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BMU and BMZ call for more ambition for UN sustainability agenda

Published

Three years after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, implementation is progressing, but not fast enough: worldwide, ambition must increase significantly to achieve the global Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

Federal Minister Müller and Federal Minister Schulze will take stock of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at the joint conference "Accelerating change - for a sustainable development worldwide and in Germany" on 5 November in Berlin. Together with Hajia Alima Mahama, Ghana's Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, and high-ranking representatives from civil society, business and academia, they will discuss how change can be significantly accelerated in Germany and worldwide.

Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze: "Sustainable development is not an elite project. Quite the opposite: people and nature should be better off in 2030, which benefits everyone. The shift towards an emission-free economy produces value added and jobs and can help innovations to make a breakthrough that are in demand worldwide. Ambitious sustainability policy is therefore our great common project for progress, and the 2030 Agenda is our compass for this."

Federal Development Minister Gerd Müller: "The world is looking to us when it comes to implementing the 2030 Agenda: as rich countries, we ourselves must set a good example - because people in developing countries are suffering from our way of consuming and from our lifestyle. One consequence is climate change, for which the industrialised countries are primarily responsible: We emit an average of ten tons of CO2 per capita. In Somalia, the figure is just 100 kilos. But the people in Africa, Bangladesh and many other developing countries are the main ones affected. We must and can make globalization just, change our consumption and our economy in a sustainable way, and thus preserve creation for future generations."

Despite positive trends and global efforts, progress towards achieving the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been insufficient in many cases: for example, the proportion of the world's absolute poor has fallen from 26.9 per cent in 2000 to 9.2 per cent today, and child mortality in developing countries has been halved since 2000. At the same time, however, the number of people suffering from hunger has risen again in the last three years, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

The likelihood of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is diminishing, and over eight million tonnes of plastic waste continue to enter the oceans every year. At the next UN Sustainable Development Summit in New York in September 2019, heads of state and government will meet for the first time to take stock of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. This summit has a crucial role to play; it should send the strongest possible political signal from heads of state and government for accelerated economic and social change.

With the new edition of the German Sustainability Strategy adopted in 2017, the Federal Government has taken a first important step towards SDG implementation in Germany and in the context of international cooperation with its partner countries. The Federal Government is currently updating this strategy in order to further strengthen the idea of sustainability in all policy areas. In the process, the suggestions of civil society, business and science are being actively taken up.

BMU and BMZ are flanking this with additional measures: BMZ supports developing countries and emerging economies in implementing the 2030 Agenda, BMU contributes with its International Climate Initiative. Both ministries are also striving to achieve climate neutrality for their buildings by 2020.

In 2015, the United Nations adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda. This showed that it is possible for the international community to join forces worldwide to tackle key challenges. These 17 closely interrelated goals have ensured worldwide that environmental, social and economic issues are thought of together and driven forward by all parts of society.

Source: Press release BMZ / BMU, 05.11.2018


Keywords: SDG 2030, Environmental policy

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UBA: one ton of CO2 causes damage of 180 euros
Published

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

Hesse launches consulting program for fuel cell heating systems
Published

Hesse launches consulting program for fuel cell heating systems

Many detached houses, apartment blocks and commercial buildings are suitable for the installation of a fuel cell heating system. It generates electricity and heat at the same time.

The installation of such micro-CHP systems is also subsidised by the federal government. Dr Karsten McGovern, Head of the State Energy Agency (LEA), says: "Hesse has been supporting fuel cell heating as a building block for the heating transition in the boiler room for many years. Building on the positive long-term experience of the Hessian funding programme from 2014/15, we would like to motivate even more Hessian consumers to opt for this innovative heating technology." To this end, the LEA has launched an information and advice campaign on behalf of the Hessian Ministry of Economics.

In a fuel cell heating system, natural gas is converted into electricity and heat according to the principle of cold combustion. Their use is not only favoured by their efficiency - they have the highest energy efficiency compared to other heating systems on the market - but also by the massive reduction in emissions. For example, the CO2 footprint of a household can be reduced by more than a tonne (for comparison: the average CO2 emissions per capita in Germany in 2018 were just under 12 tonnes). In addition, other harmful emissions such as nitrogen oxides or particulate matter are almost completely eliminated. The electricity generated as a "by-product" can also be utilised and makes a significant contribution to reducing a household's energy costs. Surplus electricity can also be fed into the public grid and is remunerated.

KfW promotes the installation of fuel cell heating systems for private consumers as well as for commercial users and local authorities on behalf of the federal government with the programme 433 "Energy-efficient construction and renovation - fuel cell grant". The subsidy amounts to between 7,050 and 28,200 euros, depending on the electrical output. The subsidy is made up of a fixed basic amount and a performance-related component per 100 watts or part thereof.

"By the beginning of 2019, more than 5,000 fuel cell heating systems had been funded across Germany via the KfW 433 programme. We want to support this positive development in Hesse in order to firmly establish the fuel cell on the market for heating systems," continued Dr McGovern. With the campaign, the LEA is informing consumers and potential commercial users about the technology and the current range of subsidies on offer, as well as the practical implementation and operation of the system. A key component of this is also the offer of free orientation advice: interested parties can complete a checklist and send it to the LEA; they will then receive a qualified initial assessment of whether the property in question is also suitable for fuel cell heating and what the next steps towards realisation are. The advisory programme will be advertised throughout Hesse over the next few weeks, including on the radio.

 

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HA Hessen Agentur GmbH is the state's service company. It implements projects, campaigns and promotional activities and also acts as a consultant and "think tank". Its core objective is to provide the best possible support to the state of Hesse and other public institutions in achieving their goals within the framework of Hessian economic development. Further information can be found at www.hessen-agentur.de

On behalf of the Hessian state government, the State Energy Agency (LandesEnergieAgentur - LEA) takes on central tasks in the implementation of the energy transition and climate protection. One focus of its activities is aimed at Hessian municipalities, which can receive support with strategies and measures for climate protection and the expansion of renewable energies. LEA also sees itself as an information platform and provides information for citizens, companies and organisations in Hesse. www.landesenergieagentur-hessen.de

Source: LEA press release from 16 May 2019



Keywords:
Funding, News Blog Hesse

Book publication "New building with wood"
Published

Book publication "New building with wood

NEW November 2015 | Types and constructions

  • Current timber engineering at a glance
  • Typologically organised overview with 24 current timber buildings
  • Various typologies and constructions in timber: wide-span halls, lightweight densification and prefabricated building elements

New-Building-With-WoodCurrent timber engineering at a glance 

There are many reasons for and advantages to building with wood compared to conventional construction methods: Wood is a renewable building material and, as a CO2 sink, helps to protect the climate. At the same time, thanks to modern calculation and production methods, it can be used for numerous construction tasks. Wood has excellent structural and indoor climate properties and can be easily combined with all other common building materials.

Based on 24 international projects, this specialist book provides an overview of the variety of possibilities currently realised in modern timber construction. In texts, images and plans, the contributions document both the architectural and structural qualities of contemporary timber constructions, from the design planning to the supporting structure right down to the last detail.

- Typologically organised overview with 24 current timber buildings
- Various typologies and constructions in timber: wide-span halls, lightweight densification and prefabricated building elements

NEW November 2015
Authors: Lennartz, Marc Wilhelm / Jacob-Freitag, Susanne
28.0 x 22.0 cm
192 pages
approx. 240 illustrations in colour, 100 line drawings
Hardcover
Language: German
ISBN: 978-3-0356-0455-9



Keywords:
DE-News, Wood construction, New books and studies, News Blog Europe (without DE)

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