ALBERT

Description: Non-traditional and transnational actors have become essential for environmental and climate change governance. One of these actors, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), has taken over a lead role in the governance of SLCPs. Since 2012, the CCAC has been pushing for an increased political dialogue on the one hand, and fostering technical expertise, projects, and a knowledge network on the other hand. This voluntary alliance is an interesting research subject because it brings together a mix of over 150 governmental, intergovernmental, NGO, and scientific members, who closely work on reducing global near term-warming as well as improving air quality, health, and further aspects of sustainable development. This chapter focuses on the CCAC’s role in the international policy landscape and on what it can contribute to SLCP governance. It describes the CCAC’s structure, modus of operation, and activities, and then scrutinizes its potential and challenges for SLCP governance. Furthermore, this text seeks to provide a perspective on the CCAC in the global climate and environmental policy landscape.

Description: Hydrological extremes, such as droughts and floods, can trigger a complex web of compound and cascading impacts (CCI) due to interdependencies between coupled natural and social systems. However, current decision-making processes typically only consider one impact and disaster event at a time, ignoring causal chains, feedback loops, and conditional dependencies between impacts. Analyses capturing these complex patterns across space and time are thus needed to inform effective adaptation planning. This perspective paper aims to bridge this critical gap by presenting methods for assessing the dynamics of the multi-sector CCI of hydrological extremes. We discuss existing challenges, good practices, and potential ways forward. Rather than pursuing a single methodological approach, we advocate for methodological pluralism. We see complementary or even convergent roles for analyses based on quantitative (e.g., data-mining, systems modeling) and qualitative methods (e.g., mental models, qualitative storylines). The data-driven and knowledge-driven methods provided here can serve as a useful starting point for understanding the dynamics of both high-frequency CCI and low-likelihood but high-impact CCI. With this perspective, we hope to foster research on CCI to improve the development of adaptation strategies for reducing the risk of hydrological extremes.

Description: Net-zero energy system configurations can be met in numerous ways, implying diverse economic effects. However, what is usually ignored in techno-economic and economy-wide analysis are the distinct social-political drivers and barriers, which might constrain certain elements of future energy systems. We thus apply a model ensemble that defines social-political storylines which constrain feasible net-zero configurations of the European energy system. Using these configurations in a macroeconomic general equilibrium model allows us to explore economy-wide effects and ultimately the cost-effectiveness of different systems. We find that social-political storylines provide valuable boundary conditions for feasible net-zero designs of the energy system and that the costliest energy sector configuration in fact leads to the highest European-wide welfare levels. This result originates in indirect effects, particularly positive employment effects, covered by the macroeconomic model. However, adverse public budget effects on the transition to net-zero energy may limit the willingness of policymakers who focus on shorter time-horizons to foster such a development. Our results highlight the relevance of considering the interaction of energy system-changes with labor, emission allowance and capital markets, as well as considering long-term perspectives.

Description: The Corona pandemic was one of the most challenging political events of the last decades in Europe in which many important political issues had to be decided within a very short space of time. Deliberative, sortition-based formats offer new approaches to strengthen democracy in times of crisis but have so far mainly been used for fundamental issues that have been under discussion for a long time. In Germany, four Corona Citizens’ Councils were organized at different levels to deal with the highly dynamic pandemic situation. The first was on local level and took place in the city of Augsburg, the next and most prominent one in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg (‘Bürgerforum Corona’), being held monthly over a period of 13 months. Another one was organized in the state of Saxony, a fourth one in Thuringia. The article examines the background, the methodological quality and the outcomes of three Corona Citizens’ Councils in Germany. The article compares the three Citizens’ Councils and draws conclusions about the crisis-management capacities of deliberative formats in dealing with pressing political issues in highly dynamic situations.

