Research Institute for
Sustainability | at GFZ

Energy

The decarbonisation of the energy system is among the most important challenges of the twenty-first century. The energy sector accounts for approximately two thirds of global CO2 emissions. Hence, the development of a low-carbon energy supply based on renewable sources represents an essential entry-point in the fight against climate change. The deployment of renewable energy is also linked to important co-benefits, including improvements in air and water quality. But the energy transition is more than the development of new infrastructures and technologies; it entails far-reaching changes in society and the economy. It changes natural landscapes, drives the development of new social practices and ways of life, reassigns responsibilities, reshapes governance and political alliances, and redistributes power. In Germany, the energy transition has fostered the spread of energy cooperatives and other innovative organisational models. As a frontrunner in the transformation of its electricity system, Germany represents an important learning ground in the search for sustainable models of energy production and consumption.

The IASS investigates the complex change processes that underpin the energy transition across multiple research projects and develops solutions to foster sustainable outcomes. This research is underpinned by an approach focussing on the interdependencies and interactions between innovative technologies, new business models and organisational structures, evolutions in governance, and emerging lifestyles and practices of adaptation. The study of the social dimension of the energy transition and the integrated assessment of various socio-technical options for the development of a low-carbon energy system form a particular focus of this research. Research activities at the IASS also explore the international dimension of the energy transition and the role of Germany as a potential driver of a global energy transition. Our researchers monitor and assess key processes, including the efforts of G20 states to transform the global energy system, and study developments in major emerging economies.

participation online woman computer

A Mixed Picture: E-Participation in Germany`s Energiewende

Can e-participation build acceptance and strengthen the democratic legitimacy of infrastructure planning? A new study by the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) evaluates the use of e-participation technologies in the context of the German energy transition for the first time. RIFS-researcher Jörg Radtke finds that e-participation solutions that inform citizens’ while also harnessing their creative input can play a key role in the implementation of the energy transition.
Hydrogen Europe Germany Study Brief

Study Outlines Key Role of National and EU Policy to Control Emissions from German Hydrogen Economy

Hydrogen is set to play an important role in a future low-carbon economy. However, the hydrogen value chain comes with a set of emissions challenges that need to be addressed for hydrogen deployment to help achieve climate goals. A study prepared by the Research Institute for Sustainability – Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (RIFS) with support from Environmental Defense Fund Europe evaluates the potential impact of climate-warming emissions in Germany’s future hydrogen economy and provides recommendations for German and EU policymakers on how to avoid them.
Politikstile

A New Policy Style for the Energy Transition

Stakeholder and public participation in policymaking is crucial to fulfilling the promise of a democratic energy transition. Which policy styles can best facilitate this transformation? RIFS researchers analysed five democratic policy styles and concluded that the policy style best suited to securing a democratic energy transition is one that incorporates diverse perspectives from civil society at the community level, integrates these in effective and fair policy proposals, and builds bridges between the municipal, regional, national, and European levels of governance.
Exkursion nach Nechlin

29.10.2024

Regional value added through financial participation in the energy transition?!

"Wandel verhandeln" (Negotiating Change) is a German-language podcast about Brandenburg's transformation towards a sustainable and fairer society. In the podcast, we and our colleagues take a closer look at the conflicts that arise in connection with this transformation – but also at the positive impacts and new ideas – and invite changemakers and people in the community to have their say. An episode about Sharing the Financial Benefits of the Energy Transition: The Wind Energy Levy will be released today on several streaming platforms.
CO2 is the problem - Is CCS part of the solution?

25.10.2024

Carbon Capture & Storage: The Renaissance of a Controversial Technology

Efforts to establish carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies in Germany failed in the first decade of the millennium. The technologies are now experiencing a remarkable renaissance. The German government has set out the cornerstones of a national carbon management strategy, a long-term strategy for negative emissions is in the consultation phase, and an amendment to Carbon Dioxide Storage Act is already in the parliamentary process. Conflicts, uncertainties and risks remain, however. 
Kipppunkt tipping point

Tipping Points as Indicators of Positive Change

As global climate targets tighten, radical and disruptive changes are becoming inevitable. In this context, the concept of tipping points, by which small changes can trigger rapid systemic transformation, is attracting increasing attention in the social sciences. In a new study published in the journal Global Environmental Change, a team from the Research Institute for Sustainability – Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (RIFS) draws on two case studies to show that socio-technical tipping points can be anticipated.
Solarkraftwerk Sevilla Spanien Energiewende

Where Leading Countries Stand in the Transition to Renewable Heating, Road Transport and Electricity

The sluggish rate of progress made in the energy transition is putting the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050 at risk. On the positive side, with early warning indicators guiding timely and targeted interventions, we can accelerate progress across several domains. An international study by the Research Institute for Sustainability - Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (RIFS) in cooperation with the Bertelsmann Stiftung provides an approach to evaluate the electricity, private transport and building heating sectors.
Solar cell system and wind generators

New Energy Justice Index Casts Spotlight on Energy Transition in the Global South

Can the transition to a zero-carbon society in the Global South propel sustainable development? A team led by scientists from the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) has developed the first quantitative approach to measure the extent to which energy transitions in the Global South incorporate elements of energy justice.
Green hydrogen is considered a promising energy resource.

