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Funding climate protection – CDU/CSU open to amending the constitution: The CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag is open to amending the constitution to fund climate protection measures. Environmental policy spokesperson Anja Weisgerber (CSU) suggested creating a „joint task“ in which the federal and state governments would share the funding. The entire parliamentary group supports this position. Joint tasks, such as those that already exist for agricultural and coastal protection, require an amendment to the Basic Law and a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag and Bundesrat. Experts and organisations such as the Climate Alliance Germany have long been calling for the fight against climate change to be enshrined as such a task in order to cope with the enormous costs. The new Climate Adaptation Act, which comes into force on Monday, obliges the federal and state governments to develop and implement climate adaptation strategies, but leaves the question of funding open. The funding requirement up to 2030 is estimated at 38 billion euros. Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) supports the idea of a joint task, but it remains unclear whether the CDU/CSU parliamentary group alone will be enough to achieve an amendment to the Basic Law. boerse-express.com , n-tv.de ,
Good turnover with environmental protection: environmental protection is becoming increasingly important for the economy in Germany. In 2022, companies generated around 107.5 billion euros in turnover with environmentally related goods and services, an increase of 16.9 per cent compared to the previous year. The number of people employed in green jobs rose by 35,000 to a total of 376,000. Climate protection was the area with the highest turnover at 61.7 billion euros, followed by air pollution control (21.1 billion euros) and wastewater management (10.7 billion euros). Industry invested 13.4 billion euros in environmental protection, mainly in wastewater and waste management. The data comes from over 9,600 companies in the manufacturing and service sectors and 15,479 companies in the manufacturing sector. tagesschau.de , n-tv.de
More than a thousand other animal and plant species threatened with extinction
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has reported that over 45,000 species are now threatened with extinction – 1,000 more than in the previous year. On Thursday, the team published the updated Red List of Threatened Species. This list, now in its 60th year, includes a total of 163,040 species, of which around 6,000 are new additions.The IUCN continues to warn of the increasing extinction of species, but also emphasises successes in species protection. New species on the list include the Copiapoa cacti from the Atacama coastal desert in Chile, the Borneo elephant and the giant lizard from Gran Canaria. spiegel.de
Constitutional complaint against the new Climate Protection Act: An alliance of five environmental organisations, including Greenpeace and Fridays for Future, has filed three new constitutional complaints against the German government. They criticise the new Climate Protection Act as unconstitutional because it does not make the necessary contribution to meeting the 1.5 degree target. According to the plaintiffs, Germany has already used up its remaining budget for greenhouse gas emissions. The German government had previously amended the old Climate Protection Act in order to no longer implement sector-specific targets and immediate action programmes if targets are not met. This met with resistance as, according to critics, it weakened the climate protection measures. The Federal President has not yet signed the new law, which is taking an unusually long time. If it is not signed by 14 July, the old law will remain in force and the transport minister will have to submit new immediate programmes. Regardless of whether the new law comes into force, the High Administrative Court ruled that the measures planned by the government so far are not sufficient and that it must implement further climate protection measures. wiwo.de, freitag.de
Reform proposal from the expert commission – lower electricity prices: An independent expert commission has proposed that the German government make diesel, petrol and natural gas more expensive in return for lower electricity prices. This reform proposal is part of the energy transition monitoring programme and aims to reduce the levies and charges on electricity. The resulting reduction in revenue is to be offset by higher CO2 pricing for fossil fuels. web.de , giga.de
Denmark is the first country in the world to introduce a climate tax on meat and milk: Denmark will be the first country in the world to introduce a CO2 tax on climate-damaging areas of agriculture. In contrast to New Zealand, whose government also tried this, the plans in Denmark have met with a positive response from farmers. The reason for the acceptance is the planned start year of 2030, which gives farmers sufficient lead time. In addition, the climate tax was developed by a broad consensus. This increases the chances of the plan successfully passing through the Danish parliament. spiegel.de
More forest fires in the Arctic: In recent weeks, extensive forest and wildfires in the Arctic have led to considerable smoke development. The north-east of Russia is particularly affected, where extreme damage was already recorded in the summer of 2021. According to the European Union’s Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS), the Russian authorities reported 176 fires in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), which devastated a total area of 619,000 hectares – more than 2.4 times the size of Saarland. Climate change is contributing significantly to the increasing risk of forest fires. tagesschau.de
BOOK TIP OF THE WEEK:
RAUS AUS DER AUTOKRATIE – into the mobility of tomorrow
In her new book „Raus aus der AUTOkratie – rein in die Mobilität von morgen!“, mobility expert and bestselling author Katja Diehl continues her exploration of the transport revolution, which she began in her first book „Autokorrektur“. While Diehl focussed on people’s individual mobility needs in her debut book, she now sheds light on the social and systemic hurdles that stand in the way of a comprehensive transport transition. Diehl asks herself and her readers: Why is so little happening despite extensive knowledge about future-orientated mobility? Which social and political levers are rusty? What role do industry and the media play? And what legal obstacles need to be overcome? Through discussions with numerous experts who are already actively driving the transformation, Diehl shows how visions of mobility can be realised in a world worth living in. She shows that we could create a healthier and more beautiful environment if we overcome our dependence on the car and implement concrete ideas and concepts for more liveable cities and rural areas.