Description: Klimapolitik ist aufgrund ihrer Komplexität und Reichweite mehr denn je auf innovative Beteiligungsverfahren angewiesen. Mit Hilfe innovativer Formate wie dem analytisch-deliberativen Diskurs, erhalten betroffene Bürger:innen die Gelegenheit, in einem Klima gegenseitiger Anerkennung, sowie des Respekts vor der Legitimität unterschiedlicher Wertesysteme und Präferenzen Probleme neu zu definieren, alternative Handlungsoptionen zu diskutieren und die damit verbundenen Folgen und Implikationen zu bewerten. Solche verständigungsorientierte Diskurse können gerade in der Klimapolitik helfen, komplexe Sachverhalten zu klären, Ziele und Strategien zu reflektieren und gemeinsam eine sach- und wertgerechte Gestaltung der Klimapolitik vorzubereiten.

Description: Background This article asks the following question: how well are coal regions, affected by phase-out plans, represented in mediating commissions, to what extent do local communities participate in the decision-making process and how are the political negotiations perceived by the communities? We look at the case of the German lignite phase-out from a procedural justice perspective. Informed by literature on sociotechnical decline and procedural justice in energy transitions, we focus first on aspects of representation, participation and recognition within the German Commission on Growth, Structural Change and Employment (“Coal Commission”). Second, we analyze how to exnovate coal in two regions closely tied to the coal- and lignite-based energy history in Germany: Lusatia and the Rhenish Mining District. Results Based on interview series in both regions, we connect insights from local communities with strategies for structural change and participation programs in the regions. We find significant differences between the two regions, which is primarily an effect of the challenging historical experiences in Lusatia. Participation within existing arrangements is not sufficient to solve these problems; they require a comprehensive strategy for the future of the regions. Conclusions We conclude that the first phase-out process was a lost opportunity to initiate a community-inclusive sustainable transition process. As the phase-out process is not yet concluded, additional efforts and new strategies are needed to resolve the wicked problem of lignite phase-out.

Description: Bürgerräte basieren auf einer einfachen Idee: Per Los ausgewählte Menschen aus allen Teilen der Gesellschaft sollen stärker an politischen Entscheidungen beteiligt werden. Da das Instrument aber viel Gestaltungsfreiheit zulässt und je nach Thema und lokalen Gegebenheiten unterschiedlich umgesetzt werden kann, stellen sich bei der Ausgestaltung eines konkreten Verfahrens viele Fragen. Fast täglich erreichen uns Beratungsanfragen zu geplanten Bürgerräten durch Initiativen oder Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter der Verwaltung. Diesen Bedarf greifen wir mit dem vorliegenden Handbuch auf. Es soll zivilgesellschaftliche und staatliche Akteurinnen und Akteure dabei unterstützen, Bürgerräte in der Praxis an für die jeweilige Kommune spezifischen Zielen und Bedingungen auszurichten. Aus der Erfahrung mit Bürgerräten in Deutschland und der Welt lassen sich entscheidende Faktoren für das Gelingen des Formats ableiten: Es hat sich gezeigt welche Praxis sich bewährt hat — und welche nicht. Das Handbuch bündelt dieses Wissen. Es bietet Orientierung für alle Phasen, die ein Bürgerrat durchläuft: von der ersten Idee bis zur Verwendung der Ergebnisse durch die Politik. Die Bürgerrat-Sitzungen betrachten wir in den folgenden Kapiteln also genauso wie die Initiierung des Verfahrens, dessen Vorbereitung und die Prozesse im Nachgang. Dabei formulieren wir Leitfragen für die Vorbereitung und Durchführung und weisen auf entscheidende Momente hin, in denen Richtungsentscheidungen getroffen werden müssen. Für alle Prozessschritte geben wir Anregungen zu möglichen Varianten, konkrete Tipps zur Umsetzung und Beispiele aus dem internationalen Kontext. Das Handbuch nimmt den Organisatorinnen und Organisatoren die Arbeit — und den Spaß — der Vorbereitung eines Bürgerrats nicht ab. Aber es ist eine unerlässliche Hilfe, um im Blick zu behalten, welche Entscheidung das Verfahren in welche Richtung führt. Wir hoffen, dass wir auf diese Weise viele Menschen in Initiativen und Verwaltungen, in der Politik und in Prozessgestaltungsunternehmen bei der Organisation von kommunalen Bürgerräten unterstützen können.