Europe Is Not Making Sufficient Use of Its Hydrogen Potential

To reach climate neutrality, Europe’s industry will need large quantities of carbon-neutral hydrogen in the future. Many European countries, including Germany, are planning large investments to develop and ramp up the hydrogen industry needed for this. Within the HyPat research project, a new study by RIFS Potsdam, Fraunhofer ISI and the German Energy Agency (dena) makes five recommendations to the EU and the Member States.
Fellow Beatriz Ribeiro

Is Green Hydrogen a Development Opportunity for Emerging Economies?

Green hydrogen will likely play a crucial role in the global energy transition. RIFS Fellow Beatriz Couto Ribeiro is assessing the opportunities for Latin American economies to enter green hydrogen value chains. In this interview, she explains her research.
Windräder im Abendlicht Erneuerbare

07.08.2023

The Right Way to Intervene in Clean Tech

Energy markets have clearly failed to accelerate the deployment of renewables. But as the pendulum swings in the direction of state intervention, policymakers must create the conditions for the public and private sectors to work together to manage a timely green transition and avoid a popular backlash against climate goals.
Cover of the 2023 Social Sustainability Barometer

Support for Climate Action Greater Than Often Assumed

Hot on the heels of the pandemic came the energy crisis – has this experience led to a shift in public opinion on climate action in Germany? Broadly speaking, support for ambitious climate policy remains strong, however many citizens are concerned that policymakers lack the political will and that the burdens of the transformation are not being shared equitably. But it seems that many people underestimate the willingness of their fellow citizens to embrace change. This is the conclusion of the 2023 Social Sustainability Barometer, an annual representative survey of over 6,500 people across Germany on the energy and transport transitions, conducted as part of the Ariadne project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
Potsdamer Science Day 2023

What Do Your Neighbours Think About the Energy Transition?

The annual Potsdam Science Day will take place on 6 May from 1.00 p.m. through to 7.00 p.m. at the University of Potsdam’s Griebnitzsee Campus. The Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) will be attending with a booth focussed on the energy and transport transitions and the findings of a nationwide survey on these two crucial transformations.
Nepal Patan Alte Stadt im Kathmandu

Benefits of the Net-Zero Emissions Strategy for Nepal

Achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement will require the combined efforts of states and companies around the world. How can developing countries achieve carbon neutrality and boost their resilience while pursuing economic growth and improved living standards? A study by the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) draws on the example of Nepal to analyse the benefits of a net-zero emissions strategy.
hydrogenproduction Gulfstates

Why the Gulf States Are Betting on Hydrogen

Why are Gulf oil and gas producers so keen to promote hydrogen energy? This question is addressed in a new discussion paper by Natalie Koch, political geographer and fellow at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS). She concludes that for political and corporate leaders in the Gulf states, pivoting towards hydrogen serves to maintain the social, political, and economic status quo. Questions of energy justice are likely to remain, however.
Feldheim wind turbines twilight

23.11.2022

A Renewables Frontrunner in Brandenburg

We like to think of Germany as a trailblazer in the transition to a sustainable energy system. But the energy crises unleashed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have highlighted the shortcomings in Germany’s energy policy. The truth is that when it comes to the energy transition, successive governments have dragged their heels and wasted precious time. Undaunted by this, many towns and villages have taken things into their own hands and created carbon-neutral energy and heating systems that power their communities and more.
Wasserstoff H2

The Hydrogen Dilemma

One of this year’s new IASS fellows is Aliaksei (Alex) Patonia. He is a research fellow in commercial hydrogen development at the Energy Transition Research Initiative (ETRI), which is run by the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. He is concerned with the challenges of the evolving hydrogen economy.
Title page Social Sustainability Barometer 2022

How Is the Energy Crisis Affecting Public Opinion on the Energy and Transport Transitions in Germany?

Is the current energy crisis putting the brakes on climate action? Undaunted by the growing financial burden, support for the energy transition remains strong in Germany. Despite the spectre of skyrocketing energy prices, a broad section of the public wants to see the government double down on its efforts to achieve climate neutrality. This is the conclusion of the annual “Social Sustainability Barometer 2022”.
Container ship on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, on the west coast of North America.

06.07.2022

Hydrogen in Canada: War in Ukraine kindles new interest

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has intensified European policymakers’ interest in developing energy trade relations with Canada, as the former is seeking to identify reliable partners to swiftly diversify its fossil fuel imports.
renewable energy policies

Does Industry Drive Politics?

Does a strong renewable energy (RE) industry lead to more ambitious renewable energy policies? Researchers at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) conclude: Yes, countries with clean energy industries increase ambition in the following years. So governments should address the distribution of risks and benefits of the energy transition in their policy design as local value creation can be a key component to promoting more ambitious target policies in line with the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal.
Fellow Natalie Koch

The Arabian Peninsula Lacks a Sense of "Environmental Citizenship"

One of the new IASS Fellows this year is Natalie Koch. She is a professor in the Department of Geography and Environment at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Koch is currently researching the geopolitics of sustainability and "post-oil" futures in the Arabian Peninsula. In this interview, she discusses her research project and the extent to which the war in Ukraine may be accelerating Europe's transformation to a renewable energy supply.
Malaysia

09.05.2022

Stakeholder-based scenario building: How does it work in practice?

Looking at global energy transition processes, we were keen to find out how countries of the Global South fare in their energy transitions and what factors influence these developments. To find out, we did a deep dive into stakeholder-based scenario building and conducted country case studies in four different global regions. What considerations are important when constructing scenarios and what was the role of stakeholders in the process?
President of Tuvalu gives COP26 address, November 2021.

