1:07 min, from 08/13/2020
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www.duh.de/goldenergeier/goldener-geier-2020
Keywords: Awards, DE-News, Movies, Movies < 4 Min, Climate protection, Mobility, Negative price, News Blog Baden-Württemberg, Environmental policy
1:07 min, from 08/13/2020
All info at:
www.duh.de/goldenergeier/goldener-geier-2020
Emissions targets, some of them significantly improved, show effectiveness of Paris Agreement / But too few commitments for financing climate protection and adaptation to climate change in poorer countries / Chancellor Merkel must swiftly launch international process for additional climate financing
Berlin/Bonn (Dec. 12, 2020). The development and environmental organization Germanwatch draws a mixed balance of the UN special climate summit: It welcomes the higher climate targets announced today by many countries, but criticizes the lack of longer-term pledges on climate financing. At the virtual special summit to mark the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, countries were asked to present their improved pledges to act on the global climate crisis. In doing so, a number of countries from both North and South presented significantly improved emissions targets - including Colombia, Jamaica and the EU. However, there were hardly any announcements on more support for climate protection and adaptation to the consequences of climate change in countries of the global South.
"It is very disappointing that almost nothing was heard today about how the necessary money for climate protection and adaptation in the Global South will finally come together," says David Eckstein, climate finance expert at Germanwatch. "Many of the poorest countries and those most affected by climate change showed courage today and committed to more ambitious climate action, even though they have been hit hard economically by the Corona crisis. The rich countries must not now leave the poorest and most vulnerable out in the cold - neither in the implementation of their climate protection pledges nor in coping with the already inevitable consequences of climate change," Eckstein continued.
The 500 million euros announced by Germany are only a small ray of hope. "The German government's announcement is only a drop in the ocean. It would have been more effective if the Chancellor had pledged to double Germany's total climate finance to at least 8 billion euros a year over the next five years. But at least the Chancellor has announced that she will start an international process for additional climate finance - this must now begin quickly."
2020 will again be one of the warmest years since records began. Extreme weather events are increasing in number and severity. They are hitting people in the Global South doubly hard in the midst of a pandemic. "At the UN Adaptation Summit in January, countries must urgently clarify what ambitious climate adaptation measures mean for them. And there must also finally be negotiations on aid to cope with the damage and losses that are already unavoidable. The industrialized nations also bear the main responsibility for this," says Rixa Schwarz, head of the International Climate Policy team at Germanwatch.
Targets of the Paris Agreement are coming into sight - but speed is not yet enough
In addition to many smaller countries in the Global South, several major emitters from both North and South today unveiled improved climate targets by 2030 or climate neutrality targets by mid-century. "Today has shown how effective the Paris Agreement is. And the global climate movement has also grown strongly and is playing a big part in pushing governments around the world towards more ambitious climate action," Schwarz said. "The temperature targets of the Paris Agreement are slowly coming into view. But to achieve them, the short- and medium-term policy instruments, as well as the pace, need to be significantly increased. The long-term climate neutrality targets are only achievable if governments start drastically cutting emissions now with concrete action." (more info under the PM at "Note for editors")
A number of major emitters - such as Australia, Brazil and Saudi Arabia - were not represented today and have little time left to implement the Paris Agreement's stipulation that they submit a re-submission of their climate targets to the United Nations in 2020. Rixa Schwarz: "The pressure on these countries has increased massively today due to the newly submitted emissions targets of many other countries." International support for fossil technologies is already falling away for many countries, she said. The UK, for example, became the first country to announce the exclusion of development and export finance for gas, oil and coal. "The exclusion of taxpayer-funded gas, oil and coal projects abroad is long overdue. The German government, as a shareholder in KfW and various multilateral development banks, must follow the UK's example as soon as possible with exclusion from all fossil fuel financing."
Note to editors: A new analysis by the Climate Action Tracker shows that if all climate neutrality targets, including the US neutrality target announced by Joe Biden, were implemented, global warming could be stabilised at around 2.1°C. This would require the implementation of a number of policy instruments in the short and medium term. However, this still lacks the short- and medium-term policy instruments to implement the targets. Based on current climate policies, warming of about 2.9°C is still expected: www.climateactiontracker.org/publications/global-update-paris-agreement-turning-point
Further information:
- Climate Protection Index 2021 by Germanwatch and NewClimate Institute: www.ccpi.org
- Germanwatch on the new EU climate target: www.germanwatch.org/de/19695
Keywords:
DE-News, Renewable, Climate protection, News Blog Europe (without DE), UN (United Nations), Environmental policy
The discussion about climate change and the growing demand for living space have increasingly brought timber construction into the focus of planners, architects and developers over the past year. After all, sustainable timber construction can make a significant contribution to climate protection and the creation of living space. The increased interest in timber construction is also reflected in the industry figures: the turnover of companies grew by 7 percent in 2019 compared to the previous year, the number of employees increased from around 68,000 to around 70,000 and the timber construction rate continued to grow in both residential (new construction) and non-residential (new construction) construction.