Eckart von Hirschhausen praises Diehl for offering concrete answers to the questions of the mobility transition and showing us how we can free ourselves from our dependence on cars. „Raus aus der AUTOkratie – rein in die Mobilität von morgen!“ is an inspiring work that not only highlights the problems of current transport policy, but also offers concrete solutions. Diehl once again demonstrates her talent for awakening a desire for change and shows us the way to sustainable and people-friendly mobility. A book that encourages and inspires action – a must-read for anyone interested in the future of our mobility.
fischerverlage.de
In a nutshell:
G 20 Proposal: Development Minister Schulze in favour of a global tax on billionaires. faz.net
Lindner must transfer 8.7 billion euros to Habeck: The costs for the promotion of renewable energies are rising sharply and exceed the estimates in the federal budget. handelsblatt.com
„Wrong decision“ Woidke calls for relief for agricultural diesel at farmers‘ conference. tagesspiegel.de
Secure supply: The tenders for ten gigawatts of new gas-fired power plants begin a year later than planned. Half of them fall under strict EU environmental regulations. spiegel.de
Adapting to climate change: IG BAU wants climate-related short-time working allowance for the whole year. stuttgarter-zeitung.de
From coal town to climate city: How Bottrop became a role model for the energy transition. nationalgeographic.de
Green Deal makes Germany more bureaucratic: The Green Deal is weakening German companies not only through high energy prices, but also through more bureaucracy. The traffic light system, which actually started with the promise of reducing bureaucracy, will soon massively tighten reporting obligations at the behest of Brussels. spiegel.de
Canada: According to a study, last year’s forest fires in Canada released 2.98 billion tonnes of the climate-damaging gas CO2 . That is almost four times as much as air traffic in the whole of last year. zeit.de
Survey – 19 per cent of people have air conditioning: In order to be prepared for warmer summers, more and more people are buying air conditioning. A large majority still do without – also because of the costs. handelsblatt.com
Store energy simply as heat: It’s cheap with these materials. efahrer.chip.de
Auction by the grid agency: Wind farm rights auctioned off for three billion. tagesschau.de
Berlin: First energy co-operative for small-scale heat transition. taz.de
EU Court of Auditors: Gaps in gas supply, CO2 capture neglected. heise.de
Increasing environmental pollution: Clean water can no longer be taken for granted. sueddeutsche.de
Portuguese energy company: Renewable energies for artificial intelligence. faz.net
Debate about long-distance connections: Politicians accuse railway of breach of trust: The railway company is apparently planning to cancel numerous long-distance trains. Sharp criticism has come from all parties except the AfD. The plan is a „hard blow against the East“. The railway is trying to limit the damage. spiegel.de
Night train between Berlin and Paris cancelled for weeks: In Germany and also in France, there will be a lot of construction work on the rail network in the coming months – with noticeable consequences for night train services. handelsblatt.com
In 150 cities: Environmental organisation applies for higher parking fees for SUVs. basicthinking.de<
Mobility of tomorrow: The cities of Hamburg and Berlin are exchanging ideas on innovative transport projects. They want to accelerate their mobility turnaround. stadtvonmorgen.de
Study: Traffic jams cost commuters billions. stuttgarter-zeitung.de
Battery production in the crisis: key technology for e-mobility. welt.de
Hydrogen ramp-up: Associations call for more speed in power plant strategy. zfk.de
Green hydrogen: Will the energy transition in industry succeed? zdf.de
Research: Fraunhofer IAO and DHBW Heilbronn investigate decentralised hydrogen storage. pv-magazine.de
Green steel production: Salzgitter is looking for suppliers for 141,000 tonnes of hydrogen. vdi-nachrichten.com
Investment: Deutsche ReGas plans floating hydrogen terminal in Lubmin. ndr.de
Federal government: Submits draft bill on hydrogen ramp-up. bundestag.de
The seventeen goals magazine tells inspiring stories about how people move the world and shows how everyone can make a contribution to achieving the sustainability goals.