22.02.2022

Climate targets are unachievable without a financial deal for developing countries

The G7 Summit in June offers an opportunity to provide tangible funding commitments to developing countries in the fight against climate change. If offers fall short, the world faces the risk that rising global inequality will derail international climate efforts, writes Dr Rainer Quitzow.
Global supply chains logistics

Transitioning From a Linear to a Circular Economy

How will industrial value chains transform as decarbonisation gains momentum? Together with the IGBCE’s Foundation for Labour and Environment and the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), the German Energy Agency (dena) has published a report examining the interdependencies affected by this transformation – a topic that will receive more attention from policymakers in the future.
Woman Solar Panels Renewable Energy South Africa

Invigorating South Africa’s Deal to Phase Out Coal-Fired Power

In Glasgow, Germany pledged 700 million euros to support South Africa’s efforts to phase out coal-fired power. But to secure South Africa's coal phase-out without economic and socioeconomic losses, a regional and national plan must provide for a Just Transition. The COBENEFITS team at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Research (IASS) has presented an analysis on decarbonisation that makes data-based recommendations for action in South Africa's coal mining hub, Mpumalanga.
Globaler Süden Solarpanele

The Pitfalls of Shifting to Low Carbon Technologies

The energy transition could become an opportunity or a geopolitical threat for a country. But what factors does the outcome depend on? This issue has recently been studied by several research teams. Prof. Andreas Goldthau reviews these efforts in the article “The Tricky Geoeconomics of Going Low Carbon”. He argues that structural factors and market power will decide which countries end up winners and which losers in decarbonising their economies.
Off-Grid renewable energy

30.10.2021

Seeking Optimism in the Off-Grid Renewable Energy Sector – What Key Stakeholders Say

The Covid-19 pandemic has imposed new challenges for the off-grid renewable energy sector and intensified existing ones. At the same time, it has also provided opportunities by highlighting the importance of electrification during crises and demonstrating the resilience of the sector.
Modellers and users need to collaborate more closely to make full use of the potential of models for the energy transition.

Co-creative Collaboration Improves Energy Models

Scientists are constantly working to improve models for energy systems. Is this making the models more responsive to the actual needs of users from politics, business and civil society? IASS researchers have reached a mixed conclusion: While improvements are being made, modellers and users need to collaborate more closely to make full use of the potential of models for the energy transition.
The carbon border adjustment mechanism is initially aimed at emissions-intensive industries such as the steel sector.

An Incentive or a Penalty? A Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism Could Hit Some Trade Partners Hard

The European Green Deal plays a crucial role in the EU’s efforts to achieve its ambitious climate policy goals. By implementing a carbon border adjustment mechanism that will impose levies on imports, the EU hopes to prevent companies from relocating their activities to countries with less ambitious climate policies. Which countries are exposed to greater economic risks as a result? What makes them particularly vulnerable? And how can the EU help them to protect the climate? IASS researchers have tackled these issues in a new study.
Geldscheine Windrad Erneuerbare

25.08.2021

The EEG as the core instrument in German climate policy

Some German political parties and economists suggest ending the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) surcharge in the power bill and instead financing renewables through the carbon tax. While the recent carbon pricing debate has focused on equity and political feasibility, it has neglected the elephant in the room: how would this change affect Germany’s ability to meet the 2030 climate goals? Here, we show that this refinancing would put climate goals at risk. Purely market-based renewables are not yet viable, the change could therefore slow down their already sluggish deployment. We thus argue that the EEG remains the quintessential instrument for German climate policy in the coming decade.
So könnte autonomes Fahren einmal aussehen

Are Societies Ready For Autonomous Vehicles?

The use of autonomous vehicles is being trialled in cities around the world, with applications ranging from garbage collection to freight forwarding and public transport. Many of these trials examine not just technologies but also the social acceptance of autonomous vehicles. A new study by researchers from the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) looks to Singapore to explore how societies can best support the introduction of autonomous vehicles.
A student installing solar panels.

Fostering Community Well-Being Through Energy-Sector Investments

The positive impacts of renewable energy development for people and the planet are widely acknowledged. However, the direct contribution of local renewable energy projects to local community well-being has received limited attention to date. A new study prepared by researchers at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) describes a social performance approach to investing in the energy sector that focuses on promoting the well-being of individuals and energy project host communities.
Covid_19, India, worker fills medical oxygen cylinders for patients with Covid-19 infections

Sustainable Solutions for the Global South in a Post-Pandemic World

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in some cases stalled progress decades in the making. The pandemic has revealed social inequalities and widened the gulf between countries. In a new study published by the IASS a team of Alexander von Humboldt Climate Protection Fellows analyses the effects of the pandemic on climate mitigation and sustainable development in the Global South.
Germany has to buy a large part of its green hydrogen from wind- and sun-rich regions of the world.

Global Atlas for a Green Hydrogen Future

Germany will remain dependent on energy imports for the foreseeable future. This will include green hydrogen imports from regions with abundant solar and wind energy resources. Supported by researchers from the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam, the HyPat project is conducting a global assessment of green hydrogen potentials, as called for in Germany's National Hydrogen Strategy (Nationale Wasserstoffstrategie - NWS).

14.01.2021

The Biden presidency – A turning point for US and international climate policy?

On 20 January 2021, Joe Biden will be inaugurated as the 46th President of the USA. His election has boosted hopes for international efforts to protect the climate. But the recent riots in Washington DC underscore the fact that Biden will be taking the helm of a deeply divided nation – and climate protection promises to be a particularly thorny issue.
At an online event, IASS Project Lead Sebastian Helgenberger handed over the report to the Indian Ministry for New and Renewable Energy.