Description: The transport sector and especially private cars pose environmental, economic, and social challenges. For this reason, cargo bikes and shared mobility are considered viable alternatives for road transport. In order to understand the potential and barriers of alternative transport modes, it is essential to analyze underlying motives. Moreover, comparing sustainable alternatives (such as public transport) to cars in terms of motives has been established as a research approach (Steg, 2003). Despite increasing interest in cargo bikes and cargo bike sharing, research on this topic is relatively rare. Particularly, there exists a lack of research addressing the impact of cargo bike sharing on car ownership. Against this background, this study quantifies the car ownership reduction effect of cargo bike sharing. In addition, it is investigated how cargo bikes differ from cars with regard to the underlying motives of users which also helps understanding potential barriers. To answer these research questions, this study is based on a large-scale survey with n = 2,590 cargo bike sharing users. The results imply that cargo bike sharing has a notable impact on car ownership. In general, cargo bikes are rated superior in regard to affective, symbolic, and environmental motives as well as on flexibility and price. However, discrepancies to cars do exist in terms of other instrumental aspects (traffic safety, travel speed, comfort, weather-independence). Notably, users who reduced car ownership tend to rate cargo bikes superior compared to car-dependent users. The results imply that cargo bikes can play a marked role in reducing car dependency. Improving infrastructure and cargo bike technology as well as stimulating favorable social norms for cargo bikes have been identified as beneficial conditions that could help to leverage this potential.

Description: Die deutsche Energiewende bleibt eine Erfolgsgeschichte: Der Atomausstieg wurde 2023 planmässig vollendet und die Kohleverstromung konnte stark reduziert werden.

Description: Nur selten wissen wir, wo und wie das Gemüse, das wir essen, genau angebaut worden ist. Für Mitglieder einer Solidarischen Landwirtschaft sieht das anders aus: Sie teilen sich die Verantwortung für Planung, Anbau und Ernte mit den Landwirt:innen. Aber was bewegt Mitglieder, sich in einer Solidarischen Landwirtschaft zu engagieren?

Description: In sustainability transitions research, the deliberate destabilisation of socio-technical regimes is increasingly recognised as a central intervention point. Absent, however, are granular approaches for assessing whether regime destabilisation actually occurs in processes of systemic change. We propose to assess regime destabilisation through shifts in the institutionalisation of field logics. Methodologically, we employ Socio-Technical Configuration Analysis to map changes over time in the composition and alignment of institutional and technological concepts embedded in sectoral policy. Empirically, we assess the extent to which post-Brexit agricultural policy reform in the United Kingdom marks the destabilisation of an unsustainable regime. Assessing legislative debate transcripts, we find that the previously dominant regime is only partly destabilised, as pre-existing development trajectories along established configurations of field logics, policy goals and instruments remain. These findings support the validity of our conceptual approach. Moreover, they nuance expectations about large-scale policy change as windows of opportunity for regime shifts.

Description: Real-world labs make the mobility transition tangible for residents. However, these experiences are not always positive, and often local conflicts arise. Based on in-depth interviews, the authors show that perceived procedural unfairness as well as the redistribution of space are the main drivers of a sceptical attitude towards redesign projects. Real-world labs (RwLs) are often used to explore and foster the mobility transition. Many RwLs dealing with mobility transition temporarily reallocate public spaces from motorized to active transport or to leisure activities. While some residents accept and enjoy the changes, others react with scepticism, rejection, or protest. This can lead to conflicts. Controversial perceptions and conflicts among residents make a permanent redesign rather challenging for the administration and the politicians. In this paper the authors investigate the related conflict types and counterarguments by studying the case of a temporary redesign of an intersection in Berlin. Based on in-depth interviews, they untangle procedural, distributional, and identity conflicts which might underlie the critical and ambivalent perceptions of residents. An abundance of conflict issues pertaining to procedural and distributional conflicts are revealed and emphasize the role of the RwL process.

