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Biofuel industry threatens ministry with billion-euro lawsuit: Last week, the German biofuel industry considered taking legal action against the Federal Ministry for the Environment. The accusation: failure to act against allegedly misdeclared biofuel imports from China. These imports, which are labelled as advanced biofuels, are said to actually consist of fresh palm oil and not, as stated, waste products. This leads to market distortions and jeopardises the existence of domestic producers. Two law firms are therefore preparing claims for damages totalling billions. The Association of German Biofuel Producers (VDB) criticises the fact that the Ministry has not taken any effective measures despite being aware of the problem. National protective measures against such imports have already been implemented in other EU countries such as France, Belgium and Austria. However, the German authorities are reaching their limits when it comes to monitoring certifications in China, as on-site audits are not authorised by the Chinese side. The German government has not yet taken any concrete measures and refers to the need for an EU-wide solution. However, the companies affected are calling for immediate action to avert further damage. ecoreporter.de, merkur.de, handelsblatt.com
Climate protection – SMEs reduce investments: German SMEs are significantly reducing their investments in climate protection. According to the KfW Climate Barometer, the proportion of companies investing in measures such as building insulation or electric vehicles fell from 23 per cent in 2021 to just 9 per cent in 2023. While large companies are spending higher sums, uncertainties about cost-effectiveness, a lack of financial resources and lengthy approval procedures are contributing to this reluctance. KfW estimates that 120 billion euros would be needed annually to achieve climate neutrality by 2045. However, there is currently an investment gap of 35 billion euros. On the positive side, a quarter of companies are planning to increase spending on climate protection over the next three years. spiegel.de
25,000 households
can be supplied by one of the world’s largest seawater heat pumps in Esbjerg, Denmark. Together with a second heat pump, the system will achieve a heating capacity of 70 MW and supply around 280,000 MWh of heat per year, which corresponds to the heating requirements of 25,000 households. It uses electricity from wind farms and seawater as a heat source, saving 120,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year. The entire plant is the size of two tennis courts, with the central compressor alone being 5 metres long. This project shows how Northern Europe is consistently focussing on climate-neutral district heating.
COP29: Climate protection at a standstill, new balance of power: The World Climate Conference in Baku revealed major deficits in climate protection. While fossil fuel interests are blocking progress, China is taking centre stage as the new climate policy driver. Europe is facing increasing financial responsibility, but the global divide between industrialised and developing countries is making joint solutions difficult. The future of climate policy remains uncertain. focus.de
German Sustainability Award 2024 – Criticism of transparency and credibility: The German Sustainability Award (DNP) is being criticised this year. The cosmetics companies Weleda and Börlind refused to accept the award and criticised the lack of transparency, non-transparent selection criteria and strong commercialisation. Particular criticism was levelled at high participation fees and unclear decision-making processes that put smaller companies at a disadvantage. There is also the accusation that the award is primarily used as a business model. Funding is heavily based on sponsorship money and fees, while partnerships with ministries are merely of an idealistic nature. While the award ceremony shone with celebrity guests such as Hape Kerkeling and Emeli Sandé, critics are calling for reforms to ensure greater fairness and credibility. The German Sustainability Award Foundation is investigating the allegations, but has not yet made a comprehensive statement. retail-news.de, spiegel.de
How seriously does the CDU take climate protection? The CDU is officially aiming to make Germany climate-neutral by 2045, but chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz is causing confusion with contradictory statements. While he describes wind power as a „transitional technology“, the party is in favour of carbon pricing and openness to technology. Critics criticise the lack of concrete implementation plans and the fact that many proposed measures are already being implemented by the traffic light government. Climate researchers are calling for more transparency and clear strategies to achieve the climate targets. The CDU faces the balancing act of credibly underpinning ambitious targets with concrete action. tagesschau.de
