To the German edition

Paris Agreement – Time is running out: Researchers have examined hundreds of IPCC scenarios to see to what extent they can be realised technically, politically and industrially in the coming decades. The result – The time window of feasible climate protection options is closing rapidly. The risk of exceeding 1.5 degrees is very high. Reforestation, land use changes, the reduction of energy demand, the switch to fossil-free energy sources, targeted measures to remove carbon dioxide from the air – all these are individual „levers“ for climate protection that are more or less viable in different scenarios. faz.net

Government and coalition agree on emergency climate package: The Federal Government and representatives of the Grand Coalition have agreed on a list of 26 individual measures for an emergency programme. These are intended to move Germany forward in climate protection.  The total volume is more than eight billion euros. The promotion of energy-efficient buildings will cost 2.5 billion euros.  650 million euros are to flow into a programme with which companies can develop climate-neutral production processes, especially in energy-intensive industries. spiegel.de

The Earth’s so-called energy imbalance almost doubled between 2005 and 2019

This trend is primarily due to an increase in absorbed solar radiation because of reduced reflection by clouds and sea ice. At the same time, the long-wave radiation from the Earth into space, through which energy and thus heat is emitted, has decreased, partly due to more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. esslinger-zeitung.de

Adaptation to climate change unavoidable in Germany: While the effects of global warming have so far been felt very differently from region to region, there is a threat of consequences throughout Germany, from the coasts and riverbanks to the mountains, as the Climate Impact and Risk Analysis 2021 for Germany published in Berlin shows. According to this analysis, adaptation to climate change is already unavoidable. Experts name the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, more climate-friendly methods in agriculture, the conversion to climate-stable mixed forests and better protection of the coasts as well as a drastic reduction of pollution and overuse of water as the most important measures for this. spiegel.de , adelphi.de

Official cars of the federal government are gas guzzlers: The federal government’s climate protection is not that far off, at least if you look at the C=2 emissions of the ministers‘ limousines. Some ministries even violate EU regulations on CO2 emissions. Federal Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner (CDU) is currently being chauffeured in the government’s most climate-damaging official car. Her extended Audi A8 Diesel (Audi A8 L 50 TDI Quattro) emits 191 grams of CO2 per kilometre. The Minister of State for Digital Affairs in the Chancellery, Dorothee Bär (CSU), follows in second place. In her Mercedes-Benz S 350d, she blows 165 grams of CO2 per kilometre into the air. In third place is Chancellery Minister Helge Braun (CDU), who emits 150 grammes in his BMW 730Ld.  tagesspiegel.de

Climate-related risks not taken into account enough: The European Central Bank (ECB) sees a lot of room for improvement in the assessment of climate-related risks in the business activities of the major banks in the euro area. None of the financial institutions already fulfilled all the expectations of the ECB’s banking supervision, said central bank director Frank Elderson. „Overall, the vast majority of European banks are not even close to where they should be – and they know it. “ More than half of banks had no process in place to assess the impact of climate risks, Elderson said. Only about four out of ten institutions had assigned responsibility for managing climate risks to senior management. handelsblatt.com

German cities not particularly good at good air: Germany does not come off particularly well in a comparison of air quality by the EU Environment Agency. The European agency has compared data from 323 cities and developed a ranking of European air quality. The Swedish city of Umeå and Tampere in Finland are in first place, while Göttingen is the first German city in 29th place. Behind them are Freiburg (45), Darmstadt (46), Lübeck (50) and Hannover (56). They and 25 other cities in the Federal Republic are rated as having good air quality, the 22 others as moderate. The „Berlin air“ once praised in hit songs is history. The German capital of both ranks 219. However, the air quality in no German city is categorised as „poor“ or „very poor“. spiegel.de. eea.europa.eu

BOOK TIP OF THE WEEK:

Die Große Flut – Was auf uns zukommt, wenn das Eis schmilzt

Persistent droughts, raging storms, burning forests – if you think that’s all the effects of climate change, you’re wrong: the sea will be one of the most serious threats to many people.  No one knows yet exactly how high the water will rise. But with the melting of the polar ice caps, a process has begun that is gathering pace. Coastal cities are being flooded, farmland is becoming unusable due to salt intrusion.  Peter D. Ward looks back at times when the earth has warmed and the seas have risen, and draws from this a possible picture for the future. A stirring book and an urgent appeal not to let warming rise above 2 degrees. oekom.de

RWE: Could be takeover candidate for oil company. handelsblatt.com
Lower Saxony: Wants to lobby the federal government to reduce food waste. ndr.de
China: Incident at nuclear power plant. dw.com
CDU: Black-green election programme.   tagesspiegel.de
North Stream 2: Ukraine wants compensation. nzz.ch
Construction waste: Too good for the landfill. sueddeutsche.de
Greens change strategy: It should not become more expensive. merkur.de
Solar systems: For whom solar systems on the roof are worthwhile. handelsblatt.com

 

The seventeeen goals magazine tells inspiring stories about how people move the world and shows how everyone can make a contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

MOBILITY:

Never-ending story – speed limit: Shortly before the federal election, an old discussion is resurgent: How useful is a speed limit on German motorways for the climate. For the CDU candidate for chancellor, Armin Laschet, a speed limit would have „relatively little effect on CO2 emissions „. But a study by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) says otherwise: A speed limit would lead to a noticeable CO2 reduction in the transport sector. Nevertheless, all possible savings from a general speed limit are based on theoretical calculations. tagesschau.de

Mobility is on the rise again – what does this mean for public urban space? It is getting tighter, even tighter on the streets – because not only is mobility increasing on the streets, there are also more pedestrians on the road again and even more tables are being set up in front of cafés and restaurants.  Currently, cafés and bars there can also use those parts of the street for their purposes that previously served as parking spaces for cars, thanks to barrier grids. This will start a new discussion about public street space. freitag.de

Rethinking logistics: Green logistics has its price and requires a rethink on the part of consumers and shippers – all the more so if transports are to be shifted to rail. eurotransport.de

Mobility of tomorrow: The mobility offers of the future are sustainable, efficient, flexible, active, digital and networked. In its study, the DLR Institute of Transport Research compared the latest international surveys on sustainable urban mobility and interviewed mayors worldwide. polis-mobility.de

Transport turnaround in rail transport: A transport turnaround is also in sight in rail transport. The German government wants to promote drives based on batteries and hydrogen with a programme. stuttgarter-zeitung.de

Transport Minister Scheuer: „We need freedom of mobility“. He does not want to dictate to citizens which means of transport they choose, said Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer (CSU). Travelling by train should become more attractive, but flying should not be reserved for a limited group of people. Dumping tickets, however, would be the wrong signal. dlf.de

Locations of the Centre for Mobility: In addition to the four locations confirmed by the Bundestag for the German Centre for Mobility of the Future (Hamburg, Annaberg-Buchholz, Karlsruhe and Minden), the Hydrogen Innovation and Technology Centre is planned as a further location in the next step. This was announced by the Federal Government in its answer (19/30102) to a small question by the FDP parliamentary group (19/29546). As a result of the first stage of the location competition, a feasibility study would be prepared for each of the three possible locations Chemnitz, Duisburg and Pfeffenhausen (Bavaria) as well as a joint feasibility study for a thematic cluster on shipping and aviation topics for the locations Stade, Bremerhaven and Hamburg. The selection of further locations for the German Centre for Future Mobility will continue after a decision has been made on its legal form and the commencement of its business activities, the response states.

HYDROGEN:

Gas networks – hydrogen network of the future: There are around 500,000 kilometres of natural gas pipelines in Germany. A dispute has broken out over what will happen to these pipelines when the country becomes climate neutral. The gas grid operators hope to convert the grid to green gases such as hydrogen in the medium term. But in the case of the gas distribution networks in particular, there are doubts as to whether they will still be needed at all. Fossil natural gas is used as a raw material in industry, to generate electricity and to produce heat. But one thing is clear: in a climate-neutral future, fossil gas can no longer be burned. „Today’s natural gas customers are tomorrow’s hydrogen customers,“ Gerald Linke of the German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water (DVGW) recently said at a Bundestag hearing dealing with the future regulation of hydrogen networks. golem.de

Hydrogen shares: Hydrogen could play a central role in the energy transition. According to UBS, hydrogen can contribute significantly to the decarbonisation of the global economy. The growing number of countries aiming for a climate-neutral economy by 2050 underlines the possibility of hydrogen once again. But which stocks could benefit from the trend? finanzen.net

H2Global Foundation established: Last week, the H2Global Foundation was established by 16 well-known companies that set up the foundation. According to the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, this is another important milestone for the international market ramp-up of green hydrogen. Through the H2Global Foundation, green hydrogen or derivatives are purchased abroad under long-term contracts and resold in Germany via annual auctions. Long-term purchase contracts thus create planning and investment security for the economy. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy is supporting the instrument with around 900 million euros in order to compensate for the difference between the purchase price of the hydrogen derivatives and the sales price in Germany for a limited period of time and thus provide an incentive for the market ramp-up. bmwi.de

Kemfert warns against too high expectations: Energy expert and economist Claudia Kemfert has warned against expecting too much from hydrogen technology. Hydrogen will play „a minor role“ in the energy system, said the economist, even though there are currently many funding opportunities. Hydrogen will most likely be used in industry when it comes to climate protection. „Hydrogen is very important for industry in particular, especially for steel production or in heavy industry,“ the energy economist explained. In these areas, „green hydrogen“ is needed. br.de

Municipal climate neutrality with hydrogen: Cities and municipalities should deal with the topic of hydrogen at an early stage. Because: hydrogen is a key technology for achieving municipal CO2 neutrality. capgemini.com

LAST WEEK IN THE BUNDESTAG

CO2 emissions in the building sector: CO2 emissions in the building sector decreased last year. According to the Federal Government’s answer (19/30298) to a small question (19/29715) of the FDP parliamentary group, they decreased by 3,461 kilotonnes to 120,000 kilotonnes of CO2 equivalents. In the previous year, they had increased. In the amendment to the Climate Protection Act, the federal government wants to set a reduction target of 67 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents by 2030. „This target is to be achieved through a high level of energy efficiency and the use of renewable energies for heat generation in both residential and non-residential buildings,“ it explains in the bill. In the case of federal buildings, the target for 2030 is to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 110,000 tonnes compared to 2010. The federal government estimates that the investment required here will be in the low single-digit billion range.

Development policy measures in the tourism sector: The Federal Government is not yet able to provide information on the results of measures taken by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) for inclusive and climate-friendly tourism development since the beginning of the pandemic, as most of the projects are still being implemented. No measures were postponed during the pandemic, it stresses in an answer (19/30224) to a minor question (19/29260) of the FDP parliamentary group. It goes on to say that the BMZ, in consultation with the German tourism industry and international partners, has set up a support programme for the tourism sector for the years 2021 and 2022. The overarching goals of the programme include the preservation of local tourism structures in the partner countries.

LITERALLY

„Examples from Sweden and Switzerland show that a CO2 tax can be designed in such a way that low-income emitters who consume relatively little CO2 end up better off than stronger emitters with deeper pockets. In addition, we are creating new industries and markets – for example for negative emissions, green hydrogen, organic food, healthy building materials. These are highly attractive sources of future employment. According to all empirical research, this creation of new markets for new sustainable products and services is a stimulus for the economy and innovation, not a brake.“

Sustainability researcher and farmer Martin Stuchtey, one could find it quite curious how the conservative camp in particular is leaving the political capital of ecological conversion unused at the moment. Take the example of the building industry: through sustainable building, the effort will shift from heating in the utilisation phase to the construction phase, as through innovative building materials and insulation. The building industry, which is currently being conservatively „protected“ from these changes, is more likely to win here. In his opinion, it is a tragic, epochal misunderstanding that the ecological reorientation is perceived by conservative and market-oriented forces as an attack on economic interests. Instead, one should try to build a bridge to the future for old industries. derstandard.at

„Above all, we will live in a hotter country. On average, it will be as hot in Germany as in the summers of 2003, 2018 or 2019. What is an extreme heat summer nowadays will be normal by the middle of the century. It will also be a drier country in summer in many regions. And above all, it will be a more uncertain country. We will have more extreme weather: Heavy rain, really blatant cloudbursts in the summer, washing away fields in the countryside and flooding the cities.„

Toralf Staud , author of „Germany 2050: How climate change will change our lives. „… the climate research models have become much better and more precise in the last 20 years. They can also be checked, and that is what is being done. The best way to check them is to recalculate the past. We have the real temperature data of the past, and also the previous greenhouse gas content of the atmosphere. So you take the CO2 concentration of the past, feed it into the model and see whether the calculated temperatures match what was actually measured at the time. That is what they would do. We would therefore know that the models represented the past well. And if you then calculate forwards, you arrive at the average warming of two degrees that we will have in Germany in 2050. abendblatt.de

AFRICA

Algeria elects a new parliament: It has been two years since long-time president Abdelaziz Bouteflika was toppled. But the protests are not abating – as are mass arrests. dw.com

Botswana: Africa’s largest diamond producer Botswana is making headlines with a new record discovery. In neighbouring South Africa, on the other hand, hordes of fortune seekers are inspired by entire fields full of sparkling stones. Signals of hope in gloomy corona times? focus.de
New Corona wave in South Africa: A new Corona wave is currently sweeping through southern Africa. The reasons are the season, virus variants and scarce vaccines. Add to that conspiracy theories.It feels a bit like the corona virus has turned the world upside down once again in recent weeks. While the northern hemisphere is gradually breathing a sigh of relief, Africa is groaning under the third Corona wave. Almost daily, countries south of the Sahara report new highs. n-tv.de

Sustainable construction in Africa: Project Falconess networks young female scientists. falconess.org

Road construction project in Namibia: The contract awarded to a Chinese consortium for the construction of a road in Namibia, in which KfW Entwicklungsbank is involved with 30 million euros through a development project, is the subject of an answer (19/30276) to a minor question (19/29551) by the AfD parliamentary group. The Federal Government and KfW, which is commissioned by the Federal Government to provide financial cooperation, do not act either as a tendering body or as a contractual partner of the companies, it emphasises. In the case at hand, it was a low-interest loan, a so-called development loan, to the state of Namibia. The overall developmental objective of the measure was to contribute to poverty reduction and to the economic and social development of Namibia by improving the transport infrastructure. The measure aims to contribute to the achievement of Namibia’s development goals in the transport sector by financing priority road construction measures.

Namibia 2: US sanctions in Namibia. The USA imposes sanctions on two former Namibian ministers. They were responsible for corruption in the fisheries sector. taz.de
Nigeria: Africa’s largest democracy blocks Twitter. Nigeria’s government claims that the social network endangers the country’s existence. With the ban, it may have harmed itself the most. nzz.ch

Zambia: Zambian independence hero Kenneth Kaunda is dead. Former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda has died at the age of 97. He had led the British colony of Northern Rhodesia to independence in 1964. Kaunda was, besides Senghor and Nyerere, the third great teacher personality among Africa’s founding presidents. dw.com

Bahlsen: Bahlsen gives popular Africa wafers a new name. After accusations of racism on social networks, Bahlsen has renamed its „Africa“ wafers. However, not only the name was changed, but also the filling quantity. The consumer organisation criticises a hidden price increase of 34 per cent. stern.de
South Africa: In crisis:Holiday without celebration. After more than a year of Corona crisis, unemployment has reached record levels in South Africa. Hope in the future has dwindled. taz.de

Uganda: „We constantly find people dumped by the side of the road, dead or alive“.Anyone who opposes Uganda’s long-term ruler must expect the most brutal consequences. Hundreds of opposition supporters have recently been abducted by security forces. Those released report brutal torture. spiegel.de

Source: http://council.gov.ru/events/multimedia/photo/125997/

PODCAST RECOMMENDATION:

The reduction of greenhouse gases in the transport sector has been stalling for thirty years. In figures, this means that around 163 million tonnes of CO2 are released into the atmosphere every year, largely through car traffic. „The status quo of our transport policy is unfortunately neither socially just nor good for the climate,“ says transport and environment expert Katrin Dziekan of the Federal Environment Agency. One important reason is the at least 28 billion climate-damaging subsidies granted annually in the transport sector. Nevertheless, the goal set by the new climate protection law of cutting emissions by around half by 2030 could still be achieved. tagesspiegel.de

MORE KNOWLEDGE

Ice is disappearing faster and faster in the Arctic: The German expedition and research vessel „Polarstern“ spent about a year in the Arctic as part of the Mosaic expedition. There, the ice has retreated faster than ever before since records began. In the summer of 2020, the extent of the ice0 was only half of what it was decades ago, said Markus Rex, the cruise leader at the time from the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), during an interim assessment eight months after the end of the expedition. At the same time, the ice was only half as thick as it was almost 130 years ago. In autumn 2020, the ice closed much later than ever before. zdf.de  

50 levers for climate neutrality: 50 levers for climate neutrality in 2045 have now been presented by three think tanks – Agora Verkehrswende, Agora Energiewende and Stiftung Klimaneutralität. They include rules, subsidies and prices for „green and cheap“ transformation. The paper contains proposals for energy, industry, transport, buildings and agriculture. In addition, „overarching“ measures are also important: the climate protection law must regulate by means of an automatic mechanism that CO2 prices rise if the annual CO2 budget is exceeded.  Taxes, charges and levies must be changed so that they do not continue to favour fossil fuels. The concept also wants to use a lot of money to promote the renovation of buildings and the sale of heat pumps. taz.de , agora-energiewende.de

More and more rivers are drying up: Worldwide, more than half of all rivers dry up on one or more days a year, according to an international study. The reason is also climate change.  In addition to severe floods, which can also be observed, the drying out of water bodies will also increase. In the future, researchers will investigate when and for how long these dry periods will occur and what this means for nature and humans. „In order to be able to understand the future effects of climate and landscape change on these ecosystems and their species, we need to consider the drying up of rivers as a central parameter,“ explains one of the authors. klimareporter°°.de

Bank of Japan: Wants to become greener. faz.net
Data centres: How they can become more sustainable. sueddeutsche.de  
Future of work: It will be agile and dynamic. deloitte.com
Beauty brands: On the road to sustainability. elle.de

THE LAST:

The treasure in the Rhine: No, it is not the Rhine gold that lies under the Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne. According to divers, the bottom of the Rhine in Cologne is littered with electric pedal boats. The operators don’t really have their vehicles under control -except via GPS, but then it’s sometimes too late. A few days ago, for example, a Cologne-based construction diving company received a call from the headquarters of one of the largest suppliers of e-scooters in Germany.the company asked the diving firmq for a cost estimate for the recovery of 500 electric pedal scooters. According to GPS data, the scooters are located in the area of the Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne city centre. Rioters had thrown them into the Rhine there. wdr.de

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