The KfW programme "Energy-efficient urban refurbishment" promotes integrated energy-efficient neighbourhood concepts and refurbishment management with programme part 432. Programme parts 201 and 202 provide investment support for cross-building and infrastructural supply systems. The Federal Ministry of the Interior, for Building and the Home Affairs provides the funding for the energy refurbishment process from the individual building to the neighbourhood from the Energy and Climate Fund (EKF).
Important impetus for electric mobility in Germany
Bonn/Cologne, 14 June 2017
The new vehicle type is based on a Ford Transit chassis, which is equipped with a battery-electric drivetrain and a body structure in accordance with Post and DHL Paket specifications. Image: Deutsche Post DHL Group
StreetScooter GmbH, a subsidiary of Deutsche Post, and Ford-Werke GmbH are entering into a partnership to build battery-powered delivery vehicles. After Deutsche Post has already made its mark on the market for smaller vans with the emission-free StreetScooter, which it developed and built itself, the partnership is now moving on to a larger vehicle type: the basis is a Ford Transit chassis, which is equipped with a battery-electric drivetrain and a bodywork according to the specifications of Deutsche Post and DHL Paket.
Production will start in July 2017 and at least 2,500 units will be deployed in Deutsche Post DHL Group's inner-city delivery operations by the end of 2018. This volume will make the joint project the largest producer of battery-electric medium-duty delivery vehicles in Europe.
Both companies, Deutsche Post DHL Group and Ford, share the same goal of helping to shape the mobility of the future by reducing emissions and developing new transport solutions. This partnership is a concrete and important step towards achieving these goals.
"I see this partnership as another important boost for electromobility in Germany," says Jürgen Gerdes, Member of the Board of Management of Deutsche Post AG. "This step underlines Deutsche Post's innovation leadership, will relieve the burden on city centres and improve people's quality of life. We are continuing to work on a completely CO2-neutral Logistics!“
"Electromobility and innovative transport solutions for urban areas are at the centre of our efforts to align our business with the requirements of the future," says Steven Armstrong, Group Vice President and President Europe, Middle East and Africa, Ford Motor Company. "For us as the market leader in the commercial vehicle segment in Europe, this partnership is the perfect complement to our plans. With StreetScooter and the Deutsche Post DHL Group, we have a partner with enormous expertise and a global network."
In addition to the new production line, production of the existing StreetScooter models will be significantly expanded, as already announced: StreetScooter GmbH plans to produce up to 20,000 units of its successful smaller e-delivery vehicle in different variants each year in Aachen and at a future additional production site in North Rhine-Westphalia. More than 2,500 StreetScooters are already in use throughout Germany for Deutsche Post. In addition, more and more external interested parties are registering demand or have already taken delivery of StreetScooters to convert their vehicle fleets to emission-free operation.
Source: Deutsche Post DHL Group press release dated 14 June 2017
Hendricks: We can invest even more in the future. Budget of the BMUB grows to 4.07 billion euros
The federal government wants to significantly increase its spending on climate protection and the promotion of affordable housing in the coming year. "This is a key concern for the federal government, but also for me personally," emphasised Federal Minister Barbara Hendricks at the start of the Bundestag debate on her ministry's budget. According to the federal government's draft budget, the budget of the BMUB will grow to over four billion euros next year. Against the backdrop of rising refugee numbers, Hendricks pointed out that the federal government, federal states and municipalities are called upon to create more affordable housing. Significantly more money must be invested in social housing and affordable housing. The largest item in Hendricks' budget is therefore housing benefit, for which an increase of 200 million euros to 730 million euros has been estimated.
According to the draft federal budget for 2016, the overall budget for the BMUB to around 4.07 billion euros. This is around 205 million euros or 5.3 per cent more than in the current year. In addition to the housing allowance, funding for international climate protection projects, for research in the areas of the environment, construction and housing as well as for urban development funding has increased in particular. In addition, the BMUB 859 million over the next three years from the newly launched Future Investment Programme. This money will be used in particular for the national climate protection initiative, model projects for the construction of sustainable student and trainee accommodation, national urban development projects, the refurbishment of municipal facilities and age-appropriate housing.
