Web database of sustainable settlements and neighbourhoods

Energy in the EU: Almost 17 percent renewable

Published

Renewable energies accounted for 16.7 per cent of total energy consumption in the EU in 2015. This is almost twice as much as a decade earlier. Compared to the previous year, the share rose by 0.6 percentage points, as the statistics authority Eurostat announced on Tuesday. In 2004, when data was first available, the figure was just 8.5 per cent. In 2015, Sweden was ahead with 53.9 per cent, while renewable energies had the smallest share in Luxembourg and Malta with 5 per cent each. The aim is to achieve a total of 20 per cent across the EU by 2020. (ap)


Keywords: Renewable, News Blog Europe (without DE), PV, Solar thermal, Environmental policy, Ecology

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Vorarlberg has included the "Holz von Hier" label in the new subsidy guidelines for residential buildings
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Vorarlberg has included the "Holz von Hier" label in the new subsidy guidelines for residential buildings

Recently, the Austrian state of Vorarlberg published the subsidy guidelines for 2020 and 2021 for residential renovation and new construction in the private and public sectors. The climate-friendly procurement of wood and wood products from the region is anchored in these guidelines. The origin of the wood must be proven by means of the "Holz von Hier" label recently introduced in Austria or comparable certificates.


Financial advantage for building owners through regional wood

If regional wood is used, the costs eligible for housing subsidies increase by 20 euros per square metre of roof and façade area, for example. For an average-sized single-family house, this can add up to around 4,000 to 5,000 euros. In the case of new buildings, the recognised costs for a loan under the housing subsidy also increase by 20 euros per square metre of floor space for the use of regional wood for the windows, and by as much as 30 euros for the façade.

"With this innovation, we have placed climate-friendly procurement in the foreground, without the risk of legal discrimination against companies in border regions," says Provincial Councillor Christian Gantner, emphasising the priorities. Unlike other quality labels, "Holz von Hier" is not oriented towards state or national borders, but only takes into account transport distances along the entire processing chain. Cross-border cooperation in the wood processing chain is thus strengthened. "In the long term, thanks to "Holz von Hier", regional, rural businesses can be strengthened and imports from more distant countries such as Russia and Scandinavia can be replaced," adds DI Andreas Amann, Head of the Forestry Department of the Provincial Government.

Trend reversal towards more regionality and climate protection in timber construction

The inclusion of the "Holz von Hier" label can stimulate demand among end customers for domestic timber. In public tenders, the proof of origin is already required in accordance with the law, since it has found its way into the specifications for the municipal building certificate. In order to use the label, the entire processing chain must be traceable - all companies from the sawmill to the dealer to the window manufacturer must join the initiative if they want to offer domestic wood with chain-of-custody certification.

"We think that with the inclusion of 'Holz von Hier' in the housing guidelines, a trend reversal towards more regionality and climate protection in construction can be initiated," hopes Erich Reiner, contact person for Holz von Hier in Austria. This could succeed even better if the regionality of the entire building construction is taken into account in future revisions of the subsidy guidelines. The climate-friendly use of wood is in line with the forestry strategy of the state of Vorarlberg and supports the efforts to achieve the energy autonomy goals.

Link
www.holz-von-hier.eu



Keywords:
Building materials / Construction, Procurement, Funding, Wood construction, Climate protection, NaWaRohs, Sustainable management, News Blog Europe (without DE), News Blog Austria, Resource efficiency, Vorarlberg

Germanwatch: Habitat III underlines importance of cities for sustainability
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Germanwatch: Habitat III underlines importance of cities for sustainability

At the end of the UN conference Habitat III in Quito (Ecuador), the environmental and development organization Germanwatch draws a mixed balance. "Around 50,000 people took part in the conference. This alone shows that cities are considered to be of great importance on the way to a sustainable world. It is very good that the adopted New Urban Agenda recognises cities as important players in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris climate targets," says Lisa Junghans, expert on climate change, adaptation and urban transformation at Germanwatch. However, she qualifies: "The New Urban Agenda is not concrete enough in parts. Citizens will not feel directly addressed and there is a complete lack of measurable goals and criteria for monitoring the success of the agenda. It remains to be seen to what extent the agenda really supports cities in their development towards greater sustainability and a higher quality of life. Civil society in particular will have a key role to play in the coming years to ensure that the principles adopted here for future urban development have an impact."

