to the German edition
Climate conference starts in Dubai: The UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai is all about money. The countries of the global South are demanding that the rich North provide funds for climate damage. Exactly what damage is meant by this is unclear. It is also unclear who will monitor compliance with the targets. Major powers such as the USA and China do not see it as their duty to bow to the wishes of smaller countries. Dubai is therefore only of secondary importance to the Americans. US President Joe Biden is not travelling to Dubai and has sent his Vice President Kamala Harris instead. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, on the other hand, tried to inspire some countries to become more climate activists at the summit. One and a half years after the Climate Club was founded, Scholz declared the group of states he had set up, which now has 36 members, to be fully operational. „Now we can get started!“ said the SPD politician on Friday at the World Climate Conference in Dubai. They all share the conviction that climate change is the greatest challenge of the 21st century. The common goal was to reorganise industrial processes in a greenhouse-neutral way and to decouple economic growth from climate-damaging emissions. In a speech on Saturday during the summit segment of COP28, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz backed the goals of tripling the expansion of renewable energies and doubling energy efficiency by 2030. However, around 20 countries, led by the USA, also insisted on the expansion of nuclear power. Scholz urged urgency in making additional efforts to reduce emissions. „It is still possible for us to reduce emissions in this decade to such an extent that we can meet the 1.5-degree target,“ said the Chancellor. The energy transition must be made „a global success story“. berliner-zeitung.de , merkur.de, sueddeutsche.de , handelsblatt.com (the most important sticking points)
Another slap in the face for the German government: on 30 November, the Berlin-Brandenburg Higher Administrative Court ruled that the German government must take immediate measures to improve climate protection in the transport and buildings sector. The Climate Protection Act stipulates annual reduction targets for greenhouse gases in various sectors. According to Section 8, failure to achieve these targets requires an immediate programme from the responsible ministry. In 2022, the targets in the transport and buildings sectors were not met, creating a complex situation. This is because the government has already planned changes to the legislative clauses now under judicial review, and the court judgement now requires the federal government to take additional measures to achieve the climate targets from 2024 to 2030. The presiding judge, Ariane Holle, emphasised that although the government expanded its climate protection programme in October 2023 in response to high emission levels, this will have more of a medium to long-term effect. However, the requested immediate action programme is a different, more urgent approach. The German government is currently considering an appeal against the judgement. berlin.de, welt.de , faz.net
8.3 million people
are estimated to have died in 2019 due to air pollution caused by particulate matter and ozone. In order to limit global warming, humanity must emit significantly fewer greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Above all, this means not using fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas. derstandard.at
First successes at climate conference: The climate conference in Dubai has only just started and its first success has already been announced: The states have agreed on new rules for the fund to compensate for climate damage. Germany and the United Arab Emirates could thus have initiated something that could significantly change the debate on responsibility in the climate crisis. Specifically, it is about the Loss and Damage Fund: a pot of money designed to help particularly affected countries to better deal with climate damage. The fund is a response to one of the fundamental injustices in the climate crisis: the consequences of climate change usually affect those who bear the least responsibility for it. zeit .de
EU agrees on new pollutant regulations for industry and agriculture: Certain industrial plants and agricultural businesses in Europe will be subject to new pollutant regulations in the EU in future. This is intended to better protect human health and the environment, as the EU states and the European Parliament have announced. Businesses such as large pig and poultry farms were already affected by the regulations; in future, certain mining operations and battery production plants will also be subject to the rules for the first time, according to the information. The new requirements will not apply immediately; in agriculture, for example, they are to be introduced gradually from 2030. Parliament and EU member states still have to formally approve the agreement negotiated by representatives of the institutions. spiegel.de
Poland’s difficult path to phasing out coal: Poland generates most of its electricity from coal. Europe’s largest lignite-fired power plant in Bełchatow alone produces around a fifth of Poland’s energy requirements. So far, Poland has not followed EU climate policy, has pushed through special regulations and is allowed to continue subsidising its coal-fired power plants. For decades, work in the coal industry was also so well paid that many families in Bełchatow could afford several cars. Public transport was not needed and the train line was cancelled. This must change if new companies are to move to Bełchatow. The operator of the power plant has announced that the plant will be gradually decommissioned between 2030 and 2036. dw.com