Hendricks emphasised that there is a need for affordable housing in society as a whole. The influx of refugees is just one reason. Hendricks: "As a state, we have a responsibility to ensure that there is enough affordable housing available for everyone." This is why housing benefit will also be significantly increased from January. Around 590,000 people currently receive housing benefit. More people will be able to benefit from the increase next year. The BMUB assumes that the number of recipients will increase to around 870,000.
The minister put the need for new homes per year at at least 350,000. Hendricks: "It is absolutely clear that we need to invest significantly more money in social housing. I have therefore proposed at least doubling the compensation payments to the federal states totalling 518 million euros per year over the next few years." Hendricks was confident that this could be realised during the parliamentary deliberations on the 2016 budget. The Minister also proposed the temporary and regionalised reintroduction of declining balance depreciation. Hendricks: "We need the commitment of private investors. They should also help to provide rental flats in the affordable segment."
In order to provide additional support to the federal states and local authorities in the provision of refugee accommodation, the international climate protection initiative will play a central role. As part of the International Climate Initiative, investments to protect the climate and biodiversity will be increased by over 75 million euros to more than 338 million euros. Overall, Germany will double its international climate financing by 2020 and provide four billion euros by then.
Together with Ursem Modulaire Bouwsystemen, the DERIX Group is building a hotel made of wooden modules - 9 storeys high, in the middle of Amsterdam. Here, 2,100 m³ of wood will be used, 550 m³ of which is silver fir, with which the visible surfaces of the modules will be finished. The hotel is currently being assembled from 176 wooden modules, which are transported to the construction site completely prefabricated. 12 modules are assembled per day, and the hotel will open at the end of 2017.
Hotel Jakarta is the first energy-neutral hotel in Amsterdam and will feature 200 luxurious hotel rooms and suites, in addition to a wellness centre with swimming pool and gym, a skybar, various restaurants, an espresso bar, underground parking and a tropical garden.
In addition to the established standard for certifying the sustainability of federal buildings (BNB), the Federal Ministry of Building (BBSR) has also developed a new simplified standard for small residential buildings (BNK). As part of this standard, requirements are also defined for wood products and materials that must be met in order for them to receive full points here. Compliance with these requirements can now also be demonstrated with a WOOD FROM HERE certificate for the wood products.
Significance of the BNK for timber construction
It is the political will that new buildings in Germany should increasingly be subject to sustainability certification. So far, this has failed for the vast majority of buildings, especially smaller ones, due to the enormous costs and the considerable effort required for the corresponding certification. For this reason, the BBSR has developed a simplified standard for small residential buildings. This standard can now be used to certify single-family or multi-family houses more easily. In the meantime, various prefabricated house manufacturers offer their customers a corresponding sustainability certification.
What are the benefits for companies in the timber industry with a certificate for timber from here?
Manufacturers of timber construction products can now fulfil the requirements of the BNK for timber products used by means of a Holz von Hier certificate as an alternative to FSC or PEFC as proof of sustainable forest management. These requirements are set out in the standard's information sheet 3.3.1.
This is of course especially true for timber construction companies in case they want to offer their customers a corresponding certification according to the BNK. In addition to the suitability for the BNK standard, wood from here also offers a direct marketing advantage for timber construction companies, as regionally manufactured products are experiencing a growing trend among consumers and they can thus address a growing target group of environmentally conscious buyers.
The use of the Holz von Hier certification system is very simple for interested companies and involves little administrative, personnel and financial effort. The product- or object-related issuing of a certificate is carried out via an electronic controlling system, similar to the one used in the German biogas register in the context of carbon certificate trading. Holz von Hier thus offers companies in the timber industry additional market opportunities without complicating or restricting their operations.
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