Federal Minister for Building Geywitz signs administrative agreement on climate-friendly social housing construction

Published 26 March 2022

Administrative agreement regulates the use of federal financial assistance in the amount of 1 billion euros

It was only on 16 March 2022 that the Federal Cabinet approved the 2022 budget, the key figures until 2026 and thus also the record sum of 14.5 billion euros for social housing construction until 2026. On 18 March 2022, Federal Minister for Building Klara Geywitz signed the administrative agreement on climate-friendly social housing in the programme year 2022. This must now be countersigned by the Länder.

Federal Minister for Building Geywitz: "The creation of affordable housing is a task for the entire state. That is why the federal government supports the Länder with substantial funds." For their part, the Länder undertake to provide Land funds amounting to at least 30 per cent of the federal funds used.
Federal Minister for Building Geywitz emphasises: "With the signing of the administrative agreement on climate-friendly social housing, the necessary foundations for the promotion of social housing in the 2022 programme year are now fully in place. Immediately after the entry into force of the 2022 federal budget, the Länder can dispose of the funds in the amount of 2 billion euros and issue approvals by the end of next year."

The administrative agreement that has now been signed regulates the use of federal financial assistance amounting to 1 billion euros, which the federal government grants to the Länder in implementation of the 2022 Emergency Climate Protection Programme adopted on 23 June 2021 for the energy-efficient construction of new buildings and the energy-efficient refurbishment of social housing. This means that the efficiency house standard 55 must be complied with for new construction and the efficiency house standard 85 for modernisations.

The administrative agreement supplements the administrative agreement on classic social housing already signed by Construction Minister Geywitz in December 2022. Here, in contrast to climate-friendly social housing, no energy requirements are imposed that go beyond the regulatory law. Federal funding of 1 billion euros is also available for classic social housing in the 2022 programme year.

For the programme year 2023, 2.5 billion euros are earmarked for social housing in the Federal Government's decision on the benchmark. The funds will increase to 3 billion euros in the programme year 2024. For the programme years 2025 and 2026, 3.5 billion euros are earmarked in each case.

Keywords: DE-News, Funding, Housing policy

Published 1. October 2016

Traffic clubs demand purchase premium of up to 4000 Euro for e-bikes

Electric cars are subsidised by the state, e-bikes are not. The bicycle lobby thinks this is unfair, as does the Federal Council - they argue that an opportunity for a transport revolution is being wasted. The government disagrees.

Read the article from 2 September 2016 on SPIEGEL ONLINE „Purchase premium for e-bikes: "Pedalling aid from the Federal Council"

Keywords:
Bike-/Velo-City, DE-News, Bicycle, Funding, Mobility, Environmental policy, eMobility

Published 11 November 2017

Conference presents compass for future-oriented energy research

The successful implementation of the energy transition requires a variety of technologies that solve different tasks in the energy system. Missing components must be added and optimisation processes implemented. Technological innovations, supported by social innovations, play a central role here. Several projects are now systematically analysing the potential of individual energy technologies and the need for innovation.

The Renewable Energy Research Alliance (FVEE) will present the initial results of these structured technology assessments at its conference in Berlin on 8 and 9 November 2017. The scientists will also present the latest research findings on wind energy, photovoltaics, bioenergy and sustainable heat as well as sector coupling, storage technologies and sustainable mobility.

Innovations for the global energy transition
Over the past decades, a wide range of technical and social solutions have been developed, which now need to be implemented in a coherent way to achieve global and national goals. Despite the progress made in recent years, existing technologies must become more efficient and cost-effective. Completely new solutions even need to be developed for some problems. The reorganisation of energy systems is creating a huge future market. German companies need innovative products if they are to compete successfully and realise their potential. Research and development provide the basis for these necessary innovations.

Impetus for the development of the new energy research programme
The German government is currently preparing the 7th Energy Research Programme in a broad consultation process, which should be in line with the overarching political objectives. This requires a systematic reassessment of the various technologies and their potential contribution to the energy transition. The strategic flagship project "Trends and Perspectives in Energy Research" initiated by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) is providing key input. The lead project is divided into two sub-projects, which will present their key findings at the conference.

Multi-criteria evaluation of over 30 technology fields
In the "Technologies for the Energy Transition" sub-project, a consortium led by the Wuppertal Institute is assessing the research and development needs for the key technologies that are currently and will be required in the future as part of the energy transition. Using a bottom-up approach, the project analyses the technologies and lines of development available today and identifies necessary technical or economic improvements. The analytical framework comprises over 30 fields of technology from the areas of renewable energies, grids, storage, sector coupling (Power to X) and energy and resource efficiency. The researchers evaluate all fields of technology according to twelve assessment criteria and ask, among other things, about the contribution of the respective technology to climate policy and the energy industry, the positioning of German companies in the international environment and key aspects of system compatibility. The criteria include, in particular, the economic application potential, the greenhouse gas reduction effect, social acceptance and the status of research and development in an international comparison.