German solar companies want to focus more on European components: So far, only a fraction of solar cells and modules have been manufactured in this country. While Meyer Burger, which operates factories in eastern Germany, recently threatened to relocate its production to the USA, companies such as Enpal, 1Komma5°, Eigensonne and Zolar from Berlin and Energiekonzepte Deutschland from Leipzig want to offer more European components. In a declaration of intent that they presented to Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck, the suppliers hold out the prospect of including „solar components from European production“ in their range. The declaration, which is available to Der Spiegel, states that this will help to strengthen domestic manufacturers. From next year onwards, they want to offer PV installations that contain at least modules or inverters from European production. Overall, however, the list of components used in solar systems is significantly longer. Modules or inverters should definitely be „made in Europe“. spiegel.de
BOOK TIP OF THE WEEK:
Wir sind nicht alle
The global South and the ignorance of the West
The West is no longer the centre of the world. Instead, the countries of the Global South are emerging with new self-confidence. What are their interests, motives and perspectives? Why do they not share the views of the West, for example towards Russia? This book shows the differences in the perception of international politics in the West and in the Global South. A better understanding of these differences is becoming increasingly urgent as the USA and Europe lose their former dominance. The book discusses why the countries of the Global South act the way they do, why their scepticism towards the West runs so deep – and why there are also opportunities in the new diversity.
None of the pressing global challenges can be solved by the West alone. The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has also changed our view of the Global South. It is surprising that the West’s position against Russia is not shared in countries such as India or South Africa. Yet the Global South has long since acquired a new strategic significance. New political alliances with the states of the Global South are necessary. But anyone seeking support there must understand their motives and interests. In the Global South, multipolarity, i.e. an order in which not only the USA and Europe, but also China, India, South Africa or Brazil and in some places even Russia play an important role, is a positive scenario for the future. Because it promises autonomy to many countries by opening up room for manoeuvre in decision-making where there was none before. International politics is therefore viewed very differently in the Global South than in the West, where the departure from the old power order is perceived as „confusing“ and therefore potentially threatening. This opens up opportunities where many have so far mainly seen risks. This is because Europe’s fundamental economic, political and ecological interests overlap with those of many countries in the Global South. chbeck.de
Habeck not attending climate conference: German economy minister Robert Habeck is staying in Berlin at the request of Federal Chancellor Scholz. The presence of the Economics Minister in the talks on the 2024 budget is urgently needed. faz.net
The year 2023 will break climate records: according to the World Weather Organisation, this year will most likely be the hottest since records began. spiegel.de
Expensive offence: Anyone who spreads salt must expect this high fine. n-tv.de
Alliance of states in favour of expanding nuclear power: 20 states want to significantly increase nuclear power generation for the good of the climate.orf.at
USA: Stricter rules for methane. stuttgarter.zeitung.de
Switzerland: Business representatives defend themselves against the wave of regulation: „We are fighting a paper war against climate change“. nzz.ch
Northern countries: Insisting on federal funding for climate projects. sueddeutsche.de
Climate sinners pilloried: How „shaming“ of states is supposed to enforce CO2 targets. handelsblatt.com
KfW: Financial gap of 25 trillion euros looms in the fight against climate change. handelsblatt.com
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:
What the future of agriculture could look like in the climate crisis
How the world intends to deal with the consequences of the climate crisis has been under discussion at the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai since Thursday. The speeches at such summits often sound very abstract. Yet the climate crisis affects us all very directly and very concretely. For example: agriculture in Germany. In this episode, farmer Nils Tolle talks about the climate strategy he has developed for his farm. He says: „The biggest challenge is to prepare for everything that could come – without knowing the exact impact of the climate crisis on his farm yet. Nevertheless, he has already changed his farm. He talks about adapting to the climate crisis in agriculture in this episode of Auf den Punkt
COMMENT OF THE WEEK:
Snails in the race against climate change
by Kristina Dunz
The World Climate Conference has got off to a hopeful start for Germany and important signals have been sent out. However, this will not yet save the climate. Global warming could become an emergency situation. Especially for the federal budget.
