Modernising the EU's building stock is essential to meet the twin goals of climate action and green recovery. The building sector is responsible for 27 % of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and for 36 % of energy-related GHG emissions when considering direct and indirect GHG emissions. According to the European Commission, building renovation rates must double to contribute to the envisioned 55 % emission reduction by 2030 – and this in turn is vital to go climate neutral by 2050.
This Briefing Paper examines coordination and implementation challenges between the water and agricultural sectors in relation to water quantity in the context of WFD implementation in the Spanish Guadalquivir river basin. The challenges are interlinked by the underlying difficulty of imposing unpopular decisions against the will of powerful actors in the agricultural sector. To address these challenges, the authors suggest various coordination instruments based on incentives, voluntary cooperation, persuasion and information exchange.The Briefing Paper presents one of six analyses of cross-sectoral coordination challenges that were conducted as part of the STEER research project and on which separate Briefing Papers are available.
What matters for the climate is the total amount of emissions and removals over time and corresponding levels of atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) concentration. The current focus on reductions achieved as of a specific moment in time disguises this. Emission budgets that quantify the total amount of permissible emissions would address this problem. The EU should establish an emission budget within its Climate Law. This emission budget should include all GHG emissions, not only CO2. These are some of the key findings of this briefing paper.
The Think2030 Conference got off to an inspiring start with keynotes by Dr. Camilla Bausch of Ecologic Institute, Prof. Hans Bruyninckx, President of the EEA and Prof. Klaus Töpfer, founder of TMG and former Executive Director of UNEP. Their speeches marked the opening of the 2-day conference on "Harnessing the European Green Deal to address the Climate Crisis". The conference marked the occasion of Ecologic Institute's 25th anniversary.
The EU is discussing whether its 2030 climate target should be a net target or gross target. Net targets treat CO2 removal and greenhouse gas emission reductions the same, although they are fundamentally different. To avoid a major step backwards, the EU should formulate separate targets for emissions reductions and CO2 removal, argues Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf in his contribution to the Tagesspiegel.
The restrictions associated with the Corona pandemic have suddenly changed the behavior of traffic participants. As a result, significant numbers of people have taken to cycling and walking. Public transport, on the other hand, is in crisis. The need for social distance and hygiene makes collective means of transportation unappealing, and the demand for car-sharing services has dropped significantly. At the same time, the private car is experiencing a renaissance.
A continuing decline in biodiversity, accelerating impacts of climate change, and the urgency of ensuring a sustainable and just recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic are generating unprecedented momentum behind the imperative of working with nature to address societal challenges. In this policy brief, McKenna Davis and Harriet Bulkeley (Durham University) highlight the importance of prioritizing nature-based solutions in the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and supporting their uptake within and beyond the biodiversity community.
The completed governance analysis shows that coordination in the Emscher catchment area is already effective. There is room for improvement when it comes to involving citizens and planning processes should also be characterised by a higher degree of flexibility. The analysis provides recommendations. This paper constitutes one of six analyses of cross-sectoral challenges in water governance. These have been conducted as part of the STEER research project and results are published in separate analyses and position papers.
The project "Circular City Berlin – from potential towards implementation (CiBER 1)" analysed and promoted innovative approaches to the circular economy in various sectors in Berlin. In view of the expected further growth, urban densification and increased economic prosperity of the metropolitan region of Berlin, a long-term sustainable design of urban resource flows is increasingly coming into focus. The corona situation complemented the focus on resilient regional and local economic processes. Local and regional circular value creation is more sustainable, increases the resilience of societies in times of crisis and strengthens social justice and inclusiveness.
Berlin is increasingly developing as a dynamic innovation field of the circular economy – a circular, resource-saving economy. (Social) innovations are no longer generated only in the field of waste recycling, but increasingly in the design and manufacture of sustainable products or with new business models. The event provided insights into current research on the development of the circular economy and the commitment of Berlin's innovators in this field.
Nature-based solutions (NBS) are emerging as a tool to integrate nature into territorial planning, with great opportunities to address these threats and benefit humans and ecosystems in parallel. The guide for integrating nature-based solutions in urban planning, a first approach for Colombia has been developed to facilitate the inclusion of nature in urban planning through a seven-step process. The guide was written by Carolina Figueroa during her time at Ecologic Institute as an Alexander von Humboldt International Climate Protection Fellow. The guide is available for download.
On 25 September 2020, Dr. Stephan Sina, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, participated as an expert in a hearing of the Bavarian State Parliament’s Committee for Environment and Consumer Protection on the draft of a Bavarian Climate Change Act. Together with nine other experts, he commented on the draft law and answered questions from members of parliament.
Sina, Stephan, 2020: Schriftliche Stellungnahme des Sachverständigen Dr. Stephan Sina, Ecologic Institute, zum Gesetzentwurf der Staatsregierung für ein Bayerisches Klimaschutzgesetz (Bayklimag) (Drs. 18/7898). München: Bayerischer Landtag.
This ICARE-project online seminar served to discuss issues and relevance of the climate-resources-nexus among academic institutions. Mandy Hinzmann from Ecologic Institute, Dr. Thomas Gibon from Luxembourg Institute for Science and Technology LIST and Prof. Edgar Hertwich from Norwegian University of Science and Technology NTNU presented findings of recent research projects dealing with the nexus.
Achieving the Paris Agreement Long-term temperature goal (PA LTTG) requires closing the 2030 ambition and action gap between emissions levels consistent with the Paris Agreement and emissions levels projected with current targets and policies. G20 countries have a crucial role to play in realising increased climate policy ambition, given their economic power and prosperity, as well as their influence on investments, technology deployment and financial flows. This briefing paper provides an overview of mitigation options that have been analysed in recent literature and that can contribute to closing the emissions gap in 2030. This provides the basis to identify key policy areas and promising options for intergovernmental cooperation between the G20 nations, as well as possibly other relevant actors.