DGB Action Week "Affordability is half the battle".

Published 25. March 2019

At the district and city association spring meeting of the DGB district of Lower Saxony - Bremen - Saxony-Anhalt in Hustedt, the volunteers together with DGB President Reiner Hoffmann (4th from right) stand behind the campaign banner. Photo: Syrius GmbH/DGB

25.03.2019 - The German Trade Union Confederation is today launching a nationwide week of action on the subject of housing. Under the motto "Affordable is half the rent", more than 200 actions and events will take place throughout Germany. The action week is the nationwide public launch of the DGB dialogue on the future.

The DGB Chairman Reiner Hoffmann declares at the start of the action week:

"We want to talk to local people and find out from them: What problems do they face in finding housing, rents and service charges. An ever greater proportion of income is eaten up by rents and many people can no longer afford a flat near their place of work. Workers' interests do not end at the factory gate. Affordable housing is the new social issue of our time."

Stefan Körzell in an interview with tagesschau24:

DGB Executive Board Member Stefan Körzell said in Berlin on Monday:

"Rising rents are a problem for more and more workers. They are also the result of decades of failed housing policy. The market failure in the housing sector is obvious - now politics must intervene strongly and steadily. At least 400,000 new and affordable homes are needed each year, including 100,000 social housing units. The federal and state governments must jointly provide seven billion euros annually for this purpose. The money the federal government has so far earmarked for social housing construction is not even enough to maintain the existing stock. In addition, politicians should take more decisive action against land speculation, for example by obliging owners to build on their land within the framework of building law."

Background:

With the DGB Future Dialogue, the DGB and its member unions are launching a broad social dialogue. We are asking people, collecting their answers and using them to develop impulses for fairer policies in Germany. The action week from 25 to 29 March is the nationwide public launch of the DGB dialogue on the future. Hundreds of other events will follow throughout Germany in the coming years. The debate on the dialogue on the future is taking place online at www.redenwirueber.de - there you will also find all further information.

Keywords: Stakeholders, Housing policy, eG, Economics

Published 18. July 2017

Germany subsidizes coal, oil and gas with 46 billion euros per year

With 46 billion euros per year, the German government favours the mining and climate-damaging burning of coal, oil and gas in Germany.

This policy makes the energy transition more expensive and passes on a large part of the follow-up costs of fossil energies to society. This is the result of a study by the Forum Ökologisch-Soziale Marktwirtschaft (FÖS) commissioned by the independent environmental organisation Greenpeace. "Every euro squandered on dirty energies is an investment in further climate destruction," says Greenpeace energy expert Tobias Austrup. "There is still not a black zero for fossil subsidies, but a deep red minus in the federal budget." (The study online.)

Already in 2009, at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh, the German government, together with the other governments, committed to ending fossil fuel subsidies, but without setting a date for the phase-out. "By 2020 at the latest, we must finally put an end to fuelling the climate catastrophe with billions in subsidies," Austrup demands. "A clear plan to phase out coal in Germany is needed so that the German government remains credible in foreign policy." In Italy and England, plans to phase out coal have already been adopted.

The lion's share of climate-damaging subsidies favours transport

The main beneficiary of fossil subsidies is transport with 28.5 billion euros. At just under eight billion euros, artificially cheap diesel is the largest single subsidy. The tax exemption for aviation fuel is worth 7.5 billion, the distance allowance a good five billion, the VAT exemption for international flights 4.4 billion and the company car privilege three billion. For a quarter of a century, transport has made no contribution whatsoever to climate protection. In 2016, according to the Federal Environment Agency, greenhouse gas emissions from transport were even one percent higher than in 1990.

"The transport turnaround cannot progress if internal combustion engines are supported with massive subsidies." The share of electric cars in new registrations in Germany was just 0.5 per cent in the first five months of 2017, according to the Federal Motor Transport Authority. Despite the German government's purchase premium, registration figures have barely risen.

Greenpeace study: Subsidies for fossil energies in Germany
Download link of the study

Keywords:
DE-News, Renewable, Climate protection, Media, Mobility, Sustainable management, New books and studies, Resource efficiency, Environmental policy, Ecology

Published 8 September 2019

#CyclistsForFuture demand: Fewer cars + more space for bikes

The ADFC cycling club is a supporter of the Fridays For Future movement's global climate strike and is calling on all cycling sympathisers, members, supporters and regional groups to take part in the strike from 20 September.