At the start of the World Climate Change Conference in Dubai, the German Federal Government can claim three successes. Firstly, after years of negotiations, it has managed to set up a fund for climate-related losses and damage in affected countries together with the host country, the United Arab Emirates. The fact that not only the industrialised nations as traditional donor countries are participating, but also Arab oil countries, is one of the hoped-for steps that point to the future. Other countries are now following suit. Secondly, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz has launched his climate club. Important countries such as China, India and Brazil are still missing. But they could take a liking to the club if they see that the G7 states and many others agree among themselves to waive climate tariffs, for example.
… But that’s all the good news for now. Because as important as these advances are, they are just snails in the race against climate change. Scientists, who never tire of warning and yet are not heeded, take it with gallows humour: the earth will not perish – only humans will not survive. Scholz has spoken out in favour of phasing out fossil fuels, but not as quickly as would be good for the earth. The Chancellor does not want to overburden his own people any further, who have been terrified by the traffic lights with their heating law. The initial mistakes have long since been rectified and good solutions such as the review of municipal local and district heating have been adopted. And yet trust has been lost.
… It would be cynical to wait for an extraordinary emergency – a natural disaster caused by climate change – to suspend the debt brake in that year and in subsequent years. Don’t we already have an emergency situation today when heads of state and government admit that they will miss the Paris climate target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees? rnd.de
MOBILITY:
Car summit – Industry association calls for reliable framework conditions for e-mobility: At the car summit, everyone agreed that the purchase costs of electric vehicles must be reduced, government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit announced. The range of models must also be increased. Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing welcomed the automotive industry’s clear commitment to investing in charging infrastructure itself – this had been reaffirmed at the Autogipfel. The transformation can only succeed together, he said. According to IG Metall, the faltering ramp-up of electromobility is not a good signal for Germany as an automotive centre and its employees. Following the automotive summit in the Chancellery, the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) called for planning security and reliable framework conditions for e-mobility. In addition to a better charging infrastructure, the German government must offer incentives and also drive forward the conclusion of energy partnerships and trade and raw materials agreements with greater commitment than before, said VDA President Hildegard Müller. zeit.de
Crossing the Atlantic with chip fat: the first long-haul passenger aircraft to run exclusively on alternative fuel has successfully crossed the Atlantic. This fuel is made from 88 per cent industrial fat waste, plus 12 per cent synthetic paraffin made from plant sugar. The flight from London to New York was a unique event: among the passengers were researchers analysing flight emissions. They declared the flight across the Atlantic a milestone. The challenge now is to ramp up the production of green fuel. However, some environmental groups speak of greenwashing. dw.com
E-mobility: Solar car developer Sono Motors finds new investor. zeit.de
Good urban mobility: Munich ahead according to study, Wiesbaden e-mobility leader. ecomento.de
Shipping: Electric ship charges batteries directly at offshore wind turbines. t3n.de
Climate-damaging subsidies are slowing down the energy transition: Instead of changing this, there is new money – also in Germany. A flight from Berlin to Barcelona at the end of November only costs around 150 euros, depending on the provider. Twice as much, around 300 euros, would be due if an energy tax had to be paid on the paraffin and VAT on the airfare. These cost reductions for air travel are climate-damaging subsidies. These are financial aid and tax concessions for activities and industries that exacerbate the climate crisis – for example, the fact that airlines do not pay energy tax on paraffin and that international air travel is exempt from VAT. This is intended to keep air fares low for competition. taz.de
HYDROGEN:
How hydrogen refuelling is becoming more efficient: A lot of energy is consumed in the transport and supply of hydrogen. How can we still ensure that the carbon footprint is right? A company from Baden-Württemberg is developing a technology for this purpose. tagesschau.de
