobility of many people or the economy. The results of Renewbility disprove this. The research project shows that, on the contrary, greenhouse gas-neutral transport can actually promote growth and improve mobility and quality of life. Numerous discussions with stakeholders from politics, business and civil society form the basis for looking to the future. Suggestions from these discussions have set the direction. The results brochure, key graphics and further information can be found at www.renewbility.de .
An overview of all BMUB mobility projects can be found here: www.mobil-wandel.de
"Well-insulated and energy-efficient modern housing must remain affordable for poorer people. This is crucial, said DBU Secretary General Dr Heinrich Bottermann at the expert forum "Urban spaces in the face of climate change", to ensure that society does not become divided. He also emphasised how important it is for climate-neutral and resource-conserving neighbourhood development to rely more on timber construction and to push back concrete buildings. "If concrete, then only recycled concrete," emphasised Bottermann."
Dr Lars Grotewold, climate protection expert at the Mercator Foundation, spoke out in favour of a transport revolution in cities. Despite all efficiency efforts, transport still causes as many emissions as it did 25 years ago. Grotewold's ambitious demand: "By the middle of the century, the transport sector must be completely CO2-be free."
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