Deindustrialisation harms the climate: A study by Veronika Grimm at the Technical University of Nuremberg shows that deindustrialisation in Germany would do more harm than good to the climate. Although production-based CO2 emissions are falling, consumption-based values remain high, as CO2-intensive production is being relocated abroad. According to the researchers, economic growth and climate protection are not mutually exclusive, but rather interdependent. If the economy shrinks, there is a lack of financial resources for green technologies and social compensation. Instead of degrowth, the authors call for the expansion of sustainable production in Germany and greater use of instruments such as the „Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism“. handelsblatt.com, fair-economics.de
BOOK TIP OF THE WEEK:
Earth for All Deutschland
Towards a future for all
This book is an impressive and indispensable guide for all those who want to actively shape the future. In the midst of a time of numerous crises and social uncertainties, it addresses the most pressing questions of our time: Can a good life be achieved for all without further exploiting nature? Is it possible to save the economy, create social justice and prevent a climate catastrophe at the same time? A team of renowned experts from the Club of Rome and the Wuppertal Institute provides a clear answer: yes, it is possible. The book exposes the apparent lack of alternatives to our current decisions and outlines two scenarios for Germany’s future – the fatal path of „business as usual“ or courageous, real change.The authors show on a scientifically sound basis how social progress and sustainability can reinforce each other. They present concrete solutions that show that only a holistic approach – combining climate protection, social justice and economic stability – is viable for the future. The text is not only a wake-up call, but also offers clear perspectives. It addresses key issues such as the fight against inequality and poverty, genuine equality, responsible agriculture, the energy transition and the conscious use of resources. With its forceful clarity and sound reasoning, this book is a beacon of hope – not because it offers simple answers, but because it points the way to how we can create a fairer and more sustainable world together. A must-read for all those who have the courage to tackle the necessary changes.
In an nutshell:
Coal phase-out by 2030? Habeck plans support for gas-fired power plants. fr.de
Decision by the Higher Administrative Court in NRW: climate protection before monument protection. lto.de
Sustainability is good – until it becomes inconvenient: While renewable energies are gaining approval, commitment in everyday life is waning – especially among Gen Z. absatzwirtschaft.de
Heatwave out of control: Germany is becoming the focal point of the climate crisis. daswetter.com
Star economist rips up agreement: „Global climate deal is an immoral waste of money“. bild.de
Climate policy: Why the AfD is tougher on climate change than other right-wing parties. stern.de
Berlin Climate Protection Council: Experts see „serious threat to climate protection goals“ due to austerity measures. rbb.de
Spain on climate change: How rising temperatures are changing tourism. fair-economics.de
Shopping frenzy on Black Friday: Leads to booming lorry traffic. fr.de
Nobelimmobilien: Why sustainability and luxury are not a contradiction in terms. capital.de
Handwerkspräsident Dittrich: „In rural areas, a subsidy for driving licences could help more than a Germany ticket“. dlf.de
German car manufacturers need a new idea: The old is disappearing, the new has not yet emerged. handelsblatt.com
Industry under pressure: Car sharing was supposed to revolutionise traffic in city centres. But that hasn’t happened yet. Instead, providers are under financial pressure. businessinsider.com
Financing: A 9,000 kilometre long core pipeline network for hydrogen is to be built in Germany. KfW is providing particularly strong start-up aid. wiwo.de
Hydrogen production on the open sea: The feasibility and efficiency of hydrogen production directly at sea is to be tested with the help of an offshore electrolysis demonstrator with a capacity of 10 MW in the Alpha Ventus offshore wind farm. solarserver.de
Energy supply of the future: EU wants to give hydrogen a boost. stuttgarter-zeitung.de
Researchers warn of impending consequences of hydrogen use: Scientists point out that the ecological effectiveness of hydrogen (H2) depends on how much hydrogen losses are avoided along its supply chain. oekonews.at
Zukunft Gas: The members‘ meeting has agreed on the new name „The Gas and Hydrogen Industry“. It is the second change of name within a few years. zfk.de
PODCAST OF THE WEEK:
Climate crisis: The real battle begins after the conferences
The World Climate Conference in Baku showed once again that the fight against the climate crisis will not be won at conferences. More important is the global question of how energy will be produced in the future – and what balance of power will emerge as a result. The competition between the USA and China plays a central role here, as both are vying for supremacy in the field of renewable energies and technologies.