Description: In order to avoid dangerous climate change and to satisfy the global energy needs energy systems have to change. Hopes are especially high in countries of the Global South for the low-carbon transition to propel sustainable development. Yet, while the energy transition provides opportunities, it also raises questions on how to avoid new global inequalities. This study presents the first quantitative approach to measure the extent to which the energy transitions in the Global South incorporate elements of energy justice. In doing so, this study builds on a rich literature on energy justice that differentiates between distributional, recognition, and procedural justice, thus taking into account social and development objectives such as affordability and accessibility of energy, the inclusion of marginalised parts of society, as well as broader community involvement and participation. Though much important conceptual and qualitative work has been done, what has been lacking so far is a quantitative measure of the degree to which the energy transition lives up to the imperative of energy justice, going beyond the much-studied Global North. The proposed energy justice index is designed and applied to select countries from Southeast Asia (Malaysia), sub-Saharan Africa (Kenya), the MENA region (Jordan), and Latin America (Chile). The index stands the test of the empirical application and demonstrates significant variation between countries along the different dimensions of energy justice. The study also emphasizes the importance of further testing and of improving data quality for informed policy making of energy justice issues in the Global South.

Description: Net zero targets have rapidly become the guiding principle of climate policy, implying the use of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) to compensate for residual emissions. At the same time, the extent of (future) residual emissions and their distribution between economic sectors and activities has so far received little attention from a social science perspective. This constitutes a research gap as the distribution of residual emissions and corresponding amounts of required CDR is likely to become highly contested in the political economy of low-carbon transformation. Here, we investigate what function CDR performs from the perspective of sectors considered to account for a large proportion of future residual emissions (cement, steel, chemicals, and aviation) as well as the oil and gas industry in the EU. We also explore whether they claim residual emissions to be compensated for outside of the sector, whether they quantify these claims and how they justify them. Relying on interpretative and qualitative analysis, we use decarbonization or net zero roadmaps published by the major sector-level European trade associations as well as their statements and public consultation submissions in reaction to policy initiatives by the EU to mobilize CDR. Our findings indicate that while CDR technologies perform an important abstract function for reaching net zero in the roadmaps, the extent of residual emissions and responsibilities for delivering corresponding levels of negative emissions remain largely unspecified. This risks eliding pending distributional conflicts over residual emissions which may intersect with conflicts over diverging technological transition pathways advocated by the associations.

Description: Wenn das noch was werden soll mit der Mobilitätswende, müssen wir Gas geben. Als Leserin oder Leser der mobilogisch! wissen Sie schon: Die Mobilitätswende ist eine große und komplexe Baustel- le, da geraten wir schnell ins Schleudern. Obwohl uns manchmal scheint, die Situation sei festgefah- ren, ist es wichtig, dass wir – als Gesellschaft – die Kurve kriegen.

Description: Nachhaltigkeit ist als normative Grundlage politischer Entscheidungen zur Transformation des Energiesystems nicht mehr wegzudenken. Sämtliche wirtschaftlichen Prozesse beruhen auf der Extraktion (vor allem) nicht-erneuerbarer Ressourcen, deren energetischer Umwandlung und Nutzung in Produktionsprozessen (von Gütern bzw. für die Bereitstellung von Dienstleistungen) sowie der daraus resultierenden negativen Externalitäten als ökologische Kosten, z. B. die Belastung ökologischer Senken (Atmosphäre, Wälder, Meere, etc.).

Description: The Paris Agreement requires countries to break away from carbon lock-in, a particular challenge for traditional oil and gas producers. How can these countries overcome path-dependencies to shift from a fossil fuel heavy system to one relying on renewable energy? Malaysia epitomizes this challenge: the country is the second-largest oil producer in Southeast Asia whilst the fossil fuel energy sector takes up nearly 80 % of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with coal energy occupying the largest share. To identify leverage points of energy transitions, we model the structural components influencing the Malaysian energy system and assess the dynamics of interrelating factors. Based on stakeholders' input, we identify main factors influencing Malaysia's energy transition, explore their interactions, and use Cross Impact Balances (CIB) to create scenarios. Our analysis reveals the need to simultaneously disperse the centralized political power to a more diverse set of actors whilst introducing green growth recovery packages to break the carbon lock-in. Whilst focused on Malaysia, the findings contribute more generally to our understanding how fossil fuel reliant emerging economies can break path-dependencies inhibiting the clean energy transition.

