Headline: News 2013

<p>In the Anthropocene era, science and technology can no longer be treated apart from human values and actions. Consequently, the paradigm of science now increasingly includes transdisciplinary research as essential for addressing the complex challenges of global change and sustainability. This substantially increases meaningful engagement of stakeholders in science and mutual learning between stakeholders and researchers.</p>

<p><strong>Final workshop of the IASS-IFAD project “Pro-Poor Resource Governance under Changing Climates”</strong></p>

<p>Air pollution and climate change are often treated as isolated problems. With these topics being strongly linked with regard to their causes, effects and mitigation options, the integration of policies that steer air pollutant and greenhouse gas emission reductions might result in cheaper, more effective and thus more sustainable solutions for the two problems.</p>

<p>On 27th September, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has published the summary for policymakers (SPM) of its working group I (WG I) report, and for the first time, the topic of “geoengineering” is included in such a summary. As the IPCC is a scientific body under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) and its assessment reports provide a baseline for the UN climate negotiations, this is of considerable importance in the global discussions around climate change.</p>

<p>New record marks for German electricity exports have been repeatedly set during the last few weeks and months. From January until May 2013, more than 31 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity were exported from Germany. This represents an increase of more than 46 per cent over the same period last year.<a href="http://www.iass-potsdam.de/de/forschungscluster/globaler-gesellschaftsvertrag-fur-nachhaltigkeit-gcs/news/exportieren-wir-eeg#_ftn1">[1]</a> With favourable weather conditions, Germany now meets a large part of its energy needs with renewable energy.</p>

<p>We are currently just at the beginning of understanding the possibilities, limits and dangers of different climate engineering technologies, which aim at intentionally intervening in the climate system to counteract some aspects of global climate change. But the debate on climate engineering (CE) also highlights important general questions, for example of how to deal with decision-making under uncertainty and how to include ethical aspects into our assessment of emerging technologies.</p>

<p>The Ministers of the Environment, CEOs and other senior officials of governments and nonprofit organizations released a communiqué in Oslo, Norway, celebrating 18 months of progress and laying out an ambitious agenda for the future in the fight to reduce short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). The communiqué emerged from the High Level Assembly of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (CCAC), which met in an intensive day-long session of discussion and negotiation.</p>

<p>How can economically justifiable and ecologically sensible ways be found to provide services for the increasingly sparsely populated rural areas? Should the same standards of provision apply throughout Germany? Do exemption regulations for areas particularly affected by a declining population create new opportunities for development? Should the government ultimately demand an end to nationwide provision – at least in areas that cannot be sufficiently provided for in the long term?</p>

<p>The public wants to get increasingly involved in political decision-making processes. This participation – such as the protests relating to the “Stuttgart 21” rail project – expresses a fundamental change in the perception of democracy. Knowledge plays a crucial role in increased civic engagement: in addition to conventional expertise, important specialist knowledge, experience and insights from various perspectives can be incorporated into the decision-making process.</p>