Breakthrough for divestment in the European Parliament
Published
Billions from pensions are invested more sustainably and no longer used for fossil energies
Today, Thursday, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU officially announced their agreement on new EU rules for occupational pensions. Thanks to the persistence of Green shadow rapporteur Bas Eickhout, we were able to push through important demands in the final "Directive on the activities and supervision of institutions for occupational retirement provision". Currently, occupational pension funds across Europe manage [...]
Local heating supply from biomass and solar thermal energy in the bioenergy village of Mengsberg, source: Bioenergiegenossenschaft Mengsberg eG
With the portal https://energiewendedörfer.de the University of Kassel and the Georg-August-University Göttingen present first results from the joint project "Innovative concepts and business models for sustainable bioenergy villages - climate-friendly, democratic, close to the citizens". In particular, concepts for bioenergy or biogas plants are being developed that can enable continued economic operation following the previous 20-year EEG phase.
With recommendations for action in the areas of residual material use, alternative energy crops, optimisation of value creation through recycling management, future electricity marketing, efficient heating networks and sector coupling of bioenergy with other renewable energies, bioenergy villages and operators of energy plants are shown possible new business models. To this end, the researchers are working in so-called real laboratories with the bioenergy villages Krebeck/Wollbrandshausen and Altenmellrich/Anröchte in order to be able to examine the feasibility and economic viability of the new models under practical conditions.
The platform https://energiewendedörfer.de offers recommendations for action as well as information on biomass and residual material potentials and a GIS map that presents the bioenergy villages in Germany and their measures and technologies. Among other things, this enables a targeted search for the fuels or substrates used and the technologies applied. It is aimed at all interested parties who are committed to an energy and heat transition in their villages or communities.
The CO2-In addition, attractive funding programmes and the Building Energy Act support local authorities in switching to a renewable heat supply. Extensive information offers on energiewendedörfer.de as well as the guides, market overviews and other service offers of the Agency for Renewable Resources (Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e. V. - FNR) provide the necessary information. (FNR) provide the necessary support to advance the energy transition in municipalities.
The joint project "Innovative concepts and business models for sustainable bioenergy villages - climate-friendly, democratic, close to the people" is funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) via the project management organisation FNR. Information on the project is available at https://energiewendedörfer.de and in the FNR project database at www.fnr.de under the funding codes "22405817" and "22405218" available.
How people live and what mobility services they find in their surroundings determine the costs and the environmental balance of their daily journeys. Municipalities and companies can reduce housing costs with measures for sustainable mobility.
In Austria, a household spends an average of 5,100 euros a year on mobility, 95 percent of which is spent on the car. It pays to plan for mobility in housing construction and settlement development.
A housing location with walking distances and good infrastructure is the basis for lower transport costs. Since central plots of land are more expensive, mobility offers that help to keep the construction of underground garages or the land consumption for above-ground parking spaces low significantly reduce construction costs. At the same time, mobility offers that avoid the dependence on one's own car reduce the expenses for mobility.
From energy-saving house to transport-saving house
Significant progress has been made in the energy efficiency of residential buildings. However, climate-friendly mobility only plays a subordinate role in planning. However, residential projects need the integration of sustainable mobility concepts already in the planning stage. The concept of the energy-saving house must be further developed into a transport-saving house. The housing construction enables the right climate-friendly mobility offer for every way without the need for a car. Urban and spatial planning ensure short distances and a dense public transport network.
Every year, around 40,000 flats are built in new buildings in Austria. Eight out of ten everyday journeys begin or end at home. Where we live and what mobility services are available in the residential environment has a great influence on our mobility behaviour.
Including climate-friendly mobility in the planning of housing and settlement development reduces both construction costs and mobility costs.
"Instead of the obligation to build car parking spaces, offers for climate-friendly mobility should be created. In many places, expensively built underground car parks have a high vacancy rate."
40 min, interview from October 15, 2020 by Katja Diehl (She Drives Mobility) with resident Levke, who grew up in the car-free settlement "Saarlandstraße" in Hamburg.
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Today, Thursday, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU officially announced their agreement on new EU rules for occupational pensions. Thanks to the persistence of Green shadow rapporteur Bas Eickhout, we were able to push through important demands in the final "Directive on the activities and supervision of institutions for occupational retirement provision". Currently, occupational pension funds across Europe manage [...]
