The federal government can give a short-term boost to public housing construction in Germany and thus help to ease the acute housing shortage in many large cities. The key to this is three federally owned companies that provide flexible support to the federal states and local authorities in the development of construction projects and the construction of new housing: Firstly, a consultancy company that provides planning capacities to cities and municipalities. Secondly, a land fund that provides financial and conceptual support to local authorities nationwide in acquiring building land and financing infrastructure. Thirdly, an investment company that strengthens the equity of municipal housing construction companies through financial participation. Prof Dr Sebastian Dullien, Scientific Director of the Institute for Macroeconomics and Economic Research (IMK) at the Hans Böckler Foundation, and Prof Dr Tom Krebs from the University of Mannheim show this in a new concept for a federal "Future Housing" initiative.
Kategorie für Blog: New books and studies
More new registrations, growth rate weakened / German manufacturers in 5th and 6th place
In 2019, the number of electric cars worldwide rose to around 7.9 million - an increase of 2.3 million compared to the previous year. The number of new registrations once again reached an all-time high, but grew only slightly compared to 2018. With a total of 3.8 million e-cars, China remains the undisputed global leader. It is followed by the USA with just under 1.5 million. The growth rate of new registrations declined in these two countries in particular. In Germany, on the other hand, the market continued to develop positively, albeit at a lower level: here, just under 231,000 electric vehicles were rolling along the roads at the end of 2019. The new figures come from a recent survey by the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW). According to the researchers, Tesla recorded the most new registrations worldwide in 2019, with 361,000. German manufacturers continued to improve on the previous year: BMW is in fifth place worldwide with 114,500 electric cars. VW reaches sixth place.A research project conducted by natureplus in conjunction with IFEU compares insulation materials with regard to their environmental impact throughout their entire life cycle, including recovery and recycling.
Which insulation material is the best? This question is extremely popular in the construction industry and can ultimately only be answered in the context of the respective construction. In particular, there has so far been a lack of a holistic overview that enables builders and planners to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the various insulation material alternatives in terms of their life cycle assessment, without having to disregard subsequent disposal.
At a press conference today, Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter, together with City Planning Councillor Professor Dr. (l) Elisabeth Merk, presented an overall plan for Munich's mobility in the coming decades.
27.01.2020 A material revolution that replaces cement and steel with wood in urban construction can have double benefits for climate stabilization. This is now shown in a study by an international team of scientists. First, it can avoid greenhouse gas emissions from cement and steel production. Secondly, it can turn buildings into carbon sinks, since in the construction timber the CO2 is stored. Although the required amount of wood is theoretically available, such an expansion would require very careful sustainable forest management, the authors emphasize.
150 concrete proposals are contained in a catalogue that the city of Bonn has drawn up in recent months following the declaration of the climate emergency. Many of the measures can be implemented directly by the administration, while others require a political decision. At a press conference on Wednesday, 22 January 2020, Lord Mayor Ashok Sridharan and City Planning Officer Helmut Wiesner presented the catalogue of measures. On 4 July 2019, Bonn City Council decided to support a resolution to declare a climate emergency. Bonn has thus joined other municipalities and reaffirmed that climate protection must be a top priority in municipal action. The administration has therefore drawn up a catalogue of measures over the past few months with the involvement of all departments.
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.
ROBIN WOOD has scrutinized the green electricity offers of 1,200 providers and publishes the results today in the "ROBIN WOOD Eco-Electricity Report 2020.". The environmental organization rates eight offers as recommendable. The current research report was realized with the support of the Open Knowledge Foundation Germany.
The aim of the handbook is to provide municipal actors with concrete tools that can be used to keep and locate production in urban areas. In the joint project UrbaneProduktion.Ruhr, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, research was carried out from October 2016 to December 2019 into whether and how it is possible to bring production back to the city.
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.
Decentrally generated electricity from renewable energies can cover the demand for electrical energy in Bavaria both in balance and in perspective. This is the result of a joint study by the grid operators Bayernwerk Netz GmbH (Bayernwerk), LEW Verteilnetz GmbH (LVN) and Main-Donau Netzgesellschaft. The Bavarian power grid operators have analysed which development paths are possible for Bavaria with regard to renewable power generation and whether climate neutrality can be achieved in the power sector. The grid operators received scientific support from the Forschungsstelle für Energiewirtschaft e.V. (Research Centre for Energy Economics).
The project, initiated by the Bund für Umwelt und Naturschut
The BUND Yearbook Ecological Building & Renovation, published by BUND Deutschland (BUND), helps by making owners fit for discussions with the house bank, architect, energy consultant and craftsmen. The guidebook, which will be available from November, shows what can be done and how: Based on numerous house portraits, the annual compendium helps the reader to find out which measures, building materials and technologies are best suited to their own project.
With the successful implementation of the state program "Area-wide Safety Charging Network for Electric Vehicles" (SAFE), Baden-Württemberg is the first state to have an area-wide charging network for electric cars in a 10-kilometer grid. The SAFE charging network consists of more than 450 charging stations.
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.
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.
Photovoltaic modules can generate climate-friendly electricity for decades Old modules must be disposed of properly New BSW information paper provides information on disposal points and gives important safety instructions One advantage of photovoltaics is that it can supply electricity for decades if it is installed and components are chosen properly. If photovoltaic modules are eventually no longer used for solar power generation due to damage or age [...]
