Proven work aid and at the same time standard work for climate protection work in municipalities can be used digitally in future. Difu, ifeu and Climate Alliance developed the guide on behalf of the BMWK.
Kategorie für Blog: Transition Town
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Explained in just under 10 min. The video is from April 2019 and shows two larger aquaponics facilities in Berlin.
- Other countries are leading the way: Spain adopts 30 km/h speed limit in cities; French cities with 30 km/h speed limit have 70 percent fewer fatal accidents
- Federal government fails "Vision Zero" and ignores 30 km/h as an immediate measure in key points paper for new road safety programme
- Current United Nations Road Safety Week identifies reduction of speed limit to 30 km/h in built-up areas as key measure to protect lives
A most welcome piece of news reached the city of Aachen this morning (17 March 2021): Federal Minister Horst Seehofer has announced this year's selection of the "National Projects of Urban Development" and announced that the development of the Büchel old town quarter will receive up to 5.5 million euros in funding. Aachen is thus one of four municipalities in NRW to have been awarded the contract. With the amount of funding, the city is in third place nationwide.
On 22.12.2020, the Senate passed the first legal ordinance on the Hamburg Climate Protection Act. This regulates the concrete implementation of the solar roof obligation and the integration of renewable energies when replacing heating systems. With these regulations, Hamburg is one of the pioneers in climate protection in the building sector nationwide.
How can Bonn become climate neutral by 2035? This is the question that the participatory project "Bonn4Future - We for the Climate!" would like to discuss together with Bonn citizens over the next two years. Since mid-2019, the climate emergency has been in effect in Bonn; in November 2019, the Council decided that Bonn should become climate neutral by 2035. The city and the non-profit association Bonn im Wandel have now signed a cooperation agreement and thus launched "Bonn4Future".
With the portal https://energiewendedörfer.de the University of Kassel and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen will present the initial results from the joint project "Innovative concepts and business models for sustainable bioenergy villages - climate-friendly, democratic, citizen-centred". In particular, concepts are being developed for bioenergy and biogas plants that can enable continued economic operation after the current 20-year EEG phase.
"The world's water resources are currently facing the greatest threat in the history of mankind," write aquatic ecologists in their recently published statement paper. More than one hundred professional societies of aquatic ecosystem research around the globe have signed the joint statement. In it, the researchers show the dramatic effects that climate change is having on aquatic ecosystems worldwide. They call for immediate concerted action by politics, business, science and society to halt the progress of climate change.
CO2-Emissions should be reduced by 65 percent over the next ten years compared to 1990 in order to achieve climate neutrality - Energy system must be converted to 100 percent renewable energies by 2040 - Investment of 3,000 billion euros required to meet European Green Deal and Paris climate targets - German EU Council Presidency can ensure that Corona aid packages link economic stimulus with climate protection
30.06.2020 - 16 players in the German financial sector, with assets of more than €5.5 trillion and over 46 million customer connections in Germany, have signed a voluntary commitment to align their loan and investment portfolios in line with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. Through the agreed measurement, publication and target setting to reduce the emissions associated with the loan and investment portfolios, the financial sector intends to make a contribution to climate protection and support the sustainable and future-oriented further development of the economy. This brings the German financial centre one step closer to the goal set by the German government at the beginning of 2019 of making Germany one of the leading locations for sustainable finance.
Good news for the PV industry: The solar cap will be abolished and solar expansion will be further promoted. The photovoltaic potential in Germany is enormous - especially when it comes to using roof space on new buildings. The new LichtBlick SolarCheck now shows in detail how well the 14 largest German cities are currently exploiting this potential. Enormous differences are revealed: While Nuremberg (49.1%) and Hanover (46.8%) exploit almost half of their potential, Munich and Düsseldorf do not even reach the 10 percent hurdle. The absolute taillight: the Hanseatic city of Hamburg with only 7.2 percent - one more reason for the solar obligation for new buildings planned by the mayor's office.
The parliament of Bremen wants to oblige the use of solar energy on all new and existing buildings in Bremen and Bremerhaven. Whenever the roof surface is completely renewed, they are to be equipped with a solar system in the future. This is photovoltaics and, if necessary, also solar thermal energy. The Senate is currently examining the latter.
State government launches climate protection support programme for citizens
Environment Minister Jan Philipp Albrecht today presented the state's new funding programme for private investment in climate protection. It starts on Tuesday, 9 June, and includes a bundle of support measures. Funding is available for the purchase of cargo bikes, e-charging stations, electricity storage systems, photovoltaic balcony systems, solar thermal systems, non-fossil heating systems and rainwater cisterns. The installation of a district heating connection and the installation of a green roof are also subsidised.
To ensure that significantly more houses in Hamburg are greened with plants on roofs and facades, the environmental authority is making €500,000 in funding available from 1 June. A maximum of € 100,000 and up to 40 % of the costs, applicants can receive in future in grants. Applications can be made from construction costs of €1,000. Funding will be provided for ground and wall-based greening of new and existing buildings, preparatory work, climbing aids, plants, planting measures, irrigation systems, completion maintenance and the ancillary costs for professional planning and supervision.