Habitat III was the third World Conference on Human Settlements and Sustainable Urban Development after 1976 and 1996 and is intended to define guidelines for future urban development. Despite the highly participatory process in the preparation of the New Urban Agenda, the negotiations in the final phase took place, as expected, exclusively within the circle of government negotiators. Junghans: "Although this process is a classic UN process driven by states, it is problematic that city representatives are excluded from the final decisions on their own development."

Germanwatch is particularly positive about the fact that the final document grants cities more self-determination and ownership in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and that "no one is to be left behind" - a reference to the particularly vulnerable population groups that must be included in the planning and implementation of future urban development policy.

The hope that a larger number of cities would lead the way with voluntary commitments, for example towards climate neutrality, has unfortunately not materialised. "Although there have been some very good announcements from civil society as well as from Germany and the EU regarding the creation of housing and climate-friendly mobility, concrete announcements from local governments themselves have been very limited," says Junghans.

Source: Germanwatch press release, 20 October 2016



Keywords:
DE-News, Communities, Quarters, SDG 2030, Settlements, City, UN (United Nations), Housing policy

Climate Alliance: Cities worldwide declare climate emergency
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Climate Alliance: Cities worldwide declare climate emergency

Call to action

Climate Alliance calls on politicians to protect the climate with the Climate Action Call shortly before the EU elections

Stakeholders from across Europe have today launched a call for climate action. "Hundreds of cities across Europe and the world are declaring a climate emergency. They are pushing for an end to fossil fuels and the exclusive use of renewable energy to contribute to climate justice worldwide," explains Thomas Brose, Executive Director of Climate Alliance, co-signatory of the call. "It is time for current and future EU politicians to work together to turn this goal into a European reality."

The Climate Action Call was launched in the run-up to the meeting of heads of state and government on 9 May on the future of Europe and the European elections, which will take place from 23 to 26 May. In parallel, more than 200 mayors are sending an open letter to the European Council and its member states calling for a sustainable and future-proof climate policy. The signatories of the Climate Action Call are calling on current and future EU leaders to take social and municipal calls seriously, take action and make climate action a top priority.

The Climate Action Call lists the following five steps for the new EU Parliament and the Commission as well as all EU member states:

  1. reduce greenhouse gas emissions more quickly by 2030 and achieve greenhouse gas neutrality as quickly as possible.
  2. Focus on the end of fossil fuels and support energy efficiency, renewable energy and emission reductions outside the energy sector.
  3. Ensure fair and equitable structural change. Furthermore, to ensure that the EU provides greater support to developing countries in climate protection and adaptation to climate change.
  4. step up efforts to introduce the circular economy and increase resource efficiency.
  5. protect biodiversity and promote the restoration of ecosystems as a crucial component of climate protection.

Hundreds of cities, companies, investors, scientists, religious communities, sports clubs and civil society organisations from areas ranging from climate protection to human rights and health have taken up the Climate Action Call to bring about profound changes in how we organise our society and economy to keep global warming below 1.5°C.

Further information

 

Contact

Sarah Mekjian, Climate Alliance
Tel. 069- 717 139 20
Email: s.mekjian@klimabuendnis.org

The Climate Alliance

For more than 25 years, the member municipalities of the Climate Alliance have been working with their indigenous partners in the rainforests to protect the global climate. With 1,700 members from 26 European countries, the Climate Alliance is the world's largest city network dedicated to climate protection and the only one to set specific targets: Each Climate Alliance municipality has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by ten per cent every five years. As our lifestyle has a direct impact on particularly endangered peoples and places on this planet, the Climate Alliance combines local action with global responsibility.
www.klimabuendnis.org

Source: Climate Alliance press release, 07/05/2019



Keywords:
Stakeholders, Climate protection, Communities, News Blog Europe (without DE), Environmental policy, Ecology

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