How can the conversion to H2-ready power plants succeed? Gas-fired power plants that use green hydrogen to generate emission-free electricity: in the future, they should secure our supply when there is a lull and little sunshine. A recent study by the Reiner Lemoine Institute in Berlin makes it clear that the conversion to H2-ready is not trivial, as the results of the study by the Berlin research team show, there is currently no legally binding definition of „H2-ready“. After all, every gas-fired power plant could theoretically be converted to run on 100 per cent hydrogen at some point during its service life. According to the study, the lack of a clear concept of H2 readiness makes the planning of such plants more difficult. In Germany, there is only an implicit provision in the Combined Heat and Power Act (KWKG). It relates to the costs: according to this, a power plant is H2-ready if the transition to 100 per cent hydrogen is possible for less than ten per cent of the original investment costs of the power plant. ingenieur.de
A backlog in e-mobility and green hydrogen: according to the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), the German government must significantly increase the pace of the energy transition in order to fulfil Germany’s climate protection commitments. „While Germany is making good progress with photovoltaics, the expansion of onshore wind energy is currently still well below the target path. The greatest need to catch up is in electromobility and the production of green hydrogen,“ summarises the DIW in a study, „Considerable progress is still needed to achieve the targets by 2030.“ tagesspiegel.de
Hydrogen infrastructure: EU agrees on new investment opportunities: Negotiations on the first part of the new EU rules for the hydrogen and gas market have been finalised. This clears the way for investments in new infrastructures, for which German municipal utilities have been granted an exemption. A week ago Monday, the EU Parliament and the Council of the EU finalised the first part of the EU hydrogen and gas package. The rules originally proposed in December 2021 set out the framework conditions for investment in hydrogen infrastructure and favour „hard-to-reduce“ sectors such as steel and chemicals. euractiv.de
Green hydrogen: European Commission provides 800 million euros for first hydrogen bank auction. pinsentmasons.com
LAST WEEK IN THE BUNDESTAG:
Banks are audited for sustainability targets: Between 2021 and 2023, the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) trained 168 employees in sustainability topics for a total of 684 hours. The Federal Government writes this in its answer (20/9444) to a minor question from the parliamentary group Die Linke (20/9086). E-learning formats are not included in the figures. The Federal Government’s Sustainable Finance Strategy of May 2021 will continue to be implemented insofar as the measures „contribute to achieving the Federal Government’s goal from the coalition agreement of developing Germany into a leading sustainable finance location“, the Federal Government explains further. It also refers to the Sustainable Finance Strategy published by BaFin in July 2023 and available online. As part of the National Supervisory Programme (NAP), focus reviews are planned for the years 2024 to 2026 with a view to sustainability targets for compliance with regulatory requirements at selected institutions with high risk potential. According to the response, four banks have been identified for such an audit in 2024.
Government presents briefing on the life cycle assessment of buildings: The Federal Government has presented a report on research findings on methodologies for the life cycle assessment of residential and non-residential buildings as a briefing (20/8830). With this report, the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) and the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB) are fulfilling a mandate from the Building Energy Act to present such a paper. The report, which was compiled by the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR), concludes that there is „a fundamental interest in the introduction of life cycle analyses in the construction and building sector“. The methodological basis for this is in place, the technical prerequisites are in place and could be improved over a period of up to two years. Voluntary measures and funding programmes were not enough to achieve the goals of the Climate Protection Act. Regulatory law and subsidy programmes would have to work together in order to influence the planning and construction process as a whole. more at bundestag.de
Union asks about financing the timber construction initiative: The implementation of the timber construction initiative, which the Federal Cabinet decided on in June 2023, is the subject of a minor question (20/9458) from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. Among other things, the MPs would like to know how the project is to be implemented financially and technically. Specifically, the question asks how much funding is planned for the timber construction initiative and which funding programmes are to be set up to support the project. The timber construction initiative was presented by the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building and the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. With this initiative, the German government aims to increase the use of wood as a raw material in the construction sector and ensure greater climate protection, resource efficiency and faster construction. Specifically, the use of wood in building construction is to be increased, innovations in timber construction initiated and the circular economy in the construction sector promoted.