Description: The topic of greenhouse gas emissions embodied in products is gaining in prominence and the possibilities for measuring and verifying them are improving. This provides fertile ground for those who demand that climate policy should address such embodied emissions. There are different design options for policies targeting embodied emissions. Such differences affect which groups can be mobilized in their favour. This paper shows that procurement standards which target intermediate products can mobilize the support of relatively low carbon producers of high carbon materials, while product standards which target final products can mobilize the support of producers of relatively low carbon materials and knowledge-intensive service providers.

Description: Im Rahmen des Projektes „Aufbau und Betrieb eines erweiterten umweltsensitiven Verkehrsmanagementsystems in Berlin (eUVM)“ wird die mögliche Aufhebung der Tempo-30-Zone in der Leipziger Straße und die Rückkehr zu Tempo 50 untersucht. In diesem Zwischenbericht werden die ersten Ergebnisse einer Messkampagne rund um die Leipziger Straße vorgestellt, insbesondere die Erfassung von Rad- und Fußverkehr und die Befragungen beider Gruppen bezüglich deren geschätzter Sicherheit.

Description: L’alimentation est à la fois un levier central pour engager la transition socio-écologique et un theme quotidien tangible pour chaque citoyen.ne. En Allemagne comme en France, quelques collectivités territoriales engagent des mesures innovantes pour promouvoir une alimentation locale et durable. Le Forum pour l’avenir franco-allemand s’est penché sur les expériences de certaines de ces collectivités et a facilité le dialogue entre elles durant plusieurs mois afin de comprendre quelles politiques nationales peuvent soutenir de telles initiatives locales. En associant des expert.e.s issus de la sphère scientifique, de l’administration et de la société civile, il a recommandé de « Donner la priorité au développement de systèmes alimentaires locaux et durables » avec cinq propositions d’action concrètes aux gouvernements français et allemand. Cette étude présente les initiatives françaises et allemandes ayant nourri les propositions d’action du Forum pour l’avenir.

Description: Food and food policy is central to social-ecological transformation. It is also an everyday issue that is easy to communicate to citizens. Municipalities in Germany and France have recognized the potential of innovative local food policies and have developed and tested innovative approaches to transforming local food systems. However, they are encountering structural barriers that cannot be overcome at the municipal level. The Franco-German Forum for the Future has researched the opportunities and obstacles of local nutritional change and brought engaged municipalities from both countries into exchange with each other. Together with experts from academia, public administrations and civil society, it has developed the seven recommendations for the national governments, one of which concerns "Prioritizing the development of local and sustainable food systems" with five proposals for action. This study is intended as a background paper to the Recommendation. With recourse to the concrete example of Mouans-Sartoux and other municipalities in France and Germany, it describes the potentials of a sustainable municipal food policy and provides – from concrete local practice – the background knowledge for each of the five proposals for action.

Description: Germany is known for its ambitious climate policy targets. By 2045, the country seeks to achieve climate neutrality. As an intermediate step, the government has determined emission thresholds for different economic sectors through the year 2030. The industrial sector has so far not been a frontrunner in Germany's emission reduction efforts. Much of the country's success in this context is owed to the successful ramp-up of renewables in the electricity sector. For German industries, this means that they have little time left to undergo a substantial climate-friendly transformation by 2030. But how can this be achieved? This chapter introduces five different building blocks of Germany's climate strategy for its emission-intensive industrial sector: (1) The expansion of renewable energy for electricity production; (2) electrification and energy efficiency improvements; (3) the establishment of a green hydrogen economy; (4) the transformation towards a circular economy; and lastly (5) carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture and utilization (CCU). In an in-depth case study, the chapter reviews the particular role of CCU as a strategic component, discussing its potential as a climate strategy, its regulatory and legal framework, as well as insights on the broader societal acceptance of this technological approach.

Description: Ausgehend von der Diskussion um Formalität und Informalität aus der Perspektive der Organisationssoziologie, der Regierungsforschung und der Politikberatung werden zunächst empirische Befunde aus einer Befragung von deutschen und polnischen Politikberatern, Lobbyisten und Experten zu ihren Wahrnehmungen der Zugangswege von Experten zur Politik und von der Politik zu Experten in Deutschland und Polen untersucht und ausgewertet. Welche Zugangswege werden gewählt und warum, wie offen sind sie, und welche Ungleichgewichte bestehen beim Zugang zu Experten und beim Zugang von Experten zur Politik? Ein zweiter Abschnitt befasst sich mit dem Grad der Formalisierung von deliberativen Prozessen und Zugangskanälen in beiden Ländern. In einem dritten Abschnitt liegt der Schwerpunkt auf der Interpretation der Wahrnehmung der Zugangskanäle und des Formalisierungsgrades und deren Implikationen für die Politikberatung in Deutschland und Polen.