The hosts of the podcast „That too?“, Petra Pinzler and Stefan Schmitt, take a look behind the scenes of COP29: they analyse the political dynamics, encouraging progress and the challenges of environmental diplomacy. While activist groups criticise the lack of progress, there is hope from initiatives such as the Beyond Coal and Gas Alliance, which is campaigning for the phase-out of fossil fuels.
The focus is on the enormous funding gap for the Global South, which urgently needs climate protection measures. Decisions such as 350 billion US dollars in climate aid stand in contrast to the massive investments made by individual industrialised countries in their own energy systems, such as Germany’s 250 billion euros for the conversion of its electricity grids. The future of climate policy depends on whether it is possible to reconcile economic interests with global environmental protection – a task that goes far beyond conferences.
zeit.de
COMMENT OF THE WEEK:
Repressing the climate crisis will cost us dearly
The climate crisis is progressing inexorably – with burning forests, overheated seas and dwindling species. Yet reactions remain alarmingly muted. The World Climate Change Conference in Baku made little progress and public perception is characterised by resignation and indifference.
Miray Caliskan criticises in her commentary that it is not only political inaction, but above all the collective apathy of the population that is a betrayal of the future. Many are shifting responsibility onto others – politicians, businesses or fellow human beings – instead of taking action themselves. However, this attitude will not stop the climate crisis.
The author warns urgently: „Every day of waiting exacerbates the problems. Without courageous action, both individually and globally, the climate crisis will become an inescapable reality. Eternal suppression is not a solution – it is our biggest mistake. read the full commentary at tagesspiegel.de
LAST WEEK IN THE BUNDESTAG:
More recycling of commercial and construction waste: The German government has presented an ordinance (20/13950) to strengthen the management of commercial municipal waste and certain construction and demolition waste. The Bundestag must approve the ordinance on the basis of Section 8 (2) in conjunction with Section 67 of the Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act. The aim of the ordinance is to recycle more commercial municipal waste as well as construction and demolition waste. An evaluation of the Commercial Waste Ordinance has shown that „existing recycling potential“ of this waste is not being sufficiently utilised, explains the German government. Mixed commercial municipal waste is „27 per cent recyclable by mass“, but only four per cent by mass is currently recycled. To change this, the ordinance provides for the introduction of mandatory labelling for collection containers in order to improve the separate collection of waste at the point of origin. The pre-treatment of mixed municipal waste is to be „more stringently defined“ and at the same time simplified through official monitoring. In addition, it should be possible in future to involve experts in the inspection of separate collection and the pre-treatment of mixtures. Finally, there are also plans to oblige operators of waste incineration plants to carry out random inspections of delivered waste. This is intended to ensure that recyclable waste is not utilised for energy recovery.
German government presents urbanisation report: The German government has presented the „Development Policy Report on Urbanisation“ 20/13885, which defines sustainable urban development as a priority of German development cooperation. In view of the rapid urban growth, particularly in Africa and Asia, and the expected increase in the urban population from 4.4 to 6.5 billion by 2050, the German government sees an urgent need for action. Problems such as poor infrastructure, a lack of basic services and the effects of climate change are to be tackled through measures such as energy-efficient construction, sustainable mobility and environmentally friendly recycling. Germany is also supporting the reconstruction of Ukrainian cities such as Kharkiv and Mykolaiv with financial and technical assistance for sustainable projects. The aim is a fair, climate-resilient and liveable urban future.
Status of implementation of the climate money: In the current legislative period, the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK), the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) are working on a climate money. In the view of the Federal Government, the exact structure of a climate money should be discussed in the next legislative period. This is stated in the Federal Government’s answer (20/13865) to a minor question from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group (20/13587) on the implementation status of the introduction and payment of a climate money. The answer also states that there is no department that deals exclusively with the introduction of a climate money or the payment mechanism. This is a cross-cutting task of several work units. When asked about the status of the technical per capita payment announced by former Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner (FDP), the Federal Government stated that it is planned that the Federal Central Tax Office will take over the task of the direct payment authority. The direct payment mechanism is scheduled to be available in 2025.