COBENEFITS Report Presented to Indian Government

Renewable energies are not just good for the climate: A team of IASS researchers has looked into the advantages of an Indian energy transition for the domestic economy and society and for a green recovery post-Covid-19. Their findings have been published in a report that was presented to the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy at a recent digital conference.
Wind energy and solar energy produce green energy

The Soft Power Concept of German Energy Foreign Policy

As part of its foreign policy, Germany hopes to promote energy transitions abroad through international energy partnerships. A new study by the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) analyses these bilateral energy partnerships. Building on its reputation as an energy transition frontrunner, Germany is currently pursuing a soft power strategy aimed at winning over foreign countries to its policy approaches in the energy sector. According to this analysis, Germany's bilateral energy partnerships are the central policy instrument to this end.
machine tool worker solar industry China

“Investing in the Future is a Better Bet than Reshoring”

The economic recession induced by Covid-19 is threatening the global supply chains on which low-carbon technologies depend. Prof. Andreas Goldthau talks about the resulting risk to the climate and appropriate policy responses.
Ashalim Concentrated Solar Power plant in the Negev desert in Israel

03.08.2020

Israel: Green innovation could power economic recovery

Countries have responded differently to the large societal and economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. While some view the crisis as a window of opportunity for new technologies and approaches to achieve climate neutrality, others will be tempted to reinforce their dependence on old technologies, leading to a carbon lock-in. Israel’s response as a start-up nation is promising, but further measures are needed to support a green transition.
Solarpanels Windenergy energy transition

15.07.2020

Germany’s New Building Energy Act is a Missed Opportunity

Thanks to plummeting prices for electricity generated from renewables, the energy transition in the electricity sector has really taken off. It has also been at the forefront of recent public debates on the coal exit and minimum distance rules for wind turbines. But it is the heating sector that accounts for most of Germany’s energy consumption: According to the German Environment Agency, building heating alone represents around 32 per cent of the country’s total energy consumption. So the energy transition in the heating sector is a key arena for successful climate protection. The Building Energy Act (Gebäudeenergiegesetz) adopted by the German Bundestag on 18 June explicitly refers to the need for action in this sector.
IASS researchers examine the options for the future of the European energy transition in two online surveys.

Two Surveys on the Energy Transition in the EU

If we are to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal, we must create a net-zero emissions energy system. A new set of energy modelling tools is needed to explore potential energy futures and opportunities to transform existing energy systems. Researchers from the Sustainable Energy Transition Laboratory (SENTINEL) project have launched an online survey to learn more about the requirements for energy models to support decision-making for the European energy transition. In a second survey, they are examining the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the stakeholder engagement activities of energy research projects.
Covid19 Energy man mask Photovoltaik

The Impact of the Pandemic on Global Energy Policy

The coronavirus pandemic has triggered an economic recession with potentially stronger effects than the 2008 financial crisis. The recession has been accompanied by a global decline in energy demand. A new study by the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) examines the impacts of the pandemic on the global energy sector, and considers whether recent political decisions are accelerating the transformation of energy systems or perpetuating reliance on fossil fuels. The study includes an analysis of the energy policies of Argentina, China, Germany, India, Israel and the USA.
Solar Panele werden gereinigt

Covid-19 Crisis: Renewables Can Help to Unburden Health Care Systems and Restart Economies

Economies around the world have been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Substantial political efforts will be needed to stabilize employment markets and relieve pressure on health systems. Renewable energy generation can provide important stimuli for efforts to achieve these goals. A team of researchers with the COBENEFITS project at the IASS has analysed the potential benefits of decarbonizing the energy sector.
A couple monitors the efficiency of its home heating system from the couch. Shutterstock/ HQuality

The Neglected Heating Sector

Heating accounts for over 50 per cent of final energy consumption. So reducing the emissions that result from heating buildings would make a huge difference to the climate. What strategies are being pursued to realise this potential in Germany and the UK? A study by researchers from the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) finds that both countries could do a lot more to mitigate climate change in the heating sector.
The production of solar panels is increasingly automated but still requires a significant number of workers.

14.04.2020

Coronavirus shows it’s time to get strategic about renewable energy technology

The international health crisis has exposed a serious problem for energy systems – we’re not taking renewable energy technology seriously as a critical asset. Most solar panels today are made in China, and a shortage of key components means that Europe is now facing major delays in new installations. Wind power faces a double whammy – manufacturing is down, and countries may not have the personnel and parts locally to keep systems running. Countries should aim to build up national clean tech infrastructure in the same way that they ensure strategic reserves of fossil fuels.
Storing electricity from renewable energies in the form of hydrogen: The idea is convincing, but its implementation is not so simple.

20.03.2020

The International Dimension of Germany’s Hydrogen Ambitions

Hydrogen is dominating the debate on Germany’s energy transition at present. But it will require forward planning and considerable international coordination to get the market up and running. The European Union has a key role to play in this process.
Solarpanele Arbeiter Afrika

Creating the Conditions for a Globally Just Energy Transition

How can the energy transition be organized in a globally just way? Will developing countries struggle to transition to clean energy because they lack the financial and technical means? A new Policy Brief by the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) focuses on the risks of an uneven transition and makes concrete proposals to prevent such risks.
Flaggen UNclimatechange - CC BY 2.0

Global Climate Change Conference in Madrid The IASS at COP25

Taking place in Madrid from 2 to 13 December, the 25th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 25) will focus on the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement. The Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) will be represented in Madrid by a number of experts, who will address a range of issues.
The stakeholder empowerment tool attracted plenty of interest at the UNECE Sustainable Energy Week.