Description: Klassische Ansätze der Politikberatung unterscheiden zwischen Anbietern (i.d.R. Experten) und Empfängern (i.d.R. Politiker) von Politikberatung. Das Konzept einer politikorientierten Gesellschaftsberatung erweitert dieses Verständnis um eine zusätzliche, eigenständige Rolle für die Bürgerinnen und Bürger. Unter Verwendung der Heuristik von Römmele & Schober (2011) betrachten wir Bürgerratsprozesse aus Deutschland und Polen, innerhalb derer zufällig geloste Bürgerinnen und Bürger dazu beitragen können, Lösungen für komplexe und konfliktäre gesellschaftspolitische Herausforderungen zu entwickeln. Deliberative Mini-Publics, wie diese Bürgerräte, ermöglichen die Einbeziehung der Bürgerinnen und Bürger als beratende Stimme in Gesellschaftsberatungs-Prozessen. In diesem Kapitel erörtern wir die Merkmale solcher Formate und beleuchten ihre Funktionen und Rahmenbedingungen, die erfüllt sein sollten, damit ihr Einsatz zielführend und wirksam ist. Außerdem vergleichen wir Bürgerräte in Polen und Deutschland mit Blick auf das Beratungsmandat dieser Gremien.

Description: The question of how science can become a lever in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals permeates most recent sustainability research. Wide-ranging literature calling for a transformative approach has emerged in recent years. This ‘transformative turn’ is fueled by publications from fields such as sustainability science, social-ecological research, conservation science, sustainability transitions, or sustainability governance studies. However, there is a lack of a shared understanding specifically of what is meant for research to be transformative in this developing discourse around doing science differently to tackle sustainability problems. We aim to advance transformative research for sustainability. We define transformative research and outline six of its characteristics: (1) interventional nature and a theory of change focus; (2) collaborative modes of knowledge production, experimentation and learning; (3) systems thinking literacy and contextualization; (4) reflexivity, normative and inner dimensions; (5) local agency, decolonization, and reshaping power; (6) new quality criteria and rethinking impact. We highlight three tensions between transformative research and traditional paradigms of academic research: (1) process- and output-orientation; (2) accountability toward society and toward science; (3) methodologies rooted in scientific traditions and post-normal methodologies. We conclude with future directions on how academia could reconcile these tensions to support and promote transformative research.

Description: Dominant ways of doing research are not enough to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The typical response of science to dealing with the current local and global sustainability crises is to produce and accumulate more knowledge. Transformative research seeks to couple knowledge production with co-creating change. This paper defines the transformative way of doing research to pro-actively support society's fight against pressing societal and environmental problems. We present six characteristics of transformative research. We reflect on the challenges related to implementing these characteristics in scientific practice and on how academia can play its part.

Description: Zentrale Aushandlungs- und Gestaltungsprozesse in der Energiewende finden vor Ort in den Regionen und Kommunen statt. Wie gelingt es hier, die Transformation demokratisch zu gestalten und das politische Versprechen von Teilhabe und Mitgestaltung einzulösen? Dieser Frage widmet sich die vorliegende Studie. Um herauszufinden, welche Erfolgsfaktoren und Herausforderungen in Ansätzen der finanziellen Beteiligung sowie in dialogischen und konfliktsensiblen Formaten liegen, haben wir drei unterschiedliche Fallbeispiele zu materieller und immaterieller Beteiligung in der Energiewende analysiert. Auf dieser Grundlage benennt die Studie fünf konkrete Handlungsempfehlungen zur Stärkung von kommunalen Transformationskapazitäten für Bund und Länder.

