Electricity costs in 2020 were higher than ever before: private households in Germany paid around 37.8 billion euros for their electricity in 2020. The levies and taxes included in the electricity price have risen particularly sharply in recent years. Federal Economics Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU) wants to ease the burden on consumers and the economy in terms of electricity prices with a system change in the promotion of green electricity. Accordingly, the promotion of renewable energies from plants commissioned from 2022 onwards could be financed through tax money. handelsblatt.com
New EU Commission strategy on the consequences of climate change: The consequences of climate change are forest fires, heat, droughts and are already costing the European Union about 12 billion euros. Now the EU Commission has presented a strategy on how the Union can better adapt to the changing conditions. The cornerstones of Timmermans‘ counter-strategy are: more knowledge about the consequences of climate change, more precise assessment of the risks; react more quickly; and provide more help to international partners. For example, the Commission is counting on a precise recording of damage and data exchange on risks and countermeasures on an internet platform called Climate Adapt. tagesschau.de , stimme.de , climate-adapt.eu
83 kilograms of packaging waste per capita in 2018, putting Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in the lead nationwide.The German average is 68 kilograms, in Berlin only 53 kilograms. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, packaging waste totalled 133,000 tonnes. sueddeutsche.de
Forest suffers in Germany: The German forest is in a bad way, that is the result of the Forest Status Report presented by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. In addition to the drought, heat and storms, the bark beetle is giving the German forest a hard time. Only two out of ten trees are still healthy. The main cause is climate change. swr.de , bmel.de (original report)
More and more money in coal industry: Even though well-known investors have announced their exit from financing fossil energies, little has happened so far. On the contrary, since the Paris Climate Agreement came into force, banks have invested more money in the coal industry every year, even though many financial institutions have now adopted internal coal guidelines to limit their risks. In Germany, for example, Commerzbank and Allianz are on board. Even Blackrock, which wanted to get out of climate-unfriendly financing a year ago, is still on the list of global investors with investments of more than 84 billion US dollars in the coal industry. US financial industry dominates global money flows into coal industry with investments of 602 billion US dollars. pv-magazine.de, klimareporter.de , urgewald.org
France extends life of nuclear reactors: Some of the French nuclear power plants are already forty years old and have been criticised for some time. Now the French nuclear regulator – Autorité de sûreté nucléaire (ASN) – last week allowed an extension of the operating life of nuclear power plants to up to 50 years – under certain conditions. One condition for continued operation is a series of repairs to prevent nuclear accidents at the 32 oldest reactors. 13 reactors are already older than 40 years. rp- online.de
BOOK TIP OF THE WEEK:
Wasserpfade – Streifzüge entlang heimischer Ufer
Torsten Schäfer takes us on a voyage of discovery into the world of water. Set out during the heatwave summers of recent years, he traces the changes brought about by climate change. In the „three-river country“ between the Rhine, Main and Neckar, he observes, immerses himself, feels – and tells: of forgotten springs in the forest, of well cleaners and catfish fishermen, of „his“ river, which he follows from its source to its mouth. With linguistic elegance, Schäfer draws a sensitive picture of water. oekom.de
Energy labels: From 1 March, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, washing machines and televisions must bear the revised EU energy label. berliner-zeitung.de
Cologne: Shell buys Next power plants. handelsblatt.com
Facebook: Wants to take stronger action against climate change lies. faz.net
Israel: Experiencing probably the worst oil disaster in its history. spektrum.de
Hydropower: Not immediately climate-friendly, it’s because of the reservoirs. orf.at .
Greens: Seeking closeness to business with new industrial strategy. spiegel.de .
Federal Government’s Housing Offensive: Misses the Market. deutschlandfunkkultur.de .
