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Employers‘ President Reiner Dulger (Photo: Photo: BDA | Christian Kruppa)

Employers call for climate targets to be withdrawn: Germany is in danger of falling behind as a result of the federal government’s climate plans, warns employers‘ president Dulger. „Planned economy regulations“ need to be reconsidered. Employers‘ President Rainer Dulger has called on the coalition government with the traffic light system to withdraw planned climate protection targets for the economy. „If the traffic light coalition implements everything it has planned in terms of climate policy, Germany will no longer be able to keep up internationally,“ said the head of the Confederation of German Employers‘ Associations (BDA) According to Dulger, more and more companies are giving up „because they are being asked to make investments that they cannot afford“. Climate targets must be achieved with market-based instruments. „All of the Ampel’s plans, which aim to push the German economy towards climate neutrality with planned economic regulations, must be reconsidered,“ he demanded. Dulger cited „forced electrification“ and „excessive heating regulations“ as examples. zeit.de , spiegel.de

253,000 deaths – but not all EU countries are equally affected by particulate matter: pollutants in the air make people ill and can even lead to death. In a new report, the EU Environment Agency shows how many deaths could be avoided. It also highlights the health risks posed by particulate matter. According to the EU Environment Agency EEA, poor air quality remains the greatest health risk posed by environmental conditions. Around 253,000 deaths in the EU in 2021 would have been related to particulate matter levels above the recommended limits of the World Health Organisation (WHO), the EEA announced on Friday at the EU’s Clean Air Forum in Rotterdam. utopia.de , Originalbericht

More than two degrees

the global average temperature for a single day exceeded the pre-industrial level for the first time since records began. On 17 November, the temperature for that day exceeded the average for the period from 1850 to 1900 by 2.06 degrees. Compared to the period from 1991 to 2020, the temperature for the day was therefore 1.17 degrees higher zeit.de

G20 countries are subsidising oil, gas and coal like never before: Officially, many G20 countries want to drive forward the transformation of their energy production. In reality, however, the states are subsidising fossil fuels more than ever before. According to a report, the trillions of euros could have been used to promote solar energy on a huge scale. According to a report, the G20 countries granted record subsidies for fossil fuels last year. Against the backdrop of rising energy prices, the governments and public companies of the states more than doubled their subsidies in this area in 2022 to almost 1.3 trillion dollars (1.19 trillion euros) compared to the previous year, according to a report by BloombergNEF. n-tv.de

Pesticides remain: A new setback for European environmental policy: the European Parliament has overturned a law to restrict the use of pesticides. On Wednesday in Strasbourg, the majority of MEPs voted against the EU Commission’s proposal to halve the use of pesticides by 2030. Parliament rejected further negotiations by a narrow majority. This is the second time that environmental legislation has been thwarted. In the summer, the EU Parliament watered down a regulation on renaturalisation. Previously, Christian Democrats, right-wing conservatives and nationalists had launched a massive campaign against the draft – and invoked the (alleged) protection of farmers. It was a similar story this time round. All in all, the European Green Deal shows that the EU Parliament has shifted into reverse gear. taz.de . tagesspiegel.de

UN Secretary-General Guterres visits Antarctica: UN Secretary-General António Guterres has visited Antarctica. A few days before the World Climate Conference, he wanted to gain an impression of the consequences of global warming. „Antarctica is a sleeping giant that is being woken up by climate chaos“. This is what the UN Secretary-General said during his visit near the South Pole. Chilean President Boric published a photo in which he could be seen together with Guterres in Antarctica. „Antarctica is not only home to 90 per cent of the Earth’s ice and 77 per cent of its available fresh water. Its oceans are the key to global climate regulation,“ he wrote on X. euronews.com

BOOK TIP OF THE WEEK:

Rechte für Flüsse, Berge und Wälder

A new perspective for nature conservation?