States take action against tight housing markets: Following the adoption of the Building Land Mobilisation Act in 2021, the states of Berlin, Hamburg, Bavaria, Hesse and Lower Saxony have designated areas with a tight housing market by legal ordinance in order to create more affordable housing. This is what the federal government writes in its answer (20/9441) to a minor question (20/9076) from the parliamentary group Die Linke. more on bundestag.de
TAKEN LITERALLY:
No country in the world has to wait for a COP to explain what it should do about climate protection. Not even Germany. Our task is crystal clear: we must adhere to our roadmap for reducing emissions in all sectors in order to be climate-neutral by 2045. We need to reduce our emissions very quickly and significantly. We should have realised this by now, even without climate conferences. We have enough information to make decisions for all areas of life: how we want to generate electricity, how we want to produce in the future and how we want to get around.
Franziska Tanneberger, Director of the Greifswald Mire Centre, said that every COP starts with fighting to ensure that we do not fall behind what we have achieved. This danger always exists, especially in times like these – with war in Europe, with the election of governments that deny climate change. In Dubai, the „stocktake“ will dominate above all. The global stocktake of where we stand on the way to the Paris goals. This could become the starting point for stronger commitments in climate protection. It is something like the moment of truth. spektrum.de
AFRICA:
How Dubai is tricking Africa in emissions trading: Of all people, a prince from the host country of the current 28th climate summit is capitalising on the climate catastrophe – and not a little. It was probably only a matter of time before a shrewd businessman – in this case even a prince – seized the golden opportunity. Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook al-Maktoum, scion of the royal family in Dubai, where the 28th United Nations Climate Summit (COP 28) is currently taking place, has found a clever way to capitalise on the climate catastrophe – and the emergency it has put Africa in.Kenya’s President William Ruto was right when he described emissions trading as a „unique economic gold mine“ at the first African Climate Summit in the capital Nairobi in September. The head of the East African state added that carbon credits should become a „major export item“ for his country. So far, the whole of Africa has neglected this source of income: According to estimates by the Africa Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI), the continent is only utilising two per cent of the potential of emissions trading. … Yet the continent is in urgent need of financial resources to mitigate the catastrophic consequences of global warming. The continent, which contributes only four per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, is increasingly being hit by droughts, floods and record heatwaves. Africa must expect more than 110 million refugees by the middle of the century and a slump in its economic output of more than 60 per cent by the end of the century. The UN calculates that preventing such a scenario through adaptation measures will cost the continent’s 55 countries up to 250 billion US dollars a year: Converting the respective countries to climate-friendly economies and households will be just as expensive. So far, the continent has only received a fraction of these sums from those responsible for global warming in the northern hemisphere: It is unlikely that this will change significantly after the climate summit in Dubai. derstandard.at
Kenyan climate expert urges more solidarity with Africa: Kenyan climate expert Amos Wemanya is calling for more solidarity with African countries at the UN Climate Change Conference when it comes to restructuring energy systems. „We must leave the dirty development systems behind us and ensure that African countries have access to technologies with low CO2 emissions,“ said the head of department of the think tank „Power Shift Africa“ to the Evangelischer Pressedienst (epd). In addition, western industrialised countries such as Germany must reduce their emissions significantly more than they have to date. Wemanya criticised the plans to supply natural gas from Nigeria to Germany. Germany is investing in fossil fuels, although the world needs to switch to sustainable energy sources as quickly as possible, he said. „We need honest, global solidarity,“ demanded Wemanya. He was „tired of all the speeches that have no consequences“. evangelisch.de
