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Large demonstration in Berlin against rent madness

Published 17 April 2018

On Saturday 14.4.2018, around 13,000 to 15,000 people took to the streets in Berlin under the slogan "Resistance - together against displacement and rent madness". 254 initiatives and organizations (see mietenwahnsinn.info/initiativen) called for the protest march. Many Berliners fear for their existence due to high housing costs.
Article "Large demonstration in Berlin - thousands against rent madness" in the taz:
http://taz.de/Grossdemonstration-in-Berlin/!5498560/

3 min. video (Länderspiegel ZDF):
www.zdf.de/...grossdemonstration-in-berlin-rund-13-000-gegen-mietenwahnsinn-100.html

Keywords: Stakeholders, Construction and operating costs, DE-News, Communities, News Blog Berlin, Social / Culture, Housing policy, Economics

Published 15. July 2016

Deutscher Städtetag: Brochure on planning practice and planning culture in German cities

The planning practice and planning culture of German cities are the focus of a comprehensive handout produced with the cooperation of the German Association of Cities and Towns and the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development. The brochure brings together 55 projects from 34 cities that show how multifaceted municipal planning practice is implemented in Germany. The documentation of successful projects and exemplary Planning Processes offers a rich fund of ideas and is intended to encourage new approaches. It covers a broad spectrum of good practice and innovative solutions on strategic concepts, citizen participation, housing, urban design, urban renewal, neighbourhood management or mobility. The brochure, published in April 2016, is addressed to representatives of local politics, administration and civil society initiatives in cities, but also offers inspiring practical examples for research and teaching.

Download: www.staedtetag.de/...staedtebau-planungspraxis-staedte-2016

Keywords:
DE-News, Media, New books and studies, Quarters, Settlements, City, Housing policy

Published 9. February 2017

Final report on energy sufficiency in the consumer field of construction/housing

Publication of the final report

The project "Energy sufficiency - strategies and instruments for a technical, systemic and cultural transformation to sustainably limit energy demand in the building/housing consumer environment", funded by the BMBF, was successfully completed at the end of 2016. The project investigated how energy-efficient everyday routines, social practices and lifestyle aspects can be harmonised with the requirements of sustainable development and how the structural and political framework conditions must be designed so that energy sufficiency becomes more acceptable and practicable in everyday life. Reduction potentials for household electricity consumption were quantified for the three energy sufficiency approaches of reduction, substitution and adaptation.

The results were presented in the form of sufficiency spectra for selected fields of application. Subsequently, policy approaches to support energy sufficiency in private households were analysed and proposals for an integrated package of policy instruments for energy efficiency and sufficiency were developed. The findings of the project have been incorporated into an internet-based household electricity check, a handbook on sustainable product design for the appliance industry and the development of proposals for national and EU instruments to reduce electricity consumption and promote municipal climate protection.

Project partner:
ifeu Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg gGmbH (ifeu)
Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy gGmbH (WI)
Berlin University of the Arts/Design Research Lab (UdK)
Research Centre for Sustainability and Climate Policy (FNK)

Download:
https://energiesuffizienz.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/energiesuffizienz_endbericht.pdf

Keywords:
DE-News, Research, Climate protection, Lifestyle / Consumption, New books and studies, Resource efficiency, Sufficiency, Transition Town, Environmental policy

Published 8. June 2017

Global foundation platform "F20" founded for climate protection and sustainability

Berlin/ Hamburg: According to the newly founded Global Foundation Platform (F20), "the G7 Summit in Italy paved the way for the G20 Summit in Hamburg". "Six of the seven heads of state and government have shown their determination to implement the Paris Climate Agreement - despite the reluctance of the US government. The largest economies now face the task of implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement," said a joint press release.

The F20, a unique alliance of more than 35 foundations from nine countries, was founded on the occasion of the G20 Summit, which will take place in Hamburg on 7 and 8 July. Together, they want to make a contribution to global climate protection and a global energy transition.

"On climate change, the German G20 Presidency can build on the backing of businesses, think tanks, civil society, representatives of all faith communities and progressive countries. It is they who are driving global climate action, investing in sustainable infrastructure and creating the jobs of the future in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and America. The goals of the Paris Agreement are gaining global support and solidifying every day that the shift towards a climate-resilient global economy gains momentum," said Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation.

Michael Northrop, Rockefeller Brothers Fund: "The transition to a climate-resilient global economy offers business opportunities, jobs and economic development, as well as additional benefits such as cleaner air and a healthier environment. But to unlock this potential, the necessary investments must be unleashed now. More and more foundations, pension funds, cities and insurance companies are stepping forward by withdrawing their capital from fossil assets and supporting clean solutions."