Nature is increasingly being granted its own rights. Around the world, they help endangered ecosystems to defend themselves against harmful economic interests. Since their introduction into the Ecuadorian constitution in 2008, nature rights have been introduced in Bolivia, Canada, Colombia, New Zealand and the USA, among others. Most recently in Spain to protect a saltwater lagoon.
This book shows how the idea of the Rights of Nature came about, how it gained momentum and how it can help us to protect nature and endangered ecosystems in the future. It takes us on a journey through various countries and continents and presents concrete applications and initiatives.

Biofuels: Petrol stations will be allowed to sell diesel made entirely from used cooking oils such as chip fat. zeit.de
Against the packaging industry: EU environmental plan becomes the most discussed paper in Brussels. focus.de
Five reasons for climate optimism: A new study shows progress and successes in international climate protection. fr.de
Civil disobedience: What the activists of the Last Generation are referring to. dlf.de
Associations: Demand cancellation of the commuter allowance. zeit.de
Baerbock on Greta: I think this approach is irresponsible. fair-economics.de
Federal government in court: To ensure that climate targets are achieved, environmental organisations want to oblige the federal government to take effective measures in court. merkur.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:

Will more trees help us? And what political measures are needed?

When we hear the word climate change, nobody thinks of polar bears sitting sadly on their ice floes any more. We are now all affected by it. When we lie awake at night in summer because the heat makes it impossible to sleep, when the rain fails to fall when we need it, but then floods houses and washes away cars at other times. When in winter there is only a small carpet of snow on an otherwise green meadow. In other countries and on other continents, the consequences of the climate crisis have been apparent for some time and are having a much more serious impact.Can we still get out of this – and if so, how? And what responsibility do we have towards poorer, even more affected countries? These questions were recently discussed at Buch Wien, and you can listen to the edited recording in this podcast episode. Guests: Helga Kromp-Kolb, probably Austria’s best-known climate researcher, the political theorist Johannes Siegmund and Jürgen-Thomas Ernst, a forester and forest educator who guides us through the local forests. derstandard.at

COMMENT OF THE WEEK:

A dark day for consumers

by Holger Beckmann

After the end of the pesticide law, conservatives and farmers‘ organisations are acting as if everything is fine now – because food remains cheap. But the issue is a potential danger to life and limb. A majority of conservatives, Christian democrats, populists and probably also some social democrats do not want stricter rules on the use of poisons in agriculture – pesticides, as they are properly known.

Traditional and intensive agriculture likes to use the term „plant protection products“ – but this stuff only protects plants so that they grow quickly, in a market-friendly, yield-orientated way, in fact it destroys life – other plants, insects, in case of doubt even more. Because then there is also human health. And one thing is clear: everything that we as humans spray or sprinkle on our food or distribute in any other way ends up at least partially on our plates and then in our bodies. We may not want to know this for sure, and we always wash our fruit and vegetables thoroughly before eating them. But it is possible that this is not enough, that residues of the poison remain, that our body has to deal with it. Maybe it does, but maybe it doesn’t. … That’s why it’s so particularly distasteful when conservatives and farmers‘ organisations now pretend that this Strasbourg decision is good for consumers because food will now remain so cheap. Exactly: at the price of at least the potential danger to life and limb. That’s not cheap, and it’s not right either. But it is obviously desirable at the moment. tagesschau.de

MOBILITY:

Only every second pedestrian feels safe: too little consideration and too many vehicles: an exclusive ADAC survey shows what currently annoys pedestrians the most in urban traffic.  Many respondents are increasingly annoyed by e-scooters and their drivers. Parked vehicles are the main disruptive factors on pavements. adac.de

Scholz sees no need for a mobility summit: at the beginning of the year, it was said that the car summit would become a mobility summit in future. Without the environmental organisations, the discussion will instead return to cars on Monday. The focus will once again be on the sluggish turnaround in drive systems. After the last mobility summit in January in the Chancellery, Olaf Scholz (SPD) announced that there would be future meetings on various mobility topics in different compositions. It is telling that the next meeting will once again be a classic car summit without the participation of environmental organisations such as BUND. tagesspiegel.de