TAKEN LITERALLY:
„The perception of sustainability used to be very different to today. Especially in the textile sector, sustainability had a classic eco-image. Fashion was usually rather boring and consisted of natural fibres. Our motivation as a young team back then was to make even more innovative and stylish products, especially in the area of functional sports fashion. We saw sustainability as the basis, rather than the main selling point.“
Lukas Weimann, founder and Managing Director of textile producer P.A.C. GmbH. He regrets that demand in individual product groups is increasingly shifting to lower and medium price ranges and that sustainability has lost importance for many consumers. Despite the great progress made in recent years, sustainability is no longer a priority for many customers due to personal challenges and fears. However, it is important that sustainable products are not necessarily more expensive. The additional costs associated with sustainable processes have prompted his company to increase efficiency in production and material consumption. This has made it possible to keep up with competitors in terms of price, who mainly produce cheaply abroad and place little value on sustainability. Some products have been optimised to such an extent that they have been offered at stable prices for years without compromising on sustainability. haufe.de
AFRICA:
Senegal: A spirit of optimism after the democratic change of power. dw.com
The writer Boualem Sansal is missing: The Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, who lives in France, was arrested in Algiers. Since then, neither family nor friends have heard from him. taz.de
„We know that our decisions today are not enough“: Developing countries complain that the aid agreed in Baku is too little. The sum can only be a starting point, says Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. zeit.de
Kenya: Form a task force to deal with the huge quantities of unsold tea at the auction centre. theeastafrican.co.ke
Kenya II: The Kenyan government’s requirement that foreigners register online three days before entering the country has made the East African nation one of the most difficult countries in Africa to enter, according to an index that ranks countries according to their ease of travel. voanews.com
South Africa: Whether at the G20 or BRICS, South Africa wants a more balanced world order – and not to be drawn into the conflict between the superpowers. ipg-journal.de
Report: More than 35 million internally displaced persons in Africa. dw.com
Monkeypox: EU takes a leading role in the search for new Mpox treatments. fair-economics.com
MORE KNOWLEDGE:
The climate impact of offset certificates is significantly overestimated: a large overview study shows that carbon offset projects save far fewer greenhouse gases than stated. Only 16 per cent of the emission credits issued actually lead to emission reductions. Many climate protection projects, such as forest protection or clean cookers, have systematic quality problems. The reduction is often overestimated, while some measures would have been implemented anyway without the certificates. Experts are urgently calling for stricter rules for the issue of certificates in order to avoid greenwashing and ensure the credibility of the carbon markets. Otherwise, climate targets could be jeopardised and confidence in these markets undermined. sonnenseite.com
The business with the unknown climate killers: refrigerants in freezers, air conditioning systems and heat pumps are extremely harmful to the climate – up to ten thousand times more harmful than CO₂. Despite EU restrictions, the black market is booming as the substances are cheaper there and controls are often inadequate. Traders act unscrupulously, fuelled by a lack of public awareness. Undercover research shows that these climate killers are an underestimated problem that urgently requires more attention. spiegel.de
How to reduce methane emissions: Reducing methane emissions and routine flaring are key building blocks of global decarbonisation efforts, particularly in the upstream segment of the oil and gas (O&G) industry. Studies by McKinsey & Company show that this sector alone is capable of reducing up to four per cent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Methane plays a key role here: around half of GHG emissions in the upstream sector come from this greenhouse gas, which is 80 times more harmful to the climate than CO2 when it is released into the atmosphere. fair-economics.com
CALENDAR:
16th session of the UNCCD Conference of the Parties (COP16)
When: 2-13 December December
Where: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
More 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:
Border security USA made in Germany
A German company exports surveillance technology that is used to digitally monitor people and vehicles at the US border with Mexico. Jenoptik, known for speed cameras and licence plate recognition, supplies systems that can create movement profiles and monitor wireless devices such as smartphones. Funded by Homeland Security, this technology enables almost seamless tracking – even far away from the border.
While the technology is touted as a means of border security and defence against terrorism, data protectionists criticise the far-reaching intrusion into privacy. Europe is following suit: In the EU, funding is being channelled into similar projects that aim to make surveillance comprehensive and highly precise. The technology is effective, but raises controversial questions about data protection, ethics and the massive expansion of state control. heise.de
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