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund had already announced in 2014 that it would disinvest the over 800 million US dollar fund, i.e. withdraw the capital from climate-damaging assets, and invest in clean solutions. Since 2014, more than US$5 trillion in assets under management have been withdrawn from coal and other fossil fuels.

Ramiro Fernández, Director Climate Change at the Avina Foundation, Argentina, underlines the important role of civil society in the global energy transition. "Civil society has been and continues to be a driving force for transformative change. The importance of their commitment to the preservation of natural livelihoods and to social justice - whether at the international, national or local level - cannot be overstated. The voices of civil society organisations from around the world must therefore be involved in the G20 process," he said.

The Avina Foundation is a Latin American organisation that implements democracy promotion, environmental protection and sustainable development projects in Argentina. Among the participating foundations are Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Wallace Global Fund (both USA), Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, Tata Trusts (both India), Avina Foundation (Latin America), FARN (Argentina), SEE Foundation, C Team (both China), Instituto Arapyaú (Brazil), European Climate Foundation (Netherlands), Stiftung Zukunftsfähigkeit, Stiftung Mercator, Stiftung 2° - German Entrepreneurs for Climate Protection, Michael Otto Foundation for Environmental Protection, WWF, Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU), the ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius and the World Future Council (all Germany). Altogether, these foundations represent a total capital in the tens of billions of US dollars.

On 4 July - three days before the actual G20 summit - the Foundation Platform invites representatives from civil society, business, science and politics to Hamburg City Hall. The aim is to express their support for the global climate protection agenda and to discuss how the potential offered by global climate protection can be raised.

Speakers include British economist Sir Nicholas Stern, sociologist Auma Obama, author and former US government advisor Amory B. Lovins, Chinese entrepreneur Wang Shi and Kurt Bock, Chairman of the Business 20 Group (B20) Energy, Climate and Resource Efficiency and Chairman of the Board of BASF.

Further information:
www.foundations-20.org

Keywords:
Stakeholders, Funding, Climate protection, News Blog Europe (without DE)

Published 11. January 2016

More money for RLP municipalities for refugee aid

A bill on the State Reception Act will be submitted to the Landtag today. With this, the municipalities will receive more money for the reception, accommodation and care of asylum seekers. "The amendment to the State Reception Act will lead to a significant improvement in the financing of the task of assisting refugees for the municipalities and is an important basis for ensuring that the municipalities and the state continue to fulfil their tasks," said Minister President Malu Dreyer and Integration Minister Irene Alt.

Early yesterday evening, the municipal umbrella organisations and the Rhineland-Palatinate government jointly agreed on the cost reimbursement to be paid for refugee assistance expenses as of 1 January 2016. The starting point was the federal funds available to Rhineland-Palatinate according to the decision of the Federal Chancellor and the heads of government of the Länder on 24 September 2015. "We have worked out the necessary key points together so that they can now be introduced as a bill in the state parliament," said Finance Minister Doris Ahnen, who led the discussion together with State Secretary in the Ministry of Integration Margit Gottstein and State Secretary of Finance Salvatore Barbaro.

"I very much welcome the cornerstones that have been worked out jointly between the municipal umbrella organisations and the state government. They ensure that the state and the municipalities will continue to tackle the great challenge of taking in refugees together," said the Minister President.

Starting in 2016, the municipalities are to be paid a lump sum of 848 euros per month per refugee. This refers to the period from distribution to a local authority until the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees issues the first decision in the asylum procedure. This lump sum is paid out in full by the state exactly according to the number of refugees and the months. In this way, the municipalities are relieved effectively and quickly - regardless of how and when the federal government settles the relief for the Länder.

In addition, starting in 2016, the state will make a lump sum payment of 35 million euros at the beginning of each year for costs that are still incurred after the initial decision has been issued. For 2015, it is planned that Rhineland-Palatinate's share of the federal government's additional refugee billion of 48 million euros for the current year will be made available in full to the municipalities. Of this, 24 million euros will be provided as a lump-sum cost-share. The remaining 24 million euros of the refugee billion and another 20 million euros of Land money form an advance payment totalling 44 million euros on Land benefits due in 2016. The aim is to provide the municipalities with the necessary funds in a timely manner.

There is now also clarity for the distribution of federal funds to be used for child day care in the Länder after the abolition of the childcare allowance. Rhineland-Palatinate will receive a total of about 95 million euros from 2016 to 2018. These funds are to be divided equally between the municipalities and the state. To ensure that support is as even as possible, the municipalities will receive three equal annual instalments of around 16 million euros each (a total of around 48 million euros). These funds can be used flexibly within the framework of local target agreements to improve child day care and for additional expenditure in this area.

Source: PM from 06.11.2015

Keywords:
Refugee shelters, Funding, News Blog RLP, Housing policy