The International Energy Agency (IEA) expects a boom in photovoltaics over the next five years. Worldwide, installed solar power capacity is expected to grow by 720 gigawatts (GW). www.solarserver.de/...iea-erwartet-massives-wachstum-der-photovoltaik/
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
The Agency for Renewable Resources (Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e. V. - FNR) supports potential applicants in applying for funding with a guideline for submitting outlines and applications for projects in the field of the Forest Climate Fund. (FNR) supports potentially interested parties in applying for funding. The guide is available in print and for download. The 58-page brochure in A5 format provides condensed information on the funding procedure and explains [...]
BUND and the ifeu - Institute for Energy and Environmental Research have produced various studies on building issues over the last 10 years, including "13 measures against energy waste in the boiler room". This study now deals with the core issue of cost allocation for energy modernisation in rented buildings. Already in the year [...]
The HYPV research project has developed a guide that discusses low-CO2 electricity and heating networks. It is intended to make planning easier for energy suppliers. http://projektinfos.energiewendebauen.de/forschung-im-dialog/neuigkeiten-aus-der-forschung/detailansicht/leitfaden-fuer-planung-von-energienetzen-erschienen/
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 [...]
Germany's decision in favour of emissions trading for transport and buildings would be a special path - all other EU states with CO2 pricing in addition to European certificate trading rely on tax solution Berlin (12 July 2019). More and more states in Europe and around the world are introducing CO2 prices. Germany, however, would be taking a special path if it were to introduce an additional [...]
Annual press conference of the central association of the housing industry in Berlin 17 June 2019 Annual balance sheet of the housing industry shows great commitment of companies to more affordable housing Housing industry sends alarm signal - conditions for affordable housing still too poor
On the one hand, more and more old office buildings and office parks are losing their function. On the other hand, there is a great demand for living space in cities and agglomerations. This publication shows the opportunities, but also the difficulties, associated with the conversion of this particular building typology.
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. In addition, they lead to economic losses due to, for example, production downtimes, crop losses or damage to buildings and infrastructure.
A recent study by the Energy Watch Group and the Finnish University LUT shows how the energy transition can be realized with 100% renewable energies in Europe. According to the study, greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced to zero before 2050 and there would be significant financial advantages compared to the conventional fossil-nuclear system. Pdf-Download: http://energywatchgroup.org/...2018/12/Key-findings_100-renewable-Transition-across-energy-sectors-Europe.pdf
with a focus on solar energy, neighbourhood concepts and funding The BUND Yearbook Ecological Building & Renovation, published by the Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND), helps owners by making them fit for discussions with the house bank, architect, energy advisor and tradesmen. The guidebook, which will be available in November, shows what can be done and how: Starting [...]
In its current special report, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has pointed out the need for massive savings in greenhouse gases. With its project of "100 climate protection settlements in NRW", North Rhine-Westphalia is pursuing the goal of significantly reducing these emissions through the combination of energy-efficient buildings with low greenhouse gas house technologies. 35 of these energy-efficient climate protection settlements have already been [...]
Berlin: On 4 May 2018, BUND presented a shutdown plan for nuclear power plants (NPPs) and coal-fired power plants. This analysis shows that the decommissioning of the most climate-damaging coal-fired power plants by 2020 and a significant acceleration of the nuclear phase-out in Germany are possible without jeopardising security of supply. "The shutdown plan is a call to the political [...]
"Nearly two million affordable homes are lacking. The situation is likely to get worse. Social housing must be promoted more strongly."
The "Alternative Economic Policy Working Group" has published its MEMORANDUM 2018 report. Price of the "black zero": distribution deficits and gaps in supply Germany, with its senseless ideology of austerity and cuts, has not yet arrived economically in the 21st century. The small-minded hucksterism of the ruling politicians is also slowing down the recovery in the European Union and the Eurozone. The [...]
Renewable energy growth varies widely from country to country / Greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union rose slightly last year / Agora Energiewende and Sandbag present report on EU energy transition Brussels, 30 January 2018. In 2017, wind, solar and biomass in the European Union generated [...]
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE presented the fourth edition of their study on the cost price of electricity from renewable energies on March 20, 2018. In it, they analyze current costs and forecast further developments based on technology-specific learning rates and market scenarios up to the year 2035. "The cost forecasts of the previous studies [...]
As of now, the 192-page guide of the AKP - Fachzeitschrift für Alternative Kommunal Politik can be purchased for 15 euros nominal fee plus shipping costs. Climate protection has long been a topic in the councils, climate change adaptation in many places not yet.
The Federal Environment Agency's publication "Urban Mining" was published in July 2017 and explains the possibilities of extracting raw materials in urban areas, for example from buildings, infrastructures and durable consumer and fixed assets. While waste management is essentially concerned with waste generation, urban mining looks at the total stock of durable goods. The aim is [...]
The vital, functionally mixed city is the guiding principle of sustainable urban development. Urban production can make an important contribution to the mix of functions. After years of functional segregation, it shows ways in which new city-affine production typologies, manufactories, small businesses and crafts can achieve more functional mixing in the various city quarters and secure or restore supply qualities.
New study makes the progress of the German states in the energy transition transparent Berlin/Stuttgart, 16 November 2017. Baden-Württemberg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Bavaria are the leading German states in the field of renewable energies. This is the result of the comparison of the German states published today by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) and the Center for Solar Energy and [...]
The successful implementation of the energy transition requires a variety of technologies that solve different tasks in the energy system. Missing components must be supplemented and optimization processes implemented. Technological innovations, supported by social innovations, play a central role in this. Now, several projects are systematically investigating the potentials of the individual energy technologies and the innovation needs [...]