How the climate crisis is influencing war and peace in Africa: a new dam in the village of Koungo in western Mali is intended to prevent a catastrophe. In the region affected by climate change, it protects people from floods and droughts. Farmers and cattle herders now come to the dam from all over the region to fetch water for themselves and their animals. Engineers had already designed a dam at this location a year earlier, but it was unable to withstand the torrential rainfall. The frequency of extreme weather events is increasing as a result of the climate crisis – as is the risk of wars and armed conflicts. So does the climate crisis decide between war and peace? rnd.de
Election dispute in Mozambique – Judges don’t please anyone: Mozambique’s constitutional court partially upholds the opposition’s appeal against the regional elections. Nevertheless, it is calling for protests. taz.de
More than two million people are displaced: almost 300 people have lost their lives. The rainfall comes after the worst drought in 40 years. Somalia, a country already plagued by an ongoing humanitarian crisis, is particularly affected. The United Nations and the Somali authorities declared on Thursday that more than 100 people had died in Somalia as a result of the floods. More than one million people have been displaced. The floods inundated houses and farmland, damaged roads and bridges and forced the closure of hospitals and schools in Somalia. According to reports, the floods could inundate more than 1.5 million hectares in December. The latest disaster has exacerbated the severe humanitarian crisis in Somalia, one of the poorest countries in the world. In neighbouring Kenya, the interior ministry put the death toll from the floods at 136 on Thursday, with more than 460,000 people displaced. According to the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs, 57 people lost their lives in Ethiopia and more than 600,000 had to flee.The heavy rainfall in the Horn of Africa is linked to the weather phenomenon El Niño, which occurs regularly. El Niño is characterised by a warming of the surface water in the Pacific Ocean. The weather phenomenon occurs on average every two to seven years and usually lasts nine to twelve months. El Niño causes heat and droughts in some regions of the world and heavy rainfall in others. East Africa is one of the regions most affected by climate change. faz.net
MORE KNOWLEDGE:
How to recycle the sun: Solar modules can last longer than usual and make electricity cheaper if they are cleverly recycled. However, this still happens far too rarely. A research project aims to change that. Electricity production from sunlight, also known as photovoltaics or PV for short, is a cornerstone of the energy transition. Experts assume that every second house roof in Germany will have to be fitted with solar modules in future in order to achieve climate neutrality in the electricity sector. In addition, there are many solar power plants on open spaces. According to the think tank Agora Energiewende, the current installed capacity of around 78,000 megawatts would have to be increased to 400,000, i.e. more than quintupled. As PV modules last a long time, but not forever, concepts are needed for the longest possible service life and optimised recycling. An important contribution to this can be made by „extending the service life“ of the modules, for which a research project has now been launched. klimareporter.de
Water loss particularly high in Germany: Germany is becoming hotter and drier as a result of climate change, said Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke at the presentation of a study on the regional consequences of climate change. According to the study, average temperatures in Germany have already risen by 1.7 degrees, which is above the global average of 1.2 degrees. In addition, Germany is „one of the regions with the highest water loss worldwide“, losing 2.5 cubic kilometres of water per year since 2000. „The planet’s pain threshold has been reached,“ said Lemke and made it clear that Germany must continue to make an effort to combat climate change and at the same time deal with its consequences. taz.de, sueddeutsche.de , uba.de (monitoring report)