WHO: Healthy and thriving cities require social, economic, human and planetary wellbeing. who.int

Maglev railway: an expensive gimmick or a useful building block for a transport turnaround?  Does Berlin need a maglev railway? How much does it even cost? And who could build it? The CDU’s proposal for the new double budget is causing a stir. rbb24.de

General refurbishment of the rail network begins in 2024: The general refurbishment of the high-performance rail network will begin in the second half of 2024 with the Frankfurt/Main – Mannheim line (Riedbahn) and should be completed in the second half of 2030 with the Mannheim – Karlsruhe line. This is according to the Federal Government’s answer (20/9251) to a minor question from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group (20/8573). According to the answer, DB Netz AG is planning to improve capacity with so-called small and medium measures as part of the general refurbishment of heavily used sections of track. Among other things, 740m overtaking tracks, block optimisation, track switching operations and transfer points are planned. A concrete list cannot yet be presented at this time „as DB Netz AG is currently still working out the details for the individual sections of track,“ writes the federal government.

New issue published: A „Welt-Sichten“

The world is moving closer together: When Indians or Chinese eat more meat and consume more oil, food and petrol become more expensive for us. Conversely, our consumption, exports and policies influence living conditions in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Such interactions are crucial in the fight against poverty, for environmental and climate protection and for securing peace.

welt-sichten helps to better understand the interrelationships – whether printed as a magazine or online. The spectrum of topics ranges from the global economy and development policy to climate change and environmental protection to peace issues and the role of religions.

welt-sichten.org

HYDROGEN:

Why many companies are still planning without hydrogen: Germany is increasingly focussing on the technology as part of the energy transition. Companies need to invest in order for it to become established. But many are sceptical, a study shows. In response to an open question, 70 per cent of companies cited the unforeseeable economic viability as a key hurdle for hydrogen projects. click here for the study

Investigating the use of hydrogen in energy-intensive industries: Hydrogen instead of natural gas: many industrial companies want to go down this route. But how? Researchers have now presented a concept for the Hermsdorfer Kreuz industrial cluster. It is also about decentralised supply. zfk.de

Scholz: Germany will purchase large quantities of hydrogen from Africa: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has encouraged African countries to enter into the production of climate-friendly hydrogen on a large scale. „The Compact-with-Africa conference should send out the signal: You can count on Germany as a partner,“ said Scholz at the investment conference as part of the G20 Compact with Africa initiative. rnd.de

Brussels is going on the offensive with „green“ hydrogen: The European Commission is setting up a hydrogen bank to promote the expansion of renewable hydrogen in the EU’s energy mix. The idea is to provide 800 million euros to support the industry while incentivising private investment, and green hydrogen is expected to play a key role in decarbonising sectors so that the EU can meet the Green Deal targets by 2050. „I think we want to show clearly that we are world leaders when it comes to the use of these new technologies, that we can actually replace fossil fuels with green hydrogen, that we can produce the steel with a very low or no CO2 profile,“ says Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President of the European Commission. euronews.com

Victory for France: Brussels makes nuclear power hydrogen green. euractiv.de

Lower Saxony is calling on the EU to provide compensation for hydrogen locations: regions that are forging ahead with hydrogen are providing a service for the whole of Germany. This commitment should be particularly honoured financially, according to Lower Saxony. zfk.de

LAST WEEK IN THE BUNDESTAG:

Government wants to curb increase in electricity grid fees: The German government has agreed to curb the increase in grid fees in the coming year. Specifically, the German government has agreed that there will be a subsidy of 5.5 billion euros in 2024 to proportionally finance the transmission grid costs. This is stated in its answer (20/9166) to a minor question from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group (20/8880). The Federal Government is also making considerable efforts to reduce or avoid redispatch costs by continuously optimising the existing grid, for example by temporarily increasing the capacity utilisation of the electricity transmission grid. Redispatch refers to interventions in the generation capacity of power plants that are intended to protect sections of the grid from overloading. In response to the question of how much the grid fees could be reduced in 2023 through income from the skimming off of revenue from electricity prices, the government replied that the skimming off of surplus revenue serves to finance the electricity price brake overall. This includes, on the one hand, the relief for companies and households with regard to the cap on electricity prices and, on the other hand, a subsidy to the transmission system operators for the pro rata financing of transmission system costs. „The subsidy scheme ensured that the transmission grid costs were effectively frozen at the 2022 level.“

Government on the role of superconductors for the energy transition: According to the German government, the use of superconductors in the transmission grid is possible in principle. For electricity grids, the potential technical advantages of superconductors, such as high current carrying capacity with low space requirements, are particularly interesting in urban areas, but require further testing – and are currently significantly more expensive than conventional copper cables, especially as superconductors require the construction of cooling stations at regular intervals. This is according to an answer from the German government (20/9420) to a minor question from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group (20/8847) on the use of superconductors for the energy transition in Germany. According to the government letter, from a technical perspective, superconductors could currently be more of an option at bottlenecks in urban centres or for individual pilot projects. For industrial applications, the use of superconductors could be particularly interesting as an energy efficiency technology in order to reduce losses in high-current applications. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection answered the CDU/CSU MPs‘ question about measures being taken by the Federal Government to maintain Germany’s technological lead in the field of superconductor technology by stating that it is combining research and development work on this technology with the research field of high-temperature superconductivity in its energy research programme. The research funding covers the entire value chain (conductor, cable, cooling and application) and also extends to demonstration projects in which reliable operation is proven over a longer period of time in order to support the transfer of results. „These measures contribute to the development of the industry in Germany.“

Intensive agriculture responsible for insect decline: The main cause of the decline in insects is considered to be the intensification of agriculture in recent decades. This is according to an answer (20/9330) from the Federal Government to a minor interpellation (20/8927). More than 70 international studies have identified five causes of endangerment, with agriculture in first place, followed by the use of pesticides, urbanisation and the use of artificial fertilisers. Furthermore, various current scientific studies have shown declines in different insect groups. The German government lists several studies on specific groups of insect species. For example, the number of species of hoverflies in protected areas in North Rhine-Westphalia was compared between 1989 and 2014. A decline in the number of species of 23 per cent was found there. One study found that 27 per cent of species had declined, while 15 per cent of species were no longer present at all. Another study on butterflies in Bavaria in the period from 1840 to 2013 showed a decline in species from 117 species at the beginning of the study to 71 species at the end of the study. Finally, a systematic comparison of insect populations in southern Germany found that 29 per cent fewer insect species were detected in agricultural landscapes than in near-natural landscapes.

Biodiversity threatened by invasive species: Invasive species – plants and animals that spread outside their native habitat – also threaten biodiversity in Germany. According to an endangerment cause analysis commissioned by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), invasive species are a major cause of endangerment for 24 of 1,200 endangered Red List species groups. This is the result of an answer by the Federal Government (20/9237) to a minor interpellation by the CDU/CSU parliamentary group (20/8844). For a further ten such taxa (groups of organisms with the same characteristics), they are considered a major or minor cause of endangerment and for 70 taxa a minor cause of endangerment. Native plant and animal species that have been pushed back or eradicated by invasive species in the last 20 years include the peony carnation, the large pond mussel, the green earth owl, the fire-bellied toad as well as the adder, teal, grey partridge and polecat. According to the government’s response, 20 vertebrate species from the list of invasive alien species of EU-wide importance have been detected in Germany. Some are established, such as nutria, muskrat and raccoons, while others have only been documented in isolated cases. In addition to the 20 species on the Union list, a further eleven vertebrate species are considered invasive in Germany according to the BfN’s nature conservation invasiveness assessment, writes the German government. These include the Lavantine water frog, the Alpine crested newt, the Siberian sturgeon, the rainbow trout and the American mink.