According to the ADFC, the climate goals can only be achieved with a traffic turnaround in favor of car alternatives and a tripling of cycling. Groups of ADFC and Fridays For Future are planning joint actions in numerous cities.

Rebecca Peter's, ADFC deputy federal chairwoman, said: „The transport sector has so far not contributed at all to achieving the climate and sustainability goals. On the contrary, our cities are becoming more and more crowded, stressful, dangerous and dirty. However, climate-friendly mobility does not mean joining forces now to put 47 million e-cars on the roads and continuing to provide every conceivable incentive for people to travel even absurdly short distances by car. We need highly attractive offers for cycling and walking in combination with a top-developed public transport system - and much less car traffic to secure the quality of life in cities and the countryside!"

Request to the Climate Cabinet: investment boost

Specifically, the ADFC is calling for the implementation of the measures drawn up by the transport commission "National Platform for the Future of Mobility" in the spring. In order to increase the cycling mode share from the current meagre eleven per cent to the Dutch level of at least 25 per cent by 2030, nationwide, continuous cycle path networks, fast cycle routes for commuters and freight transport and many millions of bicycle parking spaces at train stations and public facilities must be built. By optimising the expansion of cycling, up to 13.5 million tonnes of CO₂ must be saved. The Federal Government's Energy and Climate Fund must provide at least the 900 million euros per year estimated by the Transport Commission for this purpose. Peter's: "Germany can only achieve the climate targets in the transport sector if the potential of cycling is properly utilised. This potential will not unfold by itself, as the infrastructure has so far tended to discourage cycling. We need an immediate federal programme to finance inviting cycling infrastructure for everyone!"

...and more space for your bike

A new distribution of road space is essential for the climate-friendly transformation of transport. Until now, cars have occupied the lion's share of space in cities. The ADFC is calling for half of the road space to be used for mobility without cars. Peter's"It's not enough to put more money into the system. Wide, safe cycle paths first and foremost need space from car traffic. The federal government must give local authorities far-reaching options in traffic law to actually create this space."

Joint campaigns in many cities

In many cities, including Berlin, Bergisch-Gladbach, Bonn, Gelsenkirchen, Hanover and Munich, ADFC groups are taking part in the global climate strike under the slogan #MehrPlatzFürsRad or #CyclistsForFuture. In Bad Kreuznach, Esslingen, Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Karlsruhe, Mainz and Nuremberg, ADFC groups are temporarily converting car parking spaces into cycle lanes, street cafés or bicycle parking spaces as part of the international ParkingDay.

Notes for editorial offices: The ADFC working paper on the National Platform Future of Mobility and the ADFC booklet "This is how a traffic turnaround works" can be found in the blue service box. The Strike card from Fridays for Future provides ongoing information about new campaign locations. The supporters of the climate strike are presented on www.klima-streik.org/buendnis.

Keywords:
Car Free, Bike-/Velo-City, DE-News, Climate protection, Communities, Mobility, Resource efficiency, Sufficiency, Transition Town, Environmental policy, Ecology

Published 25 September 2018

Paderborn district cracks 100 percent mark for green electricity

The district of Paderborn has achieved a climate target that can currently only be dreamed of nationwide. It has a green electricity supply of more than 100 per cent. This year, with the help of wind, sun, biomass and water, for the first time as much renewable electricity is being generated as is being consumed. Since the end of June, it has been exactly 112 per cent.

Annual consumption: 2.3 billion kilowatt hours

This is what the State Association for Renewable Energies in OWL determined. The association used figures from the State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection (LANUV) as well as current data from the district of Paderborn. According to these figures, the more than 500 wind turbines, 11,500 photovoltaic systems and 53 biomass power plants generate slightly more electricity on an annual average than private individuals, trade and industry in the district of Paderborn require over the year: Almost 2.3 billion kilowatt hours.