Navigation Tools to Strengthen Dialogue at United Nations Regional Commission

In late September, the Kopernikus project ENavi presented their interactive simulation tools at the 28th meeting of the Committee on Sustainable Energy of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in Geneva. The tools can be used to demonstrate the impacts of measures to develop more sustainable transportation systems and expand renewable energy generation capacities.
Zukunftsbox Kohlenstoff

Learning about Carbon: IASS Develops Educational Resource

The “Future Box: Carbon” developed by the IASS in cooperation with Berlin’s Futurium Museum offers school pupils an exciting and hands-on introduction to climate change and raw materials. This learning resource is suitable for use in classes from 8th Grade up and for all school types. The Future Box can be used in different subjects and will help to build awareness of sustainable development issues.
Conference with a focus on the co-benefits of the energy turnaround

Focusing on the Co-benefits of the Energy Transition

Ministerial representatives and experts from around the world met in Berlin over two days at the Climate Opportunity 2019 Conference to learn from each other about the co-benefits of transitions towards more sustainable energy systems. The conference also provided a space for the development of strategies to leverage the co-benefits of individual climate protection measures in the course of political decision-making processes.
Carbon can be used as a raw material in industrial processes, such as in the manufacture of building materials and chemicals.

The Deployment of Carbon Capture and Utilisation Technologies Takes a Key Step Forward

On October 1st, 2019, representatives from EIT Climate-KIC, the Global CO2 Initiative, the Phoenix Initiative, and other interested stakeholders gathered in Brussels to discuss the future of Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) assessment methodologies, a critical step in unlocking R&D and commercialisation efforts for this growing climate solution.
Regional or local self-sufficiency with renewable electricity generated by wind and sun is possible in many places in Europe.

Europe’s Future is Renewable

Europe has enough solar and wind resources to meet its electricity demand entirely from renewable sources. A new study by researchers at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam shows that many regions and municipalities could meet their electricity demand using electricity systems based exclusively on renewables. However, their development would exacerbate land use pressure around metropolitan areas and larger conurbations.
In many countries, the level of remuneration for renewable electricity is no longer set by the state, but determined by the market at auctions. This can help to control volumes and costs.

The Lessons of Failed Energy Policies

Even though electricity generated from solar and wind energy is becoming increasingly cost-competitive, the expansion of renewable energies continues to depend on policy support. When such support is lacking, setbacks to the energy transition can often result – as seen in the cases of the former pioneer countries Spain and the Czech Republic. What energy policy lessons can we learn from this? A study published in the journal Energy Policy makes recommendations for effective policy design.
slate layers

Fracking Likely to Result in High Emissions

Natural gas releases fewer harmful air pollutants and greenhouse gases than other fossil fuels. That’s why it is often seen as a bridge technology to a low-carbon future. A new study by the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) has estimated emissions from shale gas production through fracking in Germany and the UK. It shows that CO2-eq. emissions would exceed the estimated current emissions from conventional gas production in Germany.
India’s solar capacity has boomed, unlike many of the least developed countries.

17.07.2019

Public problems, private solutions? The UN addresses the climate technology gap

Even though unit costs for renewable energy have fallen sharply, there’s clearly more finance needed for mitigation and adaptation. The least developed countries still don’t have the technologies they need. Can the private sector deliver, or should governments and the UN intervene?
A woman in Bangladesh processes red chili peppers. Decent working conditions for all are one of the goals of Agenda 2030.

How Science Has Become a Driving Force for Sustainability

Science has already given us a much better understanding of what we must do in order to leave our world intact for future generations. However, that understanding has had little impact on our collective behaviour. At the first Global Sustainability Strategy Forum in March 2019, 17 prominent scientists looked at how science can help bring about the changes we need to see. They have now published their findings in an IASS Discussion Paper.
The Trump administration promotes fossil fuels, while Germany aims to move away from them.

19.07.2019

U.S. and German Energy Policy at a Crossroads? The Transatlantic Partners and the Future of Energy Cooperation

The U.S. and Germany are moving in fundamentally different directions with their energy policies. Germany has embarked on its “Energiewende,” an energy strategy based on renewable energy and energy efficiency as well as the phase-out of fossil fuels and nuclear energy. It is an important building block in the country’s climate protection endeavors. The U.S. under the Trump administration has abandoned its national and international climate commitments. It is pursuing an “Energy Dominance” strategy that seeks to expand the production of U.S. coal, natural gas, and oil. This strategy marks a significant departure from the Obama administration, which pursued a climate action plan focused on fostering clean energy in the U.S. and abroad.
CO2 emissions shutterstock hfuchs

12.07.2019

Tough trade-offs for new international carbon market mechanisms

Several countries’ national determined contributions (NDCs) highlight climate finance as a precondition for the ambitious action needed to achieve development paths compatible with limiting global warming to 1.5°C in 2100. Many hopes have been pinned on new market mechanisms in this context, but the trade-offs demanded by carbon trading schemes continued to be hotly debated at the UNFCCC last week, not least due to their political and economic implications.
Smart Grid iStockphoto Metamorworks

Sustainable Energy for All – Only Possible with More International Cooperation

About 80 per cent of current CO2 emissions are caused by the member states of the G20. So it’s clear that they have a particular responsibility to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and encourage a shift to renewable energy. The leaders of these countries now need to act on that responsibility at the G20 Summit in Osaka on 28 and 29 June.
Economic growth and rising consumer needs require a secure energy supply. Many developing and emerging countries are resorting to cheap loans from the G20 to build coal-fired power plants.

