natureplus criticises ÖKO-TEST magazine's assessment of roof insulation materials
Published
In its August issue, ÖKO-TEST magazine evaluated 15 different roof insulation materials, including 5 with the natureplus seal of approval. The products are mainly suitable for insulation between rafters. The good performance of conventional products made of glass and rock wool, which all achieved "good", was striking. Of the natureplus-certified products, 2 insulation materials made of wood fibres - "Gutex Thermoflex" and "Pavaflex" by Pavatex - achieved the best rating in the test with "very good", while other products only scored "satisfactory" ("Isocell" cellulose fibre, "Thermo-Jute" by Thermo Natur) or "sufficient" (Ziro "Corktherm 040").
ECO criteria do not play a role However, natureplus Managing Director Thomas Schmitz finds the prioritisation of ÖKO-TEST "questionable". He criticises that the topic of manufacturing energy played no role whatsoever in the test. The use of renewable resources (renewable raw materials or recycled materials) also had no influence on the rating. "This does not fit in with the theme of ÖKO-Test," says Schmitz. The natureplus-tested products, on the other hand, all met high standards in these evaluation criteria, which were not taken into account by ÖKO-TEST.
The renovation project "Efficiency House Plus in Old Buildings" shows how two dilapidated rows of houses from the 1930s can be brought up to plus-energy standards - and in some cases that good architecture can be created in the process.
Location: Pfuhler Straße 4-8 and 10-14, D-89231 Neu-Ulm Architects: Werner Sobek Stuttgart and o5 architekten bda - raab hafke lang Builder: NUWOG housing company of the city of Neu-Ulm
Further information: DETAIL-Article "Double experiment: Two residential building renovations in Neu-Ulm." by Jakob Schoof, published online on
The Ministry of Energy plans to increase the performance contribution for solar power plants up to 30 kilowatts in the coming year. This is intended to enable significantly more private roofs to be used for solar power generation in the future.
The increase in subsidies for 2021 from an additional 46 million Swiss francs to then 422 million is intended to counteract the impending collapse in the addition of new PV systems caused by the Corona crisis.
Is economic growth compatible with sustainability? A new report by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), DNR and the Institute for Sustainable Economies (ZOE) clearly shows: No! Resource consumption, which is responsible for increasing environmental degradation, cannot be decoupled from economic growth. With a comprehensive analysis of scientific data, the report "Decoupling debunked - Evidence and arguments against green growth as a sole strategy for sustainability" dispels the myth of decoupling and shatters the dream of green growth as an engine for prosperity and sustainability.
Prosperity in Europe has so far been achieved through the continuous growth of the economy and consumption. The side effects have been soil erosion, species extinction and climate disruption. In the search for more environmentally friendly alternatives, the idea of green growth, of decoupling the consumption of natural resources and environmental damage from economic growth through technological progress and structural change, is gaining momentum.
In an analysis of more than 100 scientific papers, the report shows that absolute decoupling of economic growth from resource-intensive production has never occurred, nor will it occur in the future. "To actually stop the collapse of the world's ecosystems, decoupling must be absolute, permanent, global and fast enough," the report says. There is "no scientific evidence whatsoever that such decoupling can be expected," it said.
"The findings of the decoupling report shatter the dream of green growth in great detail and with scientific evidence: Absolute decoupling of growth and the use of nature is not possible. A green efficiency economy cannot save the planet. The report thus shakes the foundations of our economy: in future, prosperity can no longer be achieved through growth. What is really needed for the future of prosperity is not a growth-fixated society, but an adult one" Prof. Dr. Kai Niebert, President of the German Nature Conservation Ring
It was the great acceleration of economic growth after World War 2 that drove us into the climate, plastics, transport and agricultural crises. Now we need to find ways to counteract these crises. The report shows impressively that the growth paradigm is not sustainable.
Climate change and biodiversity loss can only be mitigated if policy makers develop alternatives to green growth and translate them into political action.
Climate protection targets can only be achieved by investing in green technologies of the future and sustainable investment strategies / Energy Agency to support municipalities with divestment strategies in future.
"To be climate neutral by 2050, we not only need to make additional investments in green and innovative technologies of the future. Above all, we also need a shift from existing investments in 'brown' raw materials such as coal, oil and gas to 'green' climate-friendly technologies. The phase-out of fossil fuels must be global and rapid, in line with the goals of the World Climate Conference. Only in this way can we realistically achieve the climate protection goals. Churches, municipalities and also companies are setting new standards here and demonstrating the feasibility of the changeover in both ecological and economic terms," said Environment Minister Ulrike Höfken today at the event "Divestment and Sustainable Finance", which took place during the Climate Protection Weeks in Rhineland-Palatinate.
Höfken discussed new sustainable financing approaches together with Saori Dubourg, member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE and member of the Council for Sustainable Development, Oberkirchenrat Heinz Thomas Striegler, Head of Church Administration of the Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau and Chairman of the Working Group of Church Investors of the Protestant Church in Germany, as well as Christoph Bals, Political Director at Germanwatch e.V. and member of the Sustainable Finance Advisory Council of the German Federal Government.
According to the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, the financial sector in particular has one of the greatest levers of influence in the short term to encourage other sectors of the economy to do more to protect the climate. The central tool here is divestment, a withdrawal of capital from markets and products that violate sustainability criteria, such as fossil-intensive industries, Höfken continued. "Rhineland-Palatinate is one of seven German states that has already passed a divestment resolution: The special assets of the state and the funds of state foundations are invested according to sustainable criteria," the minister explained. The Energy Agency Rhineland-Palatinate will support municipalities in the state in establishing divestment approaches in the future, Höfken announced. Here, the discussion is still in its infancy and further development in terms of content is necessary.
Whether municipalities, churches or companies: All players are called upon to examine their investment strategies and invest in a sustainable future. The City of Bonn is one of the pioneer cities with its path to sustainable financial investment. Carsten Buschmann, Head of Department at the City of Bonn, said: "The City of Bonn is pursuing a holistic approach that will be further expanded. Our experience in Bonn has shown that sustainable investing and returns are not mutually exclusive."
Climate Protection Weeks Rhineland-Palatinate:
During the Climate Protection Weeks Rhineland-Palatinate from 12 November to 11 December 2020, experts will discuss concrete instruments and measures against the climate crisis. From climate-efficient construction to climate funds and sustainable management, the events will highlight numerous approaches to achieving climate protection goals. In addition to top-class experts such as Prof. Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, Prof. Claudia Kemfert or Christoph Bals, renowned companies and organisations such as BASF, Boehringer Ingelheim and the European Investment Bank, numerous national and international politicians from Germany, Luxembourg, Rwanda, Canada and the EU will be represented.
Detailed information on the climate protection weeks can be found at here
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In its August issue, ÖKO-TEST magazine evaluated 15 different roof insulation materials, including 5 with the natureplus seal of approval. The products are mainly suitable for insulation between rafters. The good performance of conventional products made of glass and rock wool, which all achieved "good", was striking. Of the natureplus-certified products, 2 insulation materials made of wood fibres - "Gutex Thermoflex" and "Pavaflex" by Pavatex - achieved the best rating in the test with "very good", while other products only scored "satisfactory" ("Isocell" cellulose fibre, "Thermo-Jute" by Thermo Natur) or "sufficient" (Ziro "Corktherm 040").