Second place for Höxter district with 63 per cent green electricity

This puts the Paderborn district in the Champions League nationwide: "There are very few regions that already fulfil the 100 per cent green electricity quota - in NRW, we are the first and so far the only one," says Kerstin Haarmann (Paderborn), Managing Director of LEE OWL. This is particularly remarkable because the district of Paderborn has a national average electricity consumption due to its share of industry. Smaller districts with little industry and commerce would naturally find it easier to reach 100 per cent. In a comparison of East Westphalia, the district of Paderborn is the lone leader: the district of Höxter is in second place with 63 per cent green electricity, followed by the district of Lippe with 23.5 per cent, Gütersloh with 20.8 per cent, Minden-Lübbecke with 17 per cent and Herford with 6.5 per cent. Bringing up the rear is the city of Bielefeld with a 4.5 per cent share of green electricity in electricity consumption.

Renewables account for 27 per cent of total energy demand

The district of Paderborn has even achieved its climate target, which was unanimously approved by the district council in 2011, ahead of schedule. The plan was for electricity consumption to be completely renewable by 2020. "However, we don't have time to rest on our laurels in the fight against climate change," explains Jürgen Wrona (Delbrück) from the LEE OWL board. Measured in terms of total energy demand (electricity, heat and transport), the proportion of renewables in the Paderborn district is currently only around 27 per cent. "There is room for improvement, especially in the areas of heating and transport," says Wrona.

Source: Press release from the NRW Energy Agency dated 8 August 2018

Keywords:
100% EEs, Stakeholders, Citizen Energy, DE-News, Renewable, Climate protection, Communities, News Blog NRW, PV, Environmental policy

Published 3 January 2019

UBA: one ton of CO2 causes damage of 180 euros

High costs due to failure to protect the environment - Federal Environment Agency presents updated cost rates

Too many greenhouse gases, air pollutants and other environmental burdens damage our health, destroy ecosystems and cause animals and plants to die out. They also lead to economic losses through, for example, production stoppages, crop losses or damage to buildings and infrastructure. For many of these damages, there are established scientific methods for expressing them in monetary terms. In its recently published Methodological Convention 3.0, the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) has updated its recommendations for determining such damages and recalculated the costs of environmental pollution. According to this, for example, the emission of one ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) causes damages of around 180 euros. Converted to Germany's greenhouse gas emissions in 2016, this corresponds to total costs of around 164 billion euros. Maria Krautzberger, President of the Federal Environment Agency: "Measures for environmental and climate protection save us and future generations many billions of euros through reduced environmental and health damage. We should not forget this when discussing air pollution control or the coal phase-out."

In the "Methodological Convention 3.0 for Determining Environmental Costs", numerous parameters were used to calculate the costs of environmental pollution. These include the cost of restoring damaged buildings and infrastructure, the market value of crop losses and lost production, and the amount people would be willing to pay to avoid damage to their health. The "Methodological Convention 3.0" helps to make the damage caused by environmental pollution clear and to compare it with the costs of environmental protection.

The cost rates of the "Methodological Convention 3.0" can be used, among other things, to determine the costs incurred by environmental pollution in the generation of electricity and heat or in passenger and freight transport. For example, one kilowatt hour (kWh) of lignite-based electricity causes environmental damage costs of 20.81 cents on average. Accordingly, the lignite-based electricity generated in Germany in 2016 resulted in environmental damage costs of €31.2 billion. By comparison, one kilowatt-hour of electricity from wind power only leads to environmental damage of 0.28 cents.

The emission of one tonne of particulate matter (PM2.5) in traffic causes average environmental damage of 59,700 euros, the emission of one tonne of nitrogen oxides (NOx) 15,000 euros. Extrapolated to the total emissions of traffic in Germany in 2016, this results in environmental damage of 1.49 billion euros for particulate matter and 7.29 billion euros for nitrogen oxides per year.

Maria Krautzberger: "These examples show the huge scale of the damage caused by environmental pollution in Germany every year. Even if they are not immediately reflected as a financial burden, for example in the public budget: this damage is real and causes enormous economic costs."

Publications

Methodological convention 3.0 for the determination of environmental costs

Keywords:
DE-News, Climate protection, New books and studies, Environmental policy, Ecology