Wind power on the rise: Wind energy supplied 16 percent of Europe’s electricity in 2020. euractiv.de
Wind power II: Citizens‘ wind farm to be demolished after EEG levy is cancelled. ndr.de
Climate protection: Entrepreneurs are afraid of additional costs for climate protection. faz.net
The seventeeen goals magazine reports inspiring stories about how people move the world and shows how everyone can make a contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
MOBILITY:
Hyundai: IONIQ 5 is the name of the first model in a new generation of electric cars. With it, the South Korean car company Hyundai wants to expand its competence in the field of electric mobility. Moreover, the introduction of this new model could be seen as a challenge to Volkswagen. Volkswagen launched the VW ID.4 Pure model last year. fair-economics.de
Tesla: Increasingly exerting political influence in Germany. welt.de
Green NCAP 2021: 49 bestseller models in the eco-check. adac.de
FreeNow: Free-Now customers, a platform for mobility supported by BMW and Daimler, can use an app to book taxi rides, car-sharing cars, rental bicycles, electric pedal scooters or e-scooters at the same time. The goal is „maximum flexibility“. The additional idea is to give customers an incentive to switch to climate-friendly means of transport without having to give up convenience. faz.net
Railway boss goes on the offensive: Richard Lutz wants to equip the railway as a climate-friendly transport service for the time after the pandemic. To achieve this, he will even accept higher debts if necessary. handelsblatt.com
No purchase of sleeping cars planned: According to the Federal Government, DB Fernverkehr AG no longer has any sleeping cars and has no plans to buy or lease new ones. This is stated in the government’s answer (19/26683) to a small question by the FDP parliamentary group (19/26152). According to the DB AG, overnight travel is nevertheless an integral part of the service. On the one hand, DB AG uses ICE and Intercity trains for overnight connections. On the other hand, it participates in the night train connections of its European partner railways with its own seat cars. Subject to the course of the Corona pandemic, the introduction of a new overnight ICE train pair on the Hamburg – Hanover – Fulda – Würzburg – Munich route is planned for the summer of 2021, the answer says. „With this gap closure, DB AG will then offer overnight services on all main routes between the major metropolises in Germany,“ writes the Federal Government.
Electric driving share of plug-in hybrids: According to the Federal Government, the advantages of plug-in hybrids with regard to CO2 emissions depend essentially on the electric driving share. „The electric driving share should therefore be as high as possible,“ says the government’s answer (19/26653) to a minor question by the Bündnis 90/Die Grünen parliamentary group (19/25912). The vehicle and infrastructural prerequisites for a high share of electric driving, „in particular a high electric range of the vehicles, a high charging capacity as well as a good availability of user-friendly charging infrastructure“, will be increasingly available in the future, writes the federal government. The Greens had asked specifically what proportion of electric driving should be done with a plug-in hybrid car in the view of the federal government in order to meet the objectives associated with the state subsidy for these vehicles.
LAST WEEK IN THE BUNDESTAG
Greens want transformation programme for industry: The parliamentary group Bündnis 90/Die Grünen calls for a transformation programme to prepare industry for the challenges of climate change. It should be designed as an investment programme for the next decade and comprise 500 billion euros, the parliamentarians explain in a motion (19/26911). The decisive factor for all funded projects must be that they advance the ecological transformation and make society sustainable and climate-friendly. It is also crucial that the programmes are organised in a non-bureaucratic way with fast planning processes. Specifically, the MEPs are concerned with a green hydrogen strategy, investment subsidies for the replacement of fossil technologies and processes in basic industries and, for example, investments in climate protection and digitalisation, such as in highly efficient machinery and equipment. The sooner companies responsibly embark on the course towards an ecological-social transformation, the better their chances will be in the markets of the future, the MEPs explain. A green industrial strategy would make it possible to produce goods, processes and services in a clean and socially responsible manner, which would secure the existence of industry in Europe in the long term and reestablish its strengths. In addition, industrialised countries like Germany, historically the largest emitters of greenhouse gases, have a special responsibility and must therefore lead the way in decarbonisation.
Experts call for nature-friendly expansion of renewable energies: How conflicts between the expansion of renewable energies on the one hand and landscape and nature conservation on the other hand can be avoided was the topic of a public expert discussion in the Committee for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety on Wednesday. In the meeting, chaired by Sylvia Kotting-Uhl (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), the majority of the invited experts spoke in favour of making greater use of the potential of wind power and photovoltaics. On the other hand, the use of bioenergy and hydropower was viewed critically. more at bundestag.de
Green motion on fair heat rejected: The Economic Affairs Committee has rejected a motion by the Green parliamentary group on reducing CO2 emissions in the building sector and a new cost allocation of heating measures. In addition to the applicants, only the Left parliamentary group voted in favour of the motion entitled „Fair Heat Action Plan“ (19/26182) at Wednesday’s meeting. The other parliamentary groups rejected the proposal. The committee took note of a briefing by the federal government on the long-term renovation strategy (19/20380).