27.06.2019

Financing of coal power by G20 states is undermining the Paris climate agreement

In the upcoming days Japan will hosts its first ever G20 Summit. As the main contributers to global warming, the G20 states agreed 2009 on a phase out plan of fossil fuel subsidies. Ten years later the failure of the G20 to act on global warming is evident: around $63.9 billion was spent by G20 countries this year to develop coal industries in the global south.
No coal dust in the air: this mine near Leipzig has been turned into a recreational lake.

17.06.2019

Structural change and sustainability must go hand in hand

With the Structural Adjustment Act, the German government intends to provide 40 billion euros of federal funding for the coal-mining areas of Germany. In addition, an emergency fund of 260 million euros is earmarked for short-term projects. However, the effect of these funds will remain modest if the federal and state governments do not go further than previously planned in implementing the costly coal exit. They risk losing sight of three essential goals: enabling sustainability, strengthening regional activity, and learning to shape transformation.
Synthetische Erdöl-Substitute – hier eine Anlage der Firma Sunfire in Dresden - sind ein vielversprechender Einsatzbereich von CCU-Technologien.

CO2 Recycling: Large Potential but Many Uncertainties Remain

Many different technologies already exist for converting the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) into products like construction materials and chemicals. But which of them can make a real contribution to climate protection? A new study commissioned by the European Commission provides answers.
Die Spinnerei e.V. ist in der Lausitz tätig und macht Angebote zu Naturbildung und Kultur. Das Team berichtet von regelmäßigen verbalen und in jüngster Zeit auch körperlichen Angriffen.

22.05.2019

Lusatia Goes to the Polls: Civil Society under Threat

Substantial financial assistance is being provided to Germany’s former coal regions to support their socio-economic transformation, but an active civil society will also be crucial to their revitalisation. Grass-roots initiatives in Lusatia are struggling in the face of hostility and a lack of support from local government.
ENavi researchers believe that the coal phaseout should be flanked by a carbon-pricing system and other measures to ensure that the anticipated climate benefits are realised.

Kopernikus Project ENavi Presents Preliminary Findings on the Climate Benefits of Germany’s Coal Phaseout

Germany has committed to reducing its carbon emissions to 45 per cent of 1990 levels by 2030. There is a broad consensus that the decommissioning of the country’s coal-fired power plants is essential to achieving this goal. The shift to a more decentralised system of energy generation will, however, result in additional costs for society as a whole.
ENavi researchers investigate the range of tasks society has to fulfil to achieve the energy transition.

ENavi Summer Academy Takes a Closer Look at the Requirements and Effects of the Digital Energy Transition

Digitisation can support the transition to a low-carbon energy system by facilitating the production, transportation and consumption of renewable energies. Digital technologies give consumers a role in determining when, where, and for what purpose energy is provided, how much energy can be saved, and what share of the energy mix renewables make up. From 13 to 17 May, early-career professionals from 16 different countries will meet with experts in Potsdam to discuss the challenges the transition to a sustainable energy system presents to politics, science, the private sector and civil society, and the role digitisation can play in the process.
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16.04.2019

Germany’s Climate Protection Act: Why is progress so faltering?

Upcoming decisions on Germany’s coal phaseout and climate protection legislation need to inspire a more forward-looking industrial policy.
Other countries can learn from the German experience with renewable energy integration. Our picture shows the installation of solar modules in upstate New York.

German Experience in Grid Integration Could Advance International Energy Transition

The distribution grid is the backbone of the energy transition. In Germany, over 1.5 million decentralised energy systems now feed their output into the electricity grids managed by around 900 distribution system operators. Their management costs have increased considerably as a result. How do German distribution system operators cope with the challenges they face, and what can other countries learn from them? IASS researchers explored these questions in a representative survey. Their findings have been published in the journal Renewable Energy.
Activists from Germany and South America came together at the IASS to share their experiences campaigning against fossil fuel infrastructure.

04.04.2019

Natural resource exploitation in Germany and South America: Activists share their experiences of resistance and transformation

Today, emerging visions of a better society are forged in practical experience and experimentation. The contexts, approaches, and methods employed by activists differ radically from one experiment to the next. As researchers with the IASS project Politicizing the Future, we were keen to facilitate exchange on the subject of societal visions among activists from very different contexts and to see what could be learnt from their experiences for the development of more sustainable societies.
English Version

2018 Social Sustainability Barometer: Growing Dissatisfaction with Energiewende Implementation Process

A clear majority of Germans across all income brackets, age groups and educational backgrounds still supports the Energiewende. Indeed, since the publication of the first Social Sustainability Barometer in 2017, there has been a notable rise in the number of people who view the energy transition as a broad societal task to which they personally want to contribute. However, there is growing criticism of the implementation of the energy transition by the German Government: Three quarters of respondents describe the process as “expensive”, while over half view it as “chaotic” and “unfair”.
ENavi's Multi-Criteria Approach to Evaluation

A Sustainable Energy Transition: New Guidelines for Multi-Criteria Evaluation

Transforming Germany’s large power grid into a sustainable energy system is both a challenge and an opportunity. To succeed in this task, we need criteria that define sustainability and reflect society’s values and priorities. A research team in the Kopernikus Project “Energy Transition Navigation System | ENavi” has now developed a set of criteria that integrates a diverse range of perspectives.
The Israel Public Policy Institute (IPPI) in Tel Aviv.