„Climate killer“ artificial intelligence? Why we are still in the dark when it comes to the environmental impact of AI: Artificial intelligence consumes a lot of resources. However, the actual carbon footprint is not yet known, as only a fraction of the environmental impact of AI has been analysed to date. One initiative is calling for operators to measure the entire impact – and shows how it can be calculated. Some people imagine an artificial intelligence (AI) as a kind of robot, with a human body and an electrically charged brain made of cables. The reality – at least for the time being – looks much less attractive. The well-known Large Language Models (LLM) such as ChatGPT and Bard are trained by large and powerful supercomputers. They are located in data centres, i.e. cool halls with tons of computers – and they are necessary for the AI to run as smoothly as possible. Even when millions of people use them every day. rnd.de
Germany at 1.7 degrees: As a result of the climate crisis, it is getting hotter and drier in Germany – even faster than the global average. taz.de
„Green jobs“ on the rise: German industry is investing more and more in climate protection. rnd.de
Travelling: How Greece’s travel industry is defying the climate crisis. The extreme forest fires drove hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers away from Greece this summer. But the country’s travel industry also sees climate change as an opportunity. handelsblatt.com
CALENDAR:
Supplementary Budget Act 2023
The Budget Committee is based in the Paul Löbe House of the Bundestag and deals with the topic: „Supplementary budget 2023“. (DBT / Tobias Koch)
Time: Tuesday, 5 December 2023, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Location: BerlinAt its 68th meeting on 29 November 2023, the Budget Committee unanimously decided to hold a public hearing on 5 December 2023 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the
- Draft Act on the Adoption of a Supplement to the Federal Budget for the Financial Year 2023 (Supplementary Budget Act 2023) (BT-Drs. 20/9500), on the
- Resolution of the German Bundestag pursuant to Article 115 (2) sentences 6 and 7 of the Basic Law (BT-Drs. 20/9501) and on the
- Draft Budget Financing Act (BT-Drs. 20/8298)
to be carried out.
Hearing on the structural change in Lusatia (Lausitz)
Time: Wednesday, 13 December 2023, 9 a.m. to 10.30 a.m.
Place: Berlin, Paul Löbe
House, meeting room E.200Subject of the public hearing:
Motion by the CDU/CSU parliamentary group
Enabling fair structural change in the eastern German coal-mining regions – ending uncertainty
Printed matter 20/9141Briefing by the Federal Government
First report on the evaluation of the Coal Regions Investment Act
Printed matter 20/8117Consultation on the EU Packaging Regulation
Time: Wednesday, 13 December 2023, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Place: Berlin, Paul Löbe
House, meeting room E 700Motion by the CDU/CSU parliamentary group
„Consider the effects of the EU Packaging Regulation – Achieve greater resource efficiency with low-bureaucracy, cost-effective and innovative rules (BT-Drs. 20/8859)“
Registration for public hearings
If you would like to attend a public hearing as a member of the audience, please send your
surname, first name and date of birth by 4 p.m. on the Tuesday before the hearing toumweltausschuss@bundestag.de
Phone: +49 30 227 37221
Fax: +49 30 227 36250Parliamentary Advisory Council for Sustainable Development
54th session
Time: Wednesday, 13 December 2023, 5 p.m.
Place: Berlin, Paul Löbe
House, Conference Room E 700Registration for public hearings
A limited number of local citizens can attend the public meetings of the Parliamentary Advisory Council on Sustainable Development.
Registration by e-mail is required for this:
Surname, first name and date of birth to
nachhaltigkeitsbeirat@bundestag.de
Deadline: Friday, 8 December 2023, 11:00 amsince 30 November 2023
28th World Climate Conference (COP 28)
End: 12 Dec 2023
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
THE LAST:
ChatGPT & Co.: University in Prague abolishes bachelor theses
Universities everywhere are having to deal with generative AI. Bachelor’s theses make little sense – get rid of them, says one university. The Faculty of Business Administration at the University of Economics in Prague has abolished bachelor theses for new students. Jiří Hnilica, Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration, told the Czech edition of Forbes magazine: „At the moment, it is still more likely that a student will have their work done by a professional agency and not by AI.“ The emergence of AI was a further impetus for the university to change the system. It will design the bachelor’s degree in a practical way that „leaves much less room for plagiarism and from which students will take much more useful experience into their lives.“ heise.de
to the German edition
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