Shutdown of the Moorburg power plant: Whether the Brokdorf and Moorburg power plants to be shut down this year will have an impact on the need for grid reserves will be determined by March. This is stated in an answer of the federal government (19/25995) to a small question of the FDP parliamentary group (19/25462). So far, however, no power plant in northern Germany has been classified as system-relevant and therefore prevented from shutting down. The surcharges Vattenfall received for shutting down the Moorburg hard coal-fired power plant, which went into operation in 2015, are to be treated as business secrets and are therefore not published. New power plants are also being planned, according to monitoring by the Federal Network Agency. Two natural gas power plants with a capacity of 410 MW are to be built in the Hamburg metropolitan region by 2025, but due to the early planning phase these projects could also be discarded. Other effects on the electricity grid in Hamburg cannot be named, as electricity grids must generally be considered on a supra-regional basis, writes the Federal Government.
Experts assess planned strengthening of agricultural supply chains positively: The majority of experts support the amendment of the Agricultural Market Structure Act (19/26102) planned by the Federal Government. However, whether the measures envisaged in the new regulation can develop their full effect was critically assessed by the experts at a public hearing of the Committee on Food and Agriculture on Monday. The basis of the hearing, together with the government bill, was a motion (19/25794) submitted by the FDP parliamentary group. bundestag.de
Crab fishing in the North Sea: The proposals made by the Federal Government for fisheries management in the Natura 2000 protected areas of the North Sea also include closures for mobile bottom-dwelling fisheries, including crab fishing. This is explained by the Federal Government in its answer (19/26681) to a minor question (19/25963) of the AfD parliamentary group. However, this type of fishing will continue to be possible on individual delimited sub-areas. According to the answer, the proposed measures are currently in a consultation process with the North Sea states. The German government justifies the planned far-reaching ban on crab fishing in the protected areas by stating that all mobile fishing gear that touches the bottom has the potential to negatively affect the conservation status and resilience of the marine ecosystem. Accordingly, the planned restriction on fishing is aimed at achieving the conservation objectives set out in European law in the protected areas. The technical discussions on a possible extension of the existing Natura 2000 areas in the North Sea have not yet been concluded, the answer further states. There are no plans to designate additional Natura 2000 sites in the exclusive economic zone (beyond the twelve-nautical-mile limit).
Castor transport to Biblis: The Castor transport from Sellafield to Biblis in November 2020 is the subject of the Federal Government’s answer (19/26686) to a minor question by the parliamentary group Die Linke (19/26325). According to the parliamentary group, a transport with highly radioactive nuclear waste from Sellafield in Great Britain to Biblis in Hesse took place on 3 and 4 November 2020. This transport had originally been planned for April 2020, but had been cancelled shortly before by the Federal Government due to the Corona pandemic. At the beginning of November 2020, the Castor transport had taken place „during the second wave of the pandemic, with a significantly higher number of cases of Covid 19 disease than in the spring“…:
Government welcomes reforms at WWF: The German government says it takes the recommendations of the Pillay Report on serious human rights violations in national parks financed or managed by the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) „very seriously“. It welcomes the fact that WWF has initiated a reform process since the allegations became known in 2018 and is currently implementing it, it writes in an answer (19/26620) to a minor question (19/25888) by the parliamentary group Die Linke. Since 2019, systematic procedural and organisational progress has been made with regard to anchoring human rights due diligence, especially through the introduction of the Environmental and Social Safeguards Framework (ESSF) with uniform standards and clear roles and responsibilities. However, the Pillay Commission, led by former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, had not been able to assess the effectiveness of the ESSF at this stage. It recommended a review in two years. The Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) has also committed itself to carrying out comprehensive environmental and social assessments for protected area projects (including existing ones); „in particular, also for projects that pose human rights risks“. Human rights protection obligations are anchored in all contracts with state partners and non-governmental organisations, the German government emphasises.
TAKEN LITERALLY
„When we talk about our resistance, it’s important for me to emphasise that it’s a fight back – a fight that responds to discrimination and violence. Many people always pretend that what is happening in the system is peaceful. But the opposite is the case.
Clara Mayer, press officer at Fridays for Future Berlin, said that the seemingly peaceful status quo of our system is based on exploitative and discriminatory structures. Although many people are unwell because of the structures, they are maintained because people in positions of power are not unwell and even benefit from the structures. The status quo is brutal for many and is aggressively maintained. It’s just that white guys in suits are more subtle than kids on the street. So both are a struggle. So if we start to recognise the status quo as anti-human, it quickly becomes clear that we are just fighting back. We would fight back. furore-magazin.de
„From my point of view, it is only possible if we go two ways at the same time: Immediately, all old trees over 100 years old must be placed under special protection. They are an important help for the growing trees and at the same time they give off millions of seeds to grow seedlings in tree nurseries. At the same time, citizens must be given the right to appeal against local decisions on felling. Economic interests must become secondary. Every tree should be preserved.