Methodology for prioritising energy research topics
In the parallel sub-project "Development and application of methods for prioritising topics and measures in energy research in the context of the energy transition", a top-down approach is being pursued under the leadership of the Research Centre for Energy Economics. This project analyses the technical, economic, political and social framework conditions of the energy industry. The researchers identify challenges to achieving the energy and climate targets and derive the need for action for future energy research. They are drawing up profiles of measures that also formulate recommendations for new funding formats for energy research.

Copernicus projects
In addition to the BMWi's flagship project, the annual conference will take a look at the four Kopernikus projects of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), large interdisciplinary collaborative projects in which civil society is involved alongside the scientific community. ENSURE focuses on the redesign and stabilisation of the electricity grid through decentralised generators in urban-rural units. Innovative technologies for electricity transmission are just as much a focus as information and communication technologies, which should ensure the balancing and stability of the electricity grid in the future. Among other things, P2X is working on the development of new, precious metal-free catalysts for the production of synthetic fuels. SynErgie is investigating the potential for demand-side management in the industrial sector. ENavi aims to identify the technical, organisational and social framework conditions that have a decisive influence on the success of the energy transition.

Further materials
Programme of the FVEE Annual Conference:
www.fvee.de
Website of the sub-project "Technologies for the energy transition":
https://wupperinst.org/p/wi/p/s/pd/626/

About the Research Association for Renewable Energies
The Renewable Energies Research Alliance is a nationwide cooperation of research institutions. The members research and develop technologies for renewable energies, energy efficiency, energy storage and the optimised technical and socio-economic interaction of all system components. The common goal is to transform the energy supply into a sustainable energy system.

The member organisations of the FVEE

- DBFZ German Biomass Research Centre

- DLR German Aerospace Centre

- Fraunhofer ISE Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems

- Fraunhofer IWES Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology

- GFZ Helmholtz Centre Potsdam German Research Centre for Geosciences

- HZB Helmholtz Centre Berlin for Materials and Energy

- ISFH Institute for Solar Energy Research Hameln Emmerthal

- IZES Institute for Future Energy Systems

- Jülich Research Centre

- KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

- UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research

- Wuppertal Institute for climate, energy, environment

- ZAE Bavaria Bavarian Centre for Applied Energy Research

- ZSW Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research

Keywords:
Stakeholders, DE-News, Energy storage, Renewable, Climate protection, New books and studies, PV, PlusEnergy house/settlement, SDG 2030, Solar thermal, Environmental policy

Published 7 July 2019

Mayors for Future: For mayors, climate protection is a top priority

Stuttgart. The Baden-Württemberg Association of Cities is in favour of a CO ₂ -pricing. At the most recent board meeting, the committee spoke unanimously in favour and called on the state government to develop a concept together with the municipalities.

"Cities and municipalities have been working hard on the topic of climate protection in recent years - and yet we are finding that it has not been enough in terms of results ", said the President of the Association of Cities and Towns, Dr Peter Kurz, Lord Mayor of Mannheim, citing examples: "Energy saving, renewable energies, energy refurbishment and environmentally friendly mobility have long been on the energy policy agenda of cities," Kurz said, "and there are several networks on climate impact adaptation at both European and international level in which many cities and municipalities in Baden-Württemberg are also involved, such as the EU Covenant of Mayors."

"Proven instruments of municipal climate protection policy are independent and ambitious climate protection concepts in our larger member municipalities and the proven instruments of the European Energy Award," added Gudrun Heute-Bluhm, executive board member of the Association of Cities. The heating plans that will be required in future by the state for the larger municipalities are also available in four places and offer great potential for climate protection with municipal funds.

In order to reduce CO₂ -emissions, other incentives are needed than those currently in place, according to the Executive Committee of the Association of German Cities. Following on from the resolution of the German Association of Cities, the board therefore advocates a CO₂This would allow costs to be shifted in favour of climate-friendly energy sources. In any case, the desired restructuring of the state tax and levy system must be socially balanced. "Climate-damaging behaviour must have a price, so we should also examine with the state how we can implement this in the municipal levy system. This is in the interest of the municipalities, which want to actively participate in the achievement of national and international climate protection goals," says the board.

"No one can achieve climate protection alone - neither the federal government, nor the state, nor the municipalities. We can only do it hand in hand, which is why the climate targets can only be achieved if the federal and state governments live up to their responsibility by creating suitable framework conditions and taking action themselves," stressed Mayor Kurz. The state government should therefore come to an agreement with the municipalities on a concept that takes into account the municipal options for action. Climate protection-relevant support programmes should be examined for their effect and adapted if necessary.

President Kurz: "We see climate protection as the challenge of the future and it is a matter for the bosses in our cities - 'mayors for future', so to speak!"

Keywords:
Climate protection, Communities, Environmental policy, Ecology