Ideas for Low-Carbon Economies: New Fellowship Programme for Professionals from Germany and Israel

Germany and Israel are pursuing ambitious goals in the expansion of renewable energies and the development of innovative technologies. A new fellowship programme aims to foster a lively exchange of ideas among professionals in both countries.
Fostering an energy system free of fossil fuels requires financial, infrastructure, and institutional support for specific technologies.

29.01.2019

An alternative to carbon taxes

Climate policy is most effective when it helps people use alternative energy sources, rather than when it makes fossil energy more expensive, argue Anthony Patt and Johan Lilliestam.
A street in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: As the world decarbonizes, it does not necessarily become more democratic.

22.01.2019

The geopolitics of renewables. A new but messy energy world

Exhibiting the fastest growth among all fuels in the electricity sector, renewables are about to fundamentally change the energy system. This change is hoped to bring about important social and economic co-benefits, including sustainable and affordable energy for all, green job opportunities, and increased human health and wellbeing. But there may also be some fundamentally political implications of the low carbon shift. This is what a high level group of global leaders was tasked to look into, the result of which was published in their recent report titled A New World The Geopolitics of the Energy Transformation, published by IRENA, the international renewable energy agency.
Windenergie-Anlagen werden überwiegend auf dem Land errichtet. Um Akzeptanz zu schaffen, sind Beteiligung und finanzielle Teilhabe der Bevölkerung wichtig.

Energy Transition with Public Participation: The Key to Successful Wind Farms

People are often apprehensive when they hear about plans to build a wind farm in their locality. They wonder how it will change the landscape. And whether the noise of the rotor blades will get on their nerves. People need information about the planned changes, but their direct involvement in the decision-making process is also important, because the expansion of wind energy depends on public acceptance. The Fachagentur Windenergie an Land and the IASS invited representatives from politics, the energy sector, and civil society to participate in the 3rd Workshop on Public Participation in the Development of Wind Farms on 15 and 16 January.
Standing 1.2 metres tall, the experimental reactor for methane cracking is made of quartz and stainless steel and contains molten tin. The reactor cracks methane in a reaction that occurs as bubbles of the gas rise up through the molten tin. The reactor is hosted at Karlsruhe Liquid Metal Laboratory (KALLA), where various technologies for the use of liquid metals are being developed.

Zero-Emission Hydrogen Production from Natural Gas: German Gas Industry Awards Prize to Researchers in Karlsruhe and Potsdam for Groundbreaking Process.

A new technology developed in a joint research project by scientists at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the Institute of Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) promises to provide energy from natural gas without producing harmful CO2 emissions. The process converts natural gas, which consists primarily of methane, into hydrogen and solid carbon. The researchers have been recognized for their work with the Innovation Award of the German Gas Industry.
When lignite-mining activities cease, the craters that remain are usually filled with water or become lakes naturally due to rising groundwater and precipitation.

Who is to Pay the Follow-Up Costs of Lignite-Mining? IASS Researcher Makes Policy Recommendations

The days of Germany’s lignite-mining industry are numbered, that much is clear. The Coal Commission appointed by the Federal Government now has the job of planning how exactly the phaseout will proceed. One issue that is often overlooked in this context is the question of how the rehabilitation of former coal-mining sites is to be financed. A new IASS Discussion Paper examines the risks inherent in the existing financing practice and makes concrete proposals for changes.
Die Partner des Demonstrationsprojekts Best Paths präsentierten am 20. September 2018 in Brüssel das 3-GW-Supraleiterkabel. Auf diesem Foto: Stéphane Hole, ESPCI Paris; Matteo Tropeano, ASG Superconductors; Jean-Maxime Saugrain, Nexans; Christian-Eric Bruzek, Nexans; Adela Marian, IASS Potsdam und Guillaume Escamez, Nexans.

Superconducting Cables: Recommendations for Deployment of New Technology

A small footprint, more capacity and no losses - these are the main advantages of superconducting links for electricity transmission compared to conventional solutions. But how far is this new technology from deployment? Experts from the energy sector discussed the hurdles and chances at the final conference of the EU project Best Paths in Brussels.
Best Paths workshop La Spezia

Superconducting Cable Sets New Records for Power Transmission

Together with transmission system operators, partners from industry and science presented the results of ground-breaking research on a superconducting cable system at an international workshop on 5 July in La Spezia, Italy.
The Social Sustainability Barometer for the Germany Energiewende indicates that citizens want to have a say in the expansion of wind energy.

Monitoring the Energiewende: Expert Commission Draws on Social Sustainability Barometer

On 27 June the Federal Cabinet gave its stamp of approval to the 6th Energiewende Monitoring Report submitted by Economic Affairs Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU). In a statement on the report, the independent expert commission charged with observing the monitoring process has for the first time compiled indicators on public acceptance, drawing on the Social Sustainability Barometer for the German Energiewende. The Barometer, which monitors the social dimensions of the energy transition, was prepared for the first time in 2017 by the IASS in the context of the dynamis partnership.
How can we achieve a socially responsible coal phaseout for Lusatia? The IASS is advising politicians on how to manage this process.