Ulrich Kronberg, author of the book Kapital Baum, das Buch der Bäume (Capital Tree, the Book of Trees), additionally ,esse tried to reforest en masse through joint efforts. This is addressed to all people in the world. Money must be made available for reforestation, but not through governments, where most of the money seeps away, but through intelligent systems. He (Kronberg) is in favour of giving every tree a value and compensating it annually with an amount X as long as it lives and thrives. This would even help many people to build up a pension system. fair-economics.de
AFRICA
Mass protest with thousands of people in Tunisia: Political crisis comes to a head. The background to the protest is an escalating political crisis: President Kais Saied refuses to agree to a cabinet reshuffle proposed by Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi. nzz.ch
German military operations in the Sahel: a „disaster“ in Libya, „unsuccessful“ in Mali. The engagement of Germany and France in Mali and Libya worsens the situation on the ground. This is the finding of a study by the Berlin-based think tank Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik. spiegel.de
Africa delivers, Beijing pays: The world’s second largest continent has enormous economic potential. With Chinese help, it is building infrastructure and profiting from it. faz.net
Kenya’s national player Johanna Omolo: „Stay in Africa!“ -Many children in Africa dream of a life as a professional footballer in Europe. Kenya’s national player Johanna Omolo wants to train talents in Africa. With a football school he creates new perspectives in his home country. dw.com
Dead dolphins on Mozambique coast: According to the authorities, 111 dolphins have been found dead on land in Mozambique. 86 animals were discovered in the south of the country, on the beach of an island that is part of a nature reserve, a statement from the National Authority for the Conservation of Nature (ANAC) said. Already a week ago25 dolphins had been found in the same marine park of the Bazaruto archipelago. spiegel.de
Slave Trade in Africa: A Hidden History. The trade in African slaves is one of the darkest chapters in Western history. But even before Europe’s colonial rulers divided up Africa, an intra-African trade in human beings had been flourishing for a long time. hr-info.de
Attacked in the night: More than 300 schoolgirls kidnapped in northwestern Nigeria. kleinezeitung.at
MORE KNOWLEDGE
Crowdfarming is booming: the dream of a tree. Growing your own fruit is the latest trend. If you don’t always want to eat apples or don’t have your own garden, you can have it harvested: Crowdfarming is becoming more and more popular.Your own fruit comes by post. This is also becoming easier and easier in this country: direct marketing has become a real trend. „Farm shops are booming,“ says Bernhard Krüsken, Secretary General of the German Farmers‘ Association. rnd.de
Study points to dramatic weakening of the Gulf Stream: Researchers are watching with concern as the Gulf Stream slows. The Gulf Stream system is weaker than it has been for at least 1,000 years. The development could favour extreme weather events. The Gulf Stream system is weaker than it has been for at least 1,000 years. The possible consequences, according to the researchers, are that sea levels could rise on the US East Coast and there could be more extreme weather events in Europe, for example because winter storms over the Atlantic change their path or intensify. zeit.de
Waste, greenhouse gas, plants: The chemical industry is looking for new raw materials. Saying goodbye to crude oil is a project of the century for the industry. Companies like BASF and Covestro are developing new technologies for recycled or renewable raw materials. The circular economy is to replace the unrestrained consumption of raw materials that has dominated for decades. It is about avoiding waste, reusing valuable ingredients – and saying goodbye to oil as the number one raw material. handelsblatt.com
Electric cars: In future, the flexible charging and discharging of electric cars should help to use as much renewable energy as possible and keep the power grid stable. derstandard.at
Corona pandemic and climate crisis in the Philippines: Fishing communities fight for livelihoods against COVID-19 and climate crisis. dw.com
Ship paints – source of microplastics: On the open sea, ship paints can be a major source of tiny plastic particles floating in the ocean. fair-economics.de
THE LAST:
Climate killer superyachts: It is well known and also proven that particularly rich people do not go easy on the climate. By far the biggest polluter on the list of the super-rich: Roman Abramovich, who made most of his fortune trading oil and gas and is known as the owner of Chelsea football club. Scientists estimate that he was responsible for at least 33,859 tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2018. Yachts account for the largest share for almost all rich people. Two-thirds of pollution occurs there. In the case of Abramovich, this accounts for 22,440 tonnes of CO2 equivalents. segelreporter.com
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