Taken Literally:

„The world’s oceans are the largest accessible carbon reservoir on the planet. In recent decades, they have absorbed around 25 per cent of human CO₂ emissions from the atmosphere, thereby slowing down global warming. The oceans are therefore a crucial reservoir for carbon – and a central element in the carbon cycle. When they change, for example by warming or cooling, this also has an impact on the atmosphere, with which they interact.“

Prof. Dr Andreas Oschlies, Head of the Biogeochemical Modelling research unit at the Geomar Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, …the way in which the oceans absorb carbon can be imagined as a water fountain. CO₂ is added to water under pressure, creating carbonic acid. The same thing happens in the oceans: as we burn more and more fossil fuels that release greenhouse gases such as CO₂, excess CO₂ pressure builds up in the atmosphere. This would increase the gas exchange between the atmosphere and the sea. The CO₂ from the air would dissolve on the sea surface and some of the gas would react with the water molecules to form carbonic acid. The acidity of the water increases. rnd.de

AFRICA:

Germany offers itself to Africa as a reliable partner: Germany is offering itself as a long-term and reliable economic partner to African countries. This cooperation, for example in the production of climate-friendly energy such as green hydrogen, is in the interests of both sides, as Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier made clear in Berlin. „Africa is our partner of choice when it comes to intensifying our economic relations and taking the common path to a climate-neutral future,“ said Scholz at the Compact with Africa summit. The German government will support the EU-Africa Green Energy Initiative with four billion euros by 2030. The Chairperson of the African Union, Azil Assoumani, and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, assured that Africa was also open to other partnerships in view of China’s already strong presence. „There is no monopoly. Everyone has their place,“ emphasised Assoumani. Both politicians emphasised that the debts of African countries and the interest burden were too high. This inhibits these countries‘ own investments. „The debt burden is a yoke,“ said Faki. It must be reduced. Assoumani, who called Scholz „our dear brother“, called on „the solid partner Germany“ to „support us for more progress and prosperity in Africa and the entire world“. zeit.de , tagesspiegel.de , taz.de

Uganda- Rubbish divers in Lake Victoria: Lake Victoria is full of rubbish. Despite Uganda’s restrictions on certain plastics, more and more rubbish is ending up in Africa’s largest freshwater lake. Although the country has laws against water pollution, they are not very effective. The country also does not have a functioning waste management system. A local initiative is now working to clean up the lake. It is also training young divers to help remove the rubbish from the lake. The divers not only clean the water, but also collect the rubbish from the densely overgrown shore. Every month, they collect tonnes of plastic and bring it ashore. Getting all the plastic out of the lake is a daunting task: the lake is almost as big as Sierra Leone. dw.com

Madagascar – the ignored heatwave: Temperatures in Madagascar began to rise in mid-July and the heatwave – which, according to an initial rapid analysis, could not have occurred without man-made climate change – reached its peak in October. More than 90 per cent of the island’s inhabitants live in poverty. The record-breaking heat hit people in poor neighbourhoods particularly hard. However, the consequences for millions of people were not recognised by the authorities or the media, and the heatwave received little international attention. In general, awareness of the dangers of extreme temperatures is low in most African countries. This is suggested by a new study. deutschlandfunk.de

Kenya: From drought to flood – Kenyan villagers suffer from floods. The recent disaster in Kenya has claimed dozens of lives and led to massive displacement. aljazeraa.com

How genocidaires from Rwanda enjoy a free life in Europe: The genocide of the Tutsi in Rwanda is being tried in a Paris courtroom. One defendant is on trial 29 years after the crimes were committed. Many other alleged perpetrators still live unchallenged in France. spiegel.de