The Federal Chamber of Architects (BAK) and the Federal Foundation of Baukultur presented their proposal for a "Baukultur Innovation Programme" to politicians in Berlin today on behalf of the planning and construction industry.
Anne Katrin Bohle, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community, accepted the four-point plan. In it, the authors suggest measures to overcome the coronavirus crisis that will have a lasting economic and social impact.
Berlin/Cologne. Climate protection and adaptation to the consequences of climate change will become increasingly important for cities. This is one of the findings of the survey of (Lord) Mayors of large German cities* conducted by the German Institute of Urban Affairs in January and February 2020. Almost two-thirds of the respondents named climate protection as an important municipal issue for the future. This means that the number of mayors who attribute an increase in importance to this field of municipal policy action has more than tripled compared to the previous year. Future surveys will show how strongly this result was influenced by the protests of the 'Fridays for Future' movement.
Brussels/Freiburg, 5 May 2020 - An alliance "Solar Europe Now", officially launched on 5 May, is calling for solar energy to be recognised as a key technology for the objectives of the European Green Deal. The new alliance, which currently includes more than 90 players from the entire value chain of the European solar industry, is concerned that the photovoltaic sector is not being given enough consideration in the current presentation of the Green Deal.
Konturen einer solidarischen Stadtpolitik
Anton Brokow-Loga (Hrsg.),
Frank Eckardt (Hrsg.)
Städte ohne Wachstum – eine bislang kaum vorstellbare Vision. Doch Klimawandel,
Ressourcenverschwendung, wachsende soziale Ungleichheiten und viele andere
Zukunftsgefahren stellen das bisherige Allheilmittel Wachstum grundsätzlich infrage. Wie wollen
wir heute und morgen zusammenleben? Wie gestalten wir ein gutes Leben für alle in der Stadt?
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 offering since today provides the appropriate topic for discussion: With the new "Federal Award for Environment and Building", which will be awarded for the first time in 2020, the initiators want to distinguish projects with exemplary character in terms of sustainability - not only in the classic areas of existing buildings and new buildings, but also in five other categories. All players in the building sector can apply. The deadline for entries is 15 April 2020.
The share of renewable energies in electricity consumption rises to almost 43 percent. The climate protection successes in the electricity sector are diminished by rising greenhouse gas emissions in buildings and transport. In parallel, public interest in climate protection is rising: since May 2019, it has consistently been the most pressing political issue in the eyes of the population. This is shown by Agora Energiewende's 2019 annual evaluation.
The illumination of night landscapes by artificial lighting increases globally by about 2 to 6 percent per year, with effects on people and nature. A new guide describes how municipalities can minimize light pollution by making their street and building lighting more efficient. Researchers from the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) and the University of Münster have now jointly published the guide on redesigning and retrofitting outdoor lighting.
For almost fifteen years, Rob Hopkins has been developing a method for preparing our societies for the coming upheavals. Video: 5 min, available from 6.12.2019 to 8.12.2021
While European environmental and climate policies have helped to improve the state of the environment in recent decades, progress has been insufficient and the outlook for the environment over the next decade is bleak, according to the report "The Environment in Europe - State and Outlook 2020en (SOER 2020)" is not positive.
The SOER 2020 is the most comprehensive environmental assessment ever undertaken for Europe. It provides an unsparing snapshot of Europe's position in terms of achieving its 2020 and 2030 policy targets, as well as its longer-term 2050 goals and ambitions for a transition to a sustainable, low-carbon future. The report points out that Europe has already made significant progress in mitigating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions over the past two decades. There are also signs of progress in other areas. Examples include the fight against air and water pollution, new strategies against plastic waste, progress in adapting to climate change and in the areas of circular economy and bioeconomy. In addition, the EU Sustainable Finance Initiative addresses for the first time the role of the financial sector in the necessary transition towards a sustainable future.
1 trillion to be invested by the EU
According to the head of the EIB (European Investment Bank), Werner Hoyer, it is realistic to invest one trillion euros in climate protection within 10 years. In an interview with Der Spiegel, Hoyer said: "If we want to achieve our climate protection targets, we are no longer talking about billions, but trillions of euros" and "We can do it." EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had named the climate protection target when she took office. Hoyer assumes that 1 trillion euros in EU climate protection measures will trigger investments totalling 4 trillion euros.
21.11.2019. Heute gründet das Bundesverkehrsministerium zusammen mit Ländern und Kommunen ein Bündnis für moderne Mobilität. Ziel ist, mehr Platz für umweltfreundliche Verkehrsmittel zu schaffen.
Dazu gehört auch der schnelle Ausbau des Radverkehrs gemäß Klimapaket der Bundesregierung. Der Fahrradclub ADFC ist mit einem Impulsvortrag vertreten. ADFC-Bundesgeschäftsführer Burkhard Stork sichert Bürgermeisterinnen und Bürgermeistern volle Unterstützung bei den zu erwartenden Flächenkonflikten zu.
