Shortly after the shutdown of the Swiss old reactor Mühleberg it goes Philippsburg 2 nuclear power plantfrom the grid on 31.12.2019 as planned. This will be followed in a few months by Fessenheimthe two oldest reactors in France. In addition, at the end of the year in Sweden, the 45-year-old "Ring neck 2" from the grid. Shutting down nuclear reactors significantly reduces the risk of accidents and avoids masses of radiating nuclear waste and its transport in Castor containers.
In 1989, there were still 177 nuclear reactors in Europe. An interactive map of the remaining 126 still in operation (As of 1 January 2019, there should still be 121 after the shutdown of the above-mentioned nuclear power plants) can be found here: www.global2000.at/karte-atomkraft-europa
Today, Thursday, the European Parliament voted on new rules on occupational pensions (1). Thanks to the persistence of the European Parliament's negotiating delegation, sustainable and environmental criteria must be taken into account in future investments, as we Greens/EFA Group have proposed.
Sven Giegold, the Greens/EFA Group's financial and economic spokesperson, said: "The new rules on occupational pensions enshrine the phase-out of fossil fuels in European law for the first time. This is a great success to strengthen investments in sustainable products. In future, pension funds will have to take social and environmental standards into account when they invest. This will protect policyholders from heavy losses when the phase-out of fossil fuels comes. Customers will receive more and better information about the investments. The new rules are therefore good for customers and the climate. Pension funds must act now and exit fossil fuel investments."
(1) At present, occupational pension funds manage assets of around 3300 billion euros across Europe. When it comes to investments, occupational pension funds will have to pursue a divestment strategy in future, i.e. say goodbye to fossil fuels. They must invest customers' money according to social and ecological criteria and take good corporate governance into account. In the case of financial investments in fossil fuels, internal risk assessments must now mandatorily include any losses in value resulting from climate change. In addition, policyholders will receive more detailed information on their expected insurance benefits and on the costs of the pension fund.
The planners' workshop embedded in the participation process for Viktoriakarree will take place between 31 August and 2 September. During these three days, four teams of planners will develop an independent planning concept on site, taking into account the results of the previous participation processes.
The planner workshop will open with the planner workshop kick-off event on Thursday, 31 August 2017, at 6.30 pm in the St. Remigius Chapter House. The evening event offers the opportunity to get to know the four planner teams and to find out about further opportunities for participation during the planner workshop. The evening will also address two of the main topics of the participation process to date, for which opposing views became apparent during the ideas workshop. The topics of "culture/education/history/leisure" and "work/commerce" will be explored in greater depth in two open discussion rounds, which will also involve the audience. The aim is to work out the conflicts of interest and commonalities in order to give all those present and, above all, the planning teams from outside the area an insight into the interests.
In its 2.10.2017 published opinion the German Advisory Council on the Environment calls on the incoming German government to initiate the coal phase-out without delay. The upcoming legislative period offers the last chance to set the course for an appropriate implementation of the Paris climate goals in Germany.
"Germany must reduce power generation from coal as quickly as possible and end it in the medium term, otherwise the climate targets in Germany cannot be achieved. The structurally compatible coal phase-out should therefore be initiated immediately. The last power plant must be taken off the grid in 20 years at the latest," explains Prof. Claudia Kemfert.
The basis of the coal phase-out should be a budget of the total amount of greenhouse gases that may still be emitted by coal-fired power plants until their final shutdown. This amount should be fixed by law. "From a scientific point of view, the remaining emissions budget for coal-fired power generation in Germany should be 2,000 megatonnes of CO2 Prof. Wolfgang Lucht specifies.
In its report, the SRU proposes a phase-out in three phases: The most emission-intensive power plants should be taken off the grid by 2020. On this basis, more modern plants could continue to operate at reduced capacity until about 2030 to ensure security of supply and to preserve jobs. In the 2030s, these power plants should then also be decommissioned. The federal government must now define the framework for this.
Climate protection and the shaping of structural change must go hand in hand. A long-term and structured phase-out path offers those affected planning security and can ensure that the burden is shared as fairly as possible. The phase-out path and its structural policy support should therefore be discussed in a commission together with the affected regions, companies, trade unions and environmental protection associations.
The German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU) has been advising the German government on environmental policy issues for almost 45 years. The Council's composition of seven professors from different disciplines ensures a scientifically independent and comprehensive assessment, both from a scientific and technical perspective as well as from an economic, legal and health science perspective.
The Council currently consists of the following members:
Prof. Dr Claudia Hornberg (Chair), Bielefeld University
Prof. Dr Manfred Niekisch (Vice-Chairman), Goethe University and Frankfurt Zoological Garden
Prof. Dr. Christian Calliess, Free University of Berlin
Prof. Dr. Claudia Kemfert, Hertie School of Governance and German Institute for Economic Research
Prof. Dr Wolfgang Lucht, Humboldt University Berlin and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lamia Messari-Becker, University of Siegen
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Vera Susanne Rotter, Technical University Berlin
German Advisory Council on the Environment, Berlin www.umweltrat.de
Environment Minister Franz Untersteller reacted with relief to the agreement reached yesterday by the coalition on the amendment of the Climate Protection Act. The law is to be passed by the state parliament before the summer break and will then replace the previous climate protection law from 2013.
"With this law, we are creating a new basis for forward-looking climate protection in the state. This was and is a core concern of Green environmental policy in this legislative period," said Untersteller.
Entry into the general PV obligation for new buildings
Above all, he said, the agreement on mandatory PV was groundbreaking. "We are the first state to install solar as standard on new non-residential buildings. This is innovative and courageous. It makes building modern and climate protection a matter of course."
In the non-residential sector, for example on warehouses and production halls or car parks, there is enormous potential, said Untersteller. These roof surfaces are made for large systems.
Untersteller sees the PV obligation on non-residential buildings as an introduction to a general PV obligation for new buildings, which he believes must come in the next few years. "Not only in Baden-Württemberg," says Untersteller.
Apart from the boost for solar energy and climate protection, the PV obligation will also secure and create jobs.
Municipal heat planning
Another key element in the new climate protection law will be municipal heating planning, Untersteller continued. The approximately 100 large cities and municipalities, in which about half of the people in Baden-Württemberg live, will be obliged by the law to submit a comprehensive heating plan. "On the basis of such planning, a lot will move and can be moved in the municipalities in the direction of renewable heat. For example, innovative neighbourhood concepts or the expansion of heating networks will make progress," said Untersteller. The costs for the planning will be borne by the state.
"The amendment to the Climate Protection Act will move Baden-Württemberg forward," the Environment Minister affirmed. "We are continuing to develop our climate protection policy and are thus fulfilling our obligation to future generations."
Source: PM of the Ministry for the Environment, Climate and Energy Management Baden-Württemberg from 13.05.2020
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