Description: Strategies for mitigating climate change today include plans for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through “Negative Emissions Technologies” (NETs). NETs create new opportunities for scientific research, technology development, and the development of financial products, but also new conceptual possibilities, for example of declaring one’s ambition to become “climate neutral.” NETs thus constitute a novel frontier in climate science and politics whose conditions of possibility, characteristics, and consequences can be studied by social scientists and humanists. For environmental sociologists, NETs pose numerous opportunities for engaging with questions around future-making, imaginaries, promises, expertise, markets, infrastructure, justice, publics, and generally, the shape and role of science and technology in a form of social life that is increasingly organized around “planetary” concepts.

Description: CrossGov D2.1 EU and international policy landscape - Mapping EU policies and Green Deal objectives: general observations for policy coherence in the marine domain aims to provide a mapping of the European Green Deal policy landscape relevant to the marine domain and the CrossGov project. It also offers a general introduction into how policy coherence, embedded within the design of (selected) EU policies, supports or impedes progress towards the EGD’s objectives in the marine domain. A total of 36 policies were selected and mapped against five EGD strategies, namely the 2030 Climate Target Plan, the EU Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the Zero Pollution Action Plan, and the Sustainable Blue Economy Strategy. These five strategies lay out a total of 25 specific objectives to implement the vision of the EGD, identified as relevant to the marine domain and the focus of the CrossGov project – i.e. climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

Description: Technologien für CO₂-Abscheidung und -Speicherung machen Hoffnung, werden aber gleichzeitig als Rechtfertigung für die geringe Reduktion von Emissionen aus fossilen Energiequellen genutzt. Das ist nicht vereinbar mit dem Ziel, die Erderwärmung auf 1,5 oder 2 °C zu begrenzen.

Description: The PermaGov Deliverable focuses on exploring the EU policy landscape within the context of the European Green Deal (EGD), structured around four regime complexes: marine life, marine plastics, marine energy, and maritime transport. These complexes provide a framework for analysing the EU's approach to achieving the EGD's vision for sustainable marine governance. This report aims to offer a descriptive overview of marine EU policies relevant to the PermaGov project, focusing on policies identified as relevant to the overarching goals set forth in the EGD. It also considers relevant initiatives at global and regional levels. The marine life regime sees the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 as its overarching strategy, essential for the EGD’s element of preserving and restoring ecosystems and biodiversity. Tackling the challenges of marine waste pollution, the marine plastics regime is guided by the EU Circular Economy Action Plan and the EU Action Plan: Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water, and Soil, targeting the EGD’s elements of a mobilising industry for a clean and circular economy and a zero-pollution ambition for a toxic-free environment. The marine energy regime is shaped by the European Climate Law and the Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy, which are the overarching instruments that contribute to the EGD’s elements of increase the EU’s climate ambition for 2030 and 2050 and ensure the supply of clean, affordable, and secure energy. Lastly, the maritime transport regime sees the 'Fit for 55' Package and the 'Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy' as the two main instruments to achieve the EGD’s elements of increase the EU’s climate ambition for 2030 and 2050 and Accelerating the Shift to Sustainable and Smart Mobility. An additional aspect of this report is an initial screening of institutional barriers through the lens of policy documents. This is intended to be a starting point for the case studies of the PermaGov project, which will be further investigated in more depth later in the project. Institutional barriers are understood as obstacles within the structure and processes of governance systems that hamper decision-making processes and policy implementation. These barriers often arise from established rules, norms, and practices. The report considers the analytical framework developed by Oberlack (2017), focusing on attributes of institutions such as actor eligibility, responsibility, control, social connectivity, conflict, social learning, accountability, temporal and spatial scale, adaptiveness, and formality. These attributes describe the characteristics of how institutions are organised and operate, providing insights into potential challenges in policy design and implementation. The report provides a mapping of instruments relevant to the PermaGov four regime complexes and concludes by identifying potential institutional barriers, underlining the importance of conducting further detailed research in upcoming tasks of the PermaGov projects to effectively address the challenges of sustainable marine governance in line with the EGD’s ambitions.