PODCAST OF THE WEEK:
We need more moor!
The role of moorland landscapes in climate protection is difficult to underestimate. Moors store a huge amount of CO2, but there are hardly any left in Germany. That used to be different and it could be different again. Keyword: rewetting. An important EU decision has now been made that is likely to have a positive impact. Climate economist Claudia Kemfert explains the renaturalisation law and why she believes it is a success. And she comes out as a moorland fan. In general, moors are also a good gift idea. Kemfert explains what she means by this in the podcast. She also talks about a United Nations survey on climate change. More than 73,000 people from almost 80 countries were surveyed. It was about how important climate protection is to people. The result is pretty clear: very important! mdr.de
COMMENT OF THE WEEK:
Court ruling: Katjes may no longer advertise as „climate neutral“ – an embarrassing judgement
By Johannes C. Bockenheimer, Berlin
The confectionery manufacturer Katjes is no longer allowed to advertise its products as „climate neutral“. This judgement by the Federal Court of Justice is not only a defeat for the company, but also embarrassing for the entire boardroom. Katjes had claimed that its fruit gums were produced in a climate-neutral way, but this was misleading, as the court found. The use of energy for production releases considerable amounts of CO2, which cannot be offset by payments to climate protection projects.
This judgement could have far-reaching consequences for the entire industry. Companies are increasingly trying to present themselves in a positive light through supposedly environmentally friendly practices in order to meet the rising expectations of customers and politicians. However, this is often just a nice pretence to hide the reality. Bockenheimer argues that reducing CO2 emissions and offsetting them are not equivalent and that this could also be problematic for many other companies. The author also criticises the German government, which has not managed to build a resilient green infrastructure despite major investments. This forces companies to rely on dubious sustainability promises. Bockenheimer doubts that this situation will change soon and calls for an honest examination of the real challenges of climate protection.
Overall, Bockenheimer sees the judgement as a wake-up call for companies and politicians. It is not enough to be satisfied with superficial promises of sustainability. Instead, a profound change is needed to enable truly climate-friendly business practices. Read the full commentary at nzz.ch
LAST WEEK IN THE BUNDESTAG:
Union demands cost efficiency in the energy transition: According to the CDU and CSU, the continued success of the energy transition depends to a large extent on cost efficiency and acceptance. Therefore, the question of costs must not become a question of acceptance, according to a Union motion (20/11967) entitled „Making the energy transition affordable – saving costs in grid expansion“. In the motion, the MPs call on the German government to make the energy transition affordable and to fully realise the potential for cost savings, particularly with regard to the scope and length of the grids. The grid development plan must avoid cross-system redundancies. In light of the cost explosion, a transparent, comprehensive and open-ended discussion must be held on the Federal Requirements Plan before its general revision and finalisation at the end of the year. Future transmission and distribution grids for electricity, gas and hydrogen should be planned in a linked manner, according to the principle of „no exit before entry“ and – the dismantling of grids should not take precedence over possible further utilisation. In addition, the European integration of future grids should be strengthened in order to leverage savings potential and synergies with neighbouring countries more extensively.