ADFC-Bundesgeschäftsführer Burkhard Stork said in the run-up to the event: „From 2020, for the first time there will be real money from the federal government to finance high-quality cycle path networks, cycle bridges and cycle parking facilities in the municipalities. To make sure that this money gets to the roads quickly, mayors and their administrations must start planning now - and build really good cycle paths from 2021 at the latest. As everywhere else in the world, there will be conflicts when it comes to redistributing road space. This is where it is important to show attitude and leadership, dear mayors. The ADFC, with its more than 450 branches nationwide, will strengthen you in this!"
Als "wichtiges Signal für den gesamten Finanzmarkt" begrüßt die Entwicklungs- und Umweltorganisation Germanwatch die Verabschiedung der neuen Energierichtlinie der Europäischen Investitionsbank. Sie legt den Ausstieg aus der Finanzierung fossiler Energieprojekte bis Ende 2021 fest. Der Ausstieg gelang auch dank einer am Ende gemeinsamen Linie der zuvor zerstrittenen Bundesministerien.
The ecovillage Sieben Linden has existed near Berlin for 30 years. The documentary gives a detailed insight into life there and what the villagers have experienced so far. Available until 28.10.2024
The five northern German coastal states have joined forces to build a green hydrogen economy as a pillar of the energy and transport transition: At their autumn meeting in Lübeck, the ministers, senators and senators responsible for economy and transport today (7 November) adopted a joint "North German Hydrogen Strategy". At the same time the heads of department called on the federal government to support their initiative and to include it in the national hydrogen strategy announced by the federal government for the end of the year. "With our strategy we show a way how the hydrogen potentials can be raised especially in the field of industry and mobility.
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Eurosolar, filmmaker Carl-A. Fechner has created a three-minute film about Hermann Scheer, the founder of Eurosolar.
Kaum ein Thema war in den vergangenen Monaten so präsent wie der Klimaschutz. Ein großer Baustein im Aufhalten des menschengemachten Klimawandels ist die Umsetzung der Energiewende. „Erneuerbare Energien können sehr viel dazu beitragen, die Treibhausgasemissionen in Deutschland zu reduzieren, und zwar im Strom-, Verkehrs- und Wärmesektor“, sagt Dr. Robert Brandt, Geschäftsführer der Agentur für Erneuerbare Energien (AEE). „Die deutsche Bevölkerung weiß, wie wichtig Erneuerbare dafür sind. Unsere neue Akzeptanzumfrage zeigt, dass die Menschen die Energiewende wollen.“
In der aktuellen repräsentativen Umfrage der Agentur für Erneuerbare Energien (AEE), die durch das Meinungsforschungsinstitut YouGov* durchgeführt wurde, befürworten neun von zehn Bürger*innen (89 Prozent) eine stärkere Nutzung der Erneuerbaren Energien in Deutschland. 66 Prozent gaben sogar an, dass die stärkere Nutzung und der Ausbau der EE sehr und außerordentlich wichtig seien.
The carbon footprint calculator developed by the ifeu Institute in Heidelberg can be used to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions of food. The website also provides tips and advice on how to become a "climatarian", i.e. how to adopt a climate-friendly diet. The CO2 foodprint is calculated. This is the proportion of one's CO2 emissions that are caused by food. Link www.klimatarier.com/de/CO2_Rechner
Since January, Berlin has had what it claims to be the toughest administrative regulations for procurement and the environment in the country. Thomas Schwilling from the responsible department has accompanied the development and knows about its effect - and the hurdles. An interview: www.nachhaltigkeitsrat.de/aktuelles/was-berlin-in-sachen-nachhaltiger-beschaffung-unternimmt/
According to a new study by EU scientists, one percent of the EU's surface area is enough to cover the community's entire electricity needs with solar power. https://www.solarserver.de/solar-magazin/nachrichten/aktuelles/2019/kw40/europa-unabhaengig-mit-solarstrom.html
Even before the UN Summit on Sustainable Development, it is clear that the implementation of the 2030 Agenda is making slow progress. The global community now needs action instead of words to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The international report on the status of SDG implementation shows that there are major gaps in implementation worldwide. The number of people suffering from hunger is increasing again worldwide [...]
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!"
Schleiden-Gemünd / Nettersheim, 05.04.2019. Experiencing the starry sky at night with twinkling celestial bodies is a special experience for many people that is now only possible in a few places in Germany - one of these places is the Eifel National Park. Since 2010, a regional initiative has been successfully campaigning for the protection of the night sky and the preservation of the natural night landscape - in 2014, this was followed by the provisional designation as the first "International Dark Sky Park" in Germany. Now this initiative can look forward to the final recognition as International Star Park Eifel National Park. The designation as a protected area of the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) is a predicate with which few regions worldwide can advertise themselves, in Germany there are only four. For the Eifel National Park, which turned 15 this year, this recognition is a nice "birthday present".