Description: Simulating the ozone variability at regional scales using chemistry transport models (CTMs) remains a challenge. We designed a multi-model intercomparison to evaluate, for the first time, four regional CTMs on a national scale for Germany. Simulations were conducted with LOTOS-EUROS, REM-CALGRID, COSMO-MUSCAT and WRF-Chem for January 1st to December 31st, 2019, using prescribed emission information. In general, all models show good performance in the operational evaluation with average temporal correlations of MDA8 O3 in the range of 0.77-0.87 and RMSE values between 16.3 mu g m3 and 20.6 mu g m- 3. On average, better models' skill has been observed for rural background stations than for the urban background stations as well as for springtime compared to summertime. Our study confirms that the ensemble mean provides a better model-measurement agreement than individual models. All models capture the larger local photochemical production in summer compared to springtime and observed differences between the urban and the rural background. We introduce a new indicator to evaluate the dynamic response of ozone to temperature. During summertime a large ensemble spread in the ozone sensitivities to temperature is found with (on average) an underestimation of the ozone sensitivity to temperature, which can be linked to a systematic underestimation of mid-level ozone concentrations. During springtime we observed an ozone episode that is not covered by the models which is likely due to deficiencies in the representation of background ozone in the models. We recommend to focus on a diagnostic evaluation aimed at the model descriptions for biogenic emissions and dry deposition as a follow up and to repeat the operational and dynamic analysis for longer timeframes.

Description: Transdisciplinary processes deal with transdisciplinary problems that are (i) complex, (ii) societally relevant, (iii) ill-defined, and (iv) real-world problems which often show a high degree of ambiguity resulting in contested perceptions and evaluations among and between scientists and practitioners. Therefore, they are susceptible to multiple trade-offs. Transdisciplinary processes construct socially robust orientations (SoROs) particularly for sustainable transitioning. The integration of science and practice knowledge on equal footing (1) is considered the core of transdisciplinary processes. Yet other forms of knowledge integration contribute essentially to construct SoROs. Individuals may (2) use different modes of thought; (3) refer to various cultures with diverse value and belief systems; and (4) problems are perceived and prioritized based on roles and interests. Coping with transdisciplinary problems, (5) purposeful differentiation and integration and (6) an integration of evolutionary evolving codes of representing knowledge are necessary. Finally, (7) what systems to integrate requires consensus-building among participating scientists and practitioners. This paper is Part I of a two-part publication. It provides a conceptualization of the different types of knowledge integration. Part II analyzes tasks, challenges, and barriers related to different types of knowledge integration in five transdisciplinary processes which developed SoROs for sensitive subsystems of Germany affected by the irresponsible use of digital data.

Description: Transdisciplinary problems are complex, ill-defined, societal real-world problems with high ambiguity that are contested and require multiple trade-offs. Part I of this paper showed that transdisciplinary processes include seven types of knowledge integration: system (ontological), epistemological, cultural, cognitive, social conflict, evolutionary (levels of representation), and complexity-theory-based types of knowledge integration. The epistemological integration of the different modes of reasoning from science and practice is a unique selling point of the transdisciplinary process. Part II presents five transdisciplinary processes for the responsible use of digital data in different vulnerable/sensitive subsystems of Germany (mobility, health, agriculture, SME, and social media). Between 10 and 18 participants (equally representing science and practice in each group) synchronously constructed socially robust orientations as pillars of a white book. We elaborate that outcomes of a transdisciplinary process can be improved, and barriers diminished by reflecting on which of the seven types of knowledge integration are applied (see Part I). This is done for the six phases of a transdisciplinary process: (1) triggering, (2) initiation, (3) preparation, (4) planning, (5) core, and (6) post-processing. We particularly address researchers and practitioners who seek insights into how the production and integration of knowledge can be improved by transdisciplinary processes.

Description: Introduction Current urban and transport planning practices have significant negative health, environmental, social and economic impacts in most cities. New urban development models and policies are needed to reduce these negative impacts. The Superblock model is one such innovative urban model that can significantly reduce these negative impacts through reshaping public spaces into more diverse uses such as increase in green space, infrastructure supporting social contacts and physical activity, and through prioritization of active mobility and public transport, thereby reducing air pollution, noise and urban heat island effects. This paper reviews key aspects of the Superblock model, its implementation and initial evaluations in Barcelona and the potential international uptake of the model