Phasing Out Coal: IASS to Investigate Structural Transformation in Lusatia

The region of Lusatia in Eastern Germany is experiencing a structural transformation due to the dwindling significance of lignite. In a new research project, the IASS will investigate the changes taking place there. Karl Eugen Huthmacher from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and IASS Scientific Director Patrizia Nanz presented the project at the Lusatia Dialogue on 25 June.
Much of the coal sold by these traders at a market in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, will be used in cookstoves. Many developing countries lack adequate access to technologies that play a vital role in the energy transition.

Low Carbon Transition in Developing Countries: New Project Will Generate Proposals to Promote Energy Justice

The international energy transition is already delivering numerous benefits, but it is also creating new inequalities. The risks posed by this transformation will impact especially on developing countries, which lack access to technologies and capital. What, then, can be done to ensure that these countries too can make the transition to a low-carbon economy? This question is the focus of a new project that will study the systemic impacts of the global energy transition.
The panellists were: Rebecca Bertram (Heinrich Böll Foundation), Isabelle Buscke (Federation of German Consumer Organisations), Kathrin Glastra (European Parliament), Ortwin Renn (IASS), Alain Taccoen (Électricité de France).

Climate, Costs, Participation: Heinrich Böll Foundation France and IASS Reveal what Citizens Want from the Energy Transition at Event in Brussels

What do citizens in France and Germany see as the key criteria for a fair energy transition? The Heinrich Böll Foundation France and the IASS presented two studies to 50 stakeholders from the policy community, business, science and civil society at an event in Brussels.
Erneuerbare Energien schaffen nachhaltige Arbeitsplätze und kurbeln in ländlichen Gebieten, die nicht an das Stromnetz angeschlossen sind, die Entwicklung an – wie hier in einem Dorf in Vietnam.

20.03.2018

The Social and Economic Co-Benefits of Renewable Energies

In the fight against climate change, it’s vital that developing and emerging nations also abandon their fossil fuels, which are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. The co-benefits of renewable energy policies can become a decisive argument for structural change.
ENavi Spokesperson Ortwin Renn (right) and ENavi Scientific Manager Stefan Stückrad (left) in front of the Berlin Efficiency House Plus of the Federal Environment Ministry.

How Global Climate Policy Can Learn from the Energy Transition

The Kopernikus projects present their research findings on the German Energiewende at the world’s largest academic conference in Austin.
Stéphane Holé (ESPCI Paris) and Adela Marian (IASS) discuss the setup for the space charge tests.

Novel Insulation for Superconducting Power Cable Withstands Low Temperatures and High Operating Voltage

To transport electricity effectively, a superconductor has to be inside an extremely well-insulated tube with an interior temperature of -200°C. Researchers at the IASS, the ESPCI engineering college in Paris, and French cable manufacturer Nexans have now developed a novel form of insulation that is compatible with the low temperatures and the high operating voltage of 320 kilovolts.
A discussion of Brandenburg’s energy and climate policy with (from left to right) Hans Joachim Schellnhuber (PIK), Patrizia Nanz (IASS), Dietmar Woidke, Governor of Brandenburg, Ortwin Renn (IASS), and Viola Gerlach (IASS, moderator).

A Future Commission for Brandenburg

The Governor of Brandenburg and members of the state government came to the IASS on 12 December to discuss energy policy and climate protection. Together with the directors of the IASS and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), they explored the idea of a Future Commission to ensure that Brandenburg’s energy transition is socially responsible and economically sustainable.
Will CO2 soon be used to make building materials? Germans and Britons are all in favour of this.

CO2 as an Asset: Positive Attitudes to New Technologies in Germany and the UK

With Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) technologies, carbon dioxide can be converted into products such as building materials, chemicals, and fuels. A new study investigates perceptions of carbon utilisation technologies in the UK and Germany.
Das Soziale Nachhaltigkeitsbarometer zur Energiewende

Social Sustainability Barometer for the Energiewende Shows Broad Support along with Doubts about Implementation

For the first time, social scientists have measured how just the Germans think their energy transition is
Der Chemiekonzern Bayer stellt bereits Produkte aus CO2 her.

CO₂: From Waste to Feedstock

Economic activities and consumer behaviour in developed countries are currently based mainly on the use of fossil-based raw materials, and their emissions are largely responsible for anthropogenic climate change. In efforts to reduce human effects on the climate, the avoidance of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is and remains the most important measure. But high CO2 emissions go hand in hand with a demand for carbon in the form of many of the goods that we need on a daily basis, for example for the production of plastics or fuels. Can it therefore make sense to consider the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) as a source of carbon? Since the 1970s, scientists have been researching carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technologies. The aim of these technologies is to re-cycle the CO2 contained in emissions as a feedstock for industrial processes. This captured CO2 could replace fossil-based carbon as a component of materials and energy carriers, thereby creating a carbon cycle.
Prototyp eines supraleitenden Stromkabels.

Superconductivity

In the coming decades, the development of renewable energy sources (RES) such as wind and solar will play a major role in reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and making our energy system more sustainable. But the places where RES are available or would be most efficient are often located far away from the densely populated and industrial areas where the energy is needed: on the open sea in the case of offshore wind and in sunnier climes in the case of solar. This means that the construction of new power lines needs to go hand in hand with RES development. In Germany for instance, expanding the electrical grid has become a crucial precondition for the success of the Energiewende.

The Grid of the Future: Tests on New Superconducting Material Deliver Promising Results

European scientists are currently testing a variety of options to connect ...
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