Zimbabwe – A country in the grip of cholera: The worst cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe for almost fifteen years has already claimed hundreds of lives. There are also political reasons for this. taz.de

MORE KNOWLEDGE:

Almost irreversible? Climate target of 1.5 degrees barely achievable: While global temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions are breaking records, the latest emissions gap report from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) concludes that the world is on track to achieve a temperature rise of 2.5 to 2.9°C above pre-industrial levels this century, according to current pledges under the Paris Agreement. This makes it clear that more climate protection measures are urgently needed. The Emissions Gap Report 2023 was published in the run-up to the 2023 Climate Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Broken Record – Temperatures hit new highs, yet world fails to cut emissions (again),“ finds that a global low-carbon transition is needed to reduce projected 2030 greenhouse gas emissions by 28 per cent on a 2°C pathway and 42 per cent on a 1.5°C pathway. fair-economics.com

How the Gulf States are preparing for the end of fossil fuels: The Gulf states are preparing for the end of the oil age with renewable energies and huge solar plants. But they still want to continue exporting their oil and gas. Until now, reserves of fossil fuels such as oil and gas have guaranteed the wealth of the Persian Gulf states. However, with the global switch to renewable energies, the region is facing economic extinction in this respect. For this reason, the Gulf states are now starting to move away from fossil fuels themselves. In Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, power plants for renewable energies are currently being built that are among the largest in the world. Qatar, for example, is building a solar power plant in the run-up to the 2022 World Cup that will cover ten per cent of the country’s energy needs. In Saudi Arabia, a desert city is being built that will be powered exclusively by renewable energy. And the United Arab Emirates is building what is said to be the largest centralised solar power plant in the world. dw.com

Particulate matter from coal more harmful than previously thought: It has long been known that particulate matter from burning coal is harmful to health. However, data from the USA now suggests that these power plant emissions are even more harmful than previously assumed. Researchers analysed a combination of health insurance data and emissions data from 480 coal-fired power plants in the USA. According to the study, the sulphurous particulate matter emitted by the power plants was responsible for more than 460,000 deaths between 1999 and 2020 alone. At the same time, the results show that measures to reduce emissions in the USA have already effectively prevented premature deaths. wissenschaft.de

Greenwashing claims also affect United Airlines: After KLM, Austrian Airlines and Etihad Airways, United Airlines has now also been accused of greenwashing and charged with it. reisetopia.de
Sugary drinks: what the benefits of taxation would be. fair-economics.de
Study: Is the recovery of the ozone hole slowing down? fair-economics.de

CALENDAR:

Hearing on Germany’s international climate policy

Time: Monday, 27 November 2023, 1.30 pm to 4 pm
Location: Berlin, Marie-Elisabeth-Lüders-Haus, conference room 3.101

The hearing will be broadcast live on parliamentary television from 13:30 to 16:00 (available on the German Bundestag website).

Agenda

Hearing on the Self-Determination Act

Time: Tuesday, 28 November 2023, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Place: Berlin, Paul-Löbe-Haus, conference room E 200

The public hearing will be broadcast live at www.bundestag.de and will be available in the media centre afterwards.

List of experts

28th World Climate Conference 2023 (COP 28)

Start: 30 Nov 2023
End: 12 Dec 2023
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)

unfccc.int/cop28

THE LAST:

Study: Defibrillator drones save more lives than rescue services

A Swedish project has investigated who can bring defibrillators to people with heart failure more quickly. The drone is superior to the rescue service. In a study by the Swedish Karolinska Institute, scientists have come to the conclusion that drones that deliver defibrillators for life-saving measures in the event of heart failure are superior to ambulance rescue services. The reason for this is the time factor, which is crucial when resuscitating patients in cardiac arrest. The life-saving electric shock must be applied within three to five minutes. Only then is a survival rate of up to 70 per cent possible. heise.de

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