Holzbau Deutschland has published these and other facts, figures and forecasts on the structure of the sector, market and economic trends, the business situation and financing, as well as training and careers in the carpentry and timber construction trades in its "Situation Report Carpenters / Timber Construction 2020" published. It can be downloaded free of charge from the Association's website in the Business Administration section.
Even after Corona: Continue to drive forward climate protection
At the conclusion of the 11th Petersberg Climate Dialogue last week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel appealed that in the period after the Corona crisis, "when we launch economic stimulus packages, we should always keep climate protection firmly in mind and make it clear that we are not cutting back on climate protection, but investing in technologies that are fit for the future."
Timber construction has long been one of the sustainable technologies that can make an essential contribution to achieving climate protection goals. "Ecological, sustainable and resource-saving construction with wood must therefore continue to be the focus in residential construction as well as in redensification and gap filling in existing buildings. In order for timber construction to be recognized as an alternative on an equal footing with other construction methods, the framework conditions must be further improved and the building codes of the federal states must be adapted to the current state of the art," demanded Peter Aicher, Chairman of Holzbau Deutschland.
The current and further development in timber construction
Until the outbreak of the Corona pandemic, the mood in the timber construction industry was good. The satisfaction of carpentry and timber construction companies is also reflected in the Holzbau Deutschland business survey, in which almost 370 companies took part at the turn of the year 2019/2020. Their order backlog at the beginning of the year already averaged 17 weeks (previous year 15 weeks). The current exceptional situation in the wake of the Corona pandemic has not changed this much: According to recent surveys, most businesses are going about their work without any significant restrictions and in compliance with clearance and hygiene rules. Builders are also sticking to their construction projects. Many timber construction companies are currently benefiting from the existing high order backlog. For some of them, the workload will last until next year.
How turnover in timber construction will develop in 2020 and beyond, and what impact the Corona pandemic will have, cannot be reliably assessed at the present time. Regardless of the current situation, the timber construction industry has assumed a further 5 percent increase in sales by the beginning of March. The value is also based on the cautious confidence of the entrepreneurs from the economic survey of Holzbau Deutschland.
download pdf
Situation report carpenters / timber construction 2020
Source: PM Holzbau Deutschland from 4.5.2020
Keywords:
DE-News, Wood construction, Climate protection, New books and studies
North Rhine-Westphalia has extended the progres.nrw programme until the end of 2016. The programme complements and expands existing programmes such as the market incentive programme or KfW funding.
Subsidies are available, among other things, for domestic ventilation systems/appliances with heat recovery and solar thermal systems. For the latter, however, only if they are not required anyway in order to comply with the Renewable Heat Act in new buildings.
In the case of PV, only so-called multiplier systems are eligible for funding. These include systems on ultra-low-energy or passive houses, particularly efficient technologies or façade-integrated PV. A subsidy is available for biomass systems if they are installed in conjunction with a solar thermal system. Subsidies are also available for highly efficient decentralised CHP systems for heat and power generation with an electrical output of up to 20 kW. Special energy storage systems and systems with an extraordinary degree of innovation or multiplier effect are also eligible for funding. This is decided on a case-by-case basis.
A grant is also available for residential buildings in the passive house standard including ventilation systems and for residential buildings in the 3-litre house standard including ventilation systems, as well as for studies on energy efficiency in which there is particular interest on the part of the state. The amount of the subsidies is flat-rate. For example, 4,700 euros are available for a passive house with a ventilation system.
In 2015, a total of more than 6,000 measures were funded under the programme. Applications for funding can be submitted by private individuals as well as small and medium-sized enterprises or municipalities. A total of 10 million euros is available for the programme in 2016. Source: progres.nrw / pgl
Keywords:
Bonn, Renewable, Funding, Climate protection, News Blog NRW, PlusEnergy house/settlement
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.
The report is available online at: https://www.dnr.de/publikationen/themenhefte/eeb-bericht-entlarvt-entkopplung-als-mythos/
Source: PM of the DNR from 15.07.2019
Keywords:
New books and studies, Resource efficiency, SDG 2030, Environmental policy