Disagreement on cormorant management in the Environment Committee On 26 June 2024, experts in the Environment Committee discussed the CDU/CSU motion on cormorant management. The aim is to protect fish stocks that are threatened by the growing cormorant population. Main points:
- Bernd Koop (Ornithological Consortium): The cormorant population is stable, but varies from region to region.
- Dirk Wüstenberg (lawyer): Fish farmers have no legal right to fish, focus on water protection necessary.
- Prof Dr Alexander Brinker (Fisheries Research): Effective cormorant management is possible, example Denmark.
- Dr Carola Winkelmann (University of Koblenz): High cormorant populations jeopardise algae control and biodiversity.
- Stefan Jäger (German Fisheries Association): EU calls for cormorant population control.
- Christof Herrmann (ringing centre): Local defence measures more effective than population limitation.
- Reinhart Sosat (State Fisheries Association): Excessive protection of cormorants criticised, international management called for.
- Dr Sebastian Zelder (pond keeper): Support for nationwide cormorant management.
No standardised solution has been found. More at bundestag.de
Sustainability strategy – Expert warns of toothless tiger: The global community is in a poor position when it comes to implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, according to Sarah Ryglewski (SPD), Minister of State in the Federal Chancellery. Only 15 per cent of the sub-goals are on track and 20 per cent have even deteriorated. Nevertheless, the UN member states reaffirmed their support for the 2030 Agenda, with Germany planning to make twelve key contributions, including an alliance for global food security and over six billion euros for climate protection in developing and emerging countries. Marie-Luise Abshagen from the Forum for Environment and Development criticises the German sustainability strategy as a „toothless tiger“ as long as it has no influence on policy. She calls for the anchoring of spillover effects in order to minimise the negative impact of German economic and consumer behaviour on other countries. Abshagen proposes measures including an export ban on banned pesticides, the abolition of climate-damaging subsidies and increased public investment in sustainability. She emphasises that investments in development cooperation reduce humanitarian costs in the long term and offer geostrategic advantages. bundestag.de
Committee discusses costs for promoting renewable energies: The Committee on Climate Protection and Energy discussed the financing of the EEG account for 2024 on Wednesday, against the backdrop of the paradoxical situation that falling electricity prices on the exchange benefit consumers but burden the federal government. Due to the guaranteed prices for operators of photovoltaic and wind power plants, the state has to make up the difference between the exchange price and the subsidy, which is currently causing a deficit of around 8.7 billion euros. The German government’s report explains that low exchange electricity prices reduce the income from renewable energies and therefore increase the EEG financing requirement. This leads to fluctuations in the financing requirement, which is constantly being reviewed. Stefan Wenzel, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection and Energy, explained that the high costs are mainly due to old plants that were commissioned many years ago with higher subsidy rates. The MPs mainly discussed how the funding gap should be closed and how it should be handled in future. more at bundestag.de
Subsidies for the purchase of new electric vehicles: The actual annual expenditure on subsidies for the purchase of new all-electric vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrids (PHEV) since the programme was launched in 2016 to date (as of 3 June 2024) has been around 10.23 billion euros. This is according to an answer (20/11893) from the German government to a minor interpellation (20/10852).
TAKEN LITERALLY:
Sustainability is often seen as a burden that can only be shouldered to a limited extent in order not to jeopardise the so-called core business. We therefore need to focus on the opportunities. Both on a large scale, because there is no good future without sustainable change, and on a small scale – with a view to the future viability of our own business model, for example.
Stefan Wagner, Chairman of Sports for Future, said that he had achieved significant successes at TSG Hoffenheim by contributing to a holistic approach to sustainability. Other successes include the launch of the umoja textile brand, the founding of the Common Value Club Alliance and the Sports for Future and SPORTS20 initiatives. Since 2019, these initiatives have united over 550 signatories with more than 25 million athletes worldwide and realised numerous environmental projects, such as the planting of 110,000 trees and mangroves and the protection of forests. He also favours sustainable practices in his private life, such as the use of green electricity, electric cars, photovoltaics and organic products. Wagner emphasises that sustainability should play a central role in all areas of life. Athletes are important multipliers for sustainability, but Wagner warns against „whataboutism“, which criticises athletes for their travel expenses. He calls for a systemic view of the problems. nachhaltigkeitspreis.de
AFRICA:
Kenya’s president withdraws new tax bill: Kenya’s President William Ruto announced on Wednesday that he will withdraw the planned tax increases under the Financial Bill 2024. This decision was made in response to considerable pressure caused by nationwide protests over the past week. On Tuesday, demonstrators stormed parliament to protest against the new law. According to official figures, at least 22 people lost their lives and 300 were injured. Following this incident, the military was deployed in the streets of Nairobi. Kenya’s Supreme Court declared the military deployment permissible on Thursday evening following a legal challenge by the Kenya Law Society, but demanded a public announcement of the duration and scope of the deployment within the next two days. The withdrawal of the law is seen as a major success for the protest movement, which is predominantly led by young people. Despite this success, protests continued on Thursday in Nairobi and several other cities. The demonstrators are demanding clarification about the deaths so far and the disappearance of several influencers, which poses new challenges for President Ruto’s government. suedeutsche.de , spiegel.de, taz.de , taz.de (comment)
Namibia: Legal success for LGBTQ community. dw.com
Billionaire wife from Zimbabwe: „They don’t believe I’m a real philanthropist“: Tsitsi Masiyiwa and her husband have made a fortune with a mobile phone company. The African woman now wants to use her wealth to finance small local organisations – a counter-model to Western development aid. spiegel.de
South Africa: Using radioactivity to combat rhino poaching. deutschlandfunknova.de
MORE KNOWLEDGE:
Climate of the future: researchers have simulated how the climate could change in over 40,000 cities by 2080. An interactive map shows which current climate is similar to the future climate of your place of residence. For example, Berlin could feel like Emilia Romagna in Italy in the future and Miami like Saudi Arabia. The map, developed by environmental researcher Matthew Fitzpatrick, uses climate analogies and data from the IPCC. It shows that cities in the northern hemisphere will move closer to the southern hemisphere in terms of climate. In a scenario with high emissions, Scandinavian cities could feel like Croatia and London like the south of France. With reduced emissions, the warming would be less, and Berlin would feel more like Böhl-Iggelheim in Rhineland-Palatinate. welt.de
In future, women will need up to twice as much time to fetch water: Climate change is significantly increasing the burden on women when it comes to fetching drinking water. According to a recent study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), published in the scientific journal Nature Climate Change, women will need almost a third more time on average to fetch drinking water in the future. This is due to falling water levels and more difficult access to freshwater sources. The supply of drinking water is already a considerable psychological and physical burden for women and girls. Climate change could further exacerbate this burden. Furthermore, the additional time required means a considerable loss in the areas of education, work and leisure for the women and girls affected. mdr.de
Protecting 1.2 per cent of the Earth’s surface could save endangered species: A new study shows that protecting just 1.2 per cent of the Earth’s surface could be enough to prevent the extinction of the world’s most endangered species. Published in the journal „Frontiers in Science“, the study found that the targeted expansion of protected areas on land could prevent the loss of thousands of mammals, birds, amphibians and plants. The research team identified 16,825 areas that should be prioritised for protection over the next five years to prevent the disappearance of unique species. These areas stretch from Argentina to Papua New Guinea and are home to animals and plants found nowhere else in the world. theguardian.com
CALENDAR:
Consultation on the mobility transition in tourism
When: 3 July 2024, 3 pm
Where: Sitzungssalle 4.600 Paul Löbe Haus, Bundestag Berlin
A public hearing of the Committee on Tourism on Wednesday, 3 July 2024, at 3 p.m. in conference room 4.600 of the Paul Löbe House will focus on the mobility transition in tourism. The MPs want to find out from the experts how mobility service providers are responding to the growing demand for sustainable mobility.
The following experts have been invited: Georg Ehrmann (Cruise Lines International Association), Max Hillmeier (Bad Hindelang Tourismus), Kerstin Hurek (Auto Club Europa), Stefan Lösel, (Verkehrsgesellschaft Ludwigslust-Parchim), Michael Oppermann (Bundesverband Taxi und Mietwagen), Jan Schilling (DB Regio) and Roland Werner (Uber).
Interested parties can register with the secretariat of the Tourism Committee (e-mail: tourismusausschuss@bundestag.de) by Friday, 28 June 2024, stating their first name, surname and date of birth. An identity document must be presented at the entrance (Paul-Löbe-Haus, West Entrance). The session will also be broadcast live on the website of the German Bundestag (www.bundestag.de) and can subsequently be accessed in the website’s media centre.
GLF Africa 2024
When: 17 September 2024
Where: Nairobi, Kenya, and onlineFurther information: Website coming soon!
Can Africa usher in a global green renaissance? The continent has vast natural resources that support its food systems, livelihoods and growing young population – but the climate crisis could undo these benefits. This mixed conference will explore how Africa can overcome these challenges by harnessing the potential of its diverse landscapes and peoples
International Peat Congress
When: 4-9 August 2024
Where: Taizhou, Zhejiang, ChinaFurther information: Website
The 17th International Peatland
Congress, organised by the International Peatland Society, provides a platform for scientists, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders to share knowledge, best practices and new ideas on peatland conservation and advocates for the responsible use of peat and peatland resources. The proposed theme for this year is „Peatlands in a changing world“.Summit of the future
When: 22-24 September 2024
Where: UN Headquarters, New York, NY, United StatesMore information: Website
The Future Summit is a high-level event that brings together world leaders to build a new international consensus on how we can create a better present and secure the future.
The Summit has two main objectives: to accelerate efforts to fulfil our existing international commitments and to take concrete steps to address new challenges and opportunities. This will be achieved through an action-orientated outcome document, the Compact for the Future, which will be negotiated and endorsed by countries in the run-up to and during the Summit.Climate Week NYC 2024
When: 22-28 September 2024
Where: New York, NY, United States, and onlineMore information: Website
During the same week as the Future Summit, the annual Climate Week NYC will host over 500 in-person, hybrid and online events and activities across New York City.2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference
When: 21 October-1 November 2024
Where: Cali, ColombiaFurther information: Press release
Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) and the meetings of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Nagoya Protocol.
At COP16, governments will be tasked with reviewing the status of implementation of the Kunming and Montreal Global Biodiversity Frameworks, which were adopted at COP15 in Montreal, Canada, in December 2022.2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29)
When: 11-22 November 2024
Where: Baku, AzerbaijanFurther information: Press release from COP28
At last year’s COP28 conference in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), countries agreed for the first time to move away from fossil fuels and to finance the fund for loss and damage. In
November, heads of state and government and delegates from all over the world will meet again in Azerbaijan for the biggest climate event of the year to set
a new global target for climate financing.Session of the UNCCD Conference of the Parties (COP16)
When: 2-13 December
Where: Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaFurther information: Website
Not to be confused with the UN Biodiversity Conference, COP16 will bring together world leaders to take action on drylands under
the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Since the last UNCCD Conference of the Parties in May 2022 in Abidjan (Ivory Coast), this will be the world’s largest summit on land issues.
THE LAST:
Euro 2024: Climate-friendly flying – the new discipline for national teams
The German national team is setting new standards in terms of climate friendliness by flying from Herzogenaurach to Dortmund for the round of 16 against Denmark – in keeping with the promise of a sustainable European Championship. The fact that around a quarter of the team’s journeys in the group stage were also made by plane just goes to show how serious UEFA is about sustainability. The Swiss team, always known for their love of trains, travelled by train and enjoyed the benefits of a school trip. Other teams proved that even 25-minute journeys are better flown – after all, priorities have to be set. Barbara Metz from Deutsche Umwelthilfe sees short-haul flights as a missed opportunity. But who could believe that fit young footballers can be expected to travel by train without losing their next match? The DFB also opted for the 36-minute flight to Dortmund instead of a four-and-a-half hour train journey – a real role model. Stefan Wagner from Sports for Future hopes that these short-haul flights will spark a debate about the transport revolution in Germany. After all, it’s not just footballers, but also business people and short holidaymakers who are masters of short-haul flights. The European Championship 2024 shows how you can overlook sustainability goals with a flight ticket in your hand – a true art in itself. deutschlandfunk.de
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