95 percent of Germans want more renewable energies

Future security and climate protection are the most important reasons / High acceptance for plants in the neighbourhood

Berlin, 08 August 2017 - The expansion of renewable energies is an important concern for an overwhelming majority of Germans. This is shown by a recent representative survey conducted by Kantar Emnid on behalf of the German Renewable Energy Agency (AEE). 95 percent of those surveyed rated the expansion of renewables as important to extremely important..

"The result of the survey proves how broad the social consensus is that supports the energy transition in Germany," says Nils Boenigk, Deputy Managing Director of AEE. "95 percent is a clear vote for the upcoming federal government to resolutely push ahead with the expansion of renewable energies," says Boenigk with a view to the federal elections in September.

The citizens are very willing to accept renewable energy plants in their neighbourhood. 65 percent of the survey participants are generally positive about plants within a radius of five kilometres from their homes. The approval rate is significantly higher when people already have experience with such plants. While, for example, 72 percent of all respondents approve of solar parks in the vicinity of their homes, the approval rating rises to 94 percent if there is actually a plant in the vicinity of the survey participants. The approval ratings for coal-fired power plants, on the other hand, are far off in the single-digit percentage range.

The most important advantages of renewable energies for people in Germany are future security and climate protection. Thus, 75 percent of the participants agree with the statement that renewables contribute to a secure future for our children and grandchildren. 72 percent affirm the statement that energy from the sun, wind, biomass & co. protects the climate. "The people in Germany know that the expansion must continue so that we can fulfil our obligations to climate protection and to future generations," emphasises Boenigk.

In order to finance the expansion of renewables, the majority of respondents are willing to make their contribution via the EEG levy through the electricity price. Thus, 48 percent rated the current monthly contribution of 20 euros per 3-person household (3,500 kilowatt hours annual consumption) as appropriate, while 8 percent are even willing to pay more for the expansion of renewables. Only 37 percent consider the contribution to be too high.

You can find further infographics on the survey in the AEE Media Library.

Keywords: 100% EEs, DE-News, Renewable, Climate protection, Tenant electricity, PV, PlusEnergy house/settlement, Solar thermal, Environmental policy, Ecology

Particularly strong increase in expensive cities

Average building land prices for individual development by district type 2007 to 2016 Fig.: BBSR Bonn

Between 2011 and 2016, the average price of building land for owner-occupied homes across Germany rose by 27 per cent from 129 euros per square metre to 164 euros. In the major cities, the price per square metre of building land rose by 33 per cent - from just over EUR 250 in 2011 to just under EUR 350 in 2016. This not only makes residential property significantly more expensive, but also puts the brakes on affordable rental housing construction. This is the result of an analysis by the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR).

The analysis is based on purchase price data from the official expert committees for property values for the last five years. In the urban and rural districts, the price level and increase lagged behind the major cities. However, even there the increase was well above the general rate of inflation. In the urban districts - often districts surrounding large cities - purchase prices for undeveloped land rose from 132 euros per square metre in 2011 to 156 euros per square metre in 2016 (+19 per cent), while in the rural districts, the price per square metre of building land rose from 64 euros to 78 euros in 2016 (+20 per cent).

The average purchase price for a plot of land for owner-occupied development also rose significantly - by 27 per cent to EUR 112,000 in 2016. In the major cities, the average purchase price for a plot of land for owner-occupied development was just under EUR 200,000 (+ 25 per cent). Average purchase prices have risen particularly sharply in expensive cities. "Rising land prices determine the purchase or construction costs to a considerable extent, especially in the growth regions. This makes residential property more expensive," says BBSR expert Matthias Waltersbacher. "In tight markets, high building land prices are also driving rents for new builds up to EUR 14 to 16 per square metre. This means that privately financed residential construction at affordable rents is no longer possible."

While the transaction figures for plots of land for owner-occupier development remained fairly stable in the urban districts between 2011 and 2016, they fell by 30 per cent in the major cities. Transactions fell particularly sharply in expensive cities such as Cologne, Frankfurt am Main and Stuttgart. Rural districts recorded an increase of just under 15 per cent in the same period. "Property prices have recently risen so sharply that the pressure to realise them often no longer allows for the development of single-family homes," says Waltersbacher. "More and more buyers are looking for alternatives in the surrounding area."

The analysis is based on an examination of the independent cities and rural districts for which transaction data for properties is available via the purchase price collections of the expert committees for property values in a complete time series since 2011. This representative longitudinal section covers around a third of all cities and districts in Germany. A comprehensive analysis of the land and property market for the years 2015 and 2016 will be presented by the Working Group of the Higher Expert Committees, Central Offices and Expert Committees in the Federal Republic of Germany (AK OGA) in December 2017 with the German Property Market Report.

Published 25. March 2019

DGB Action Week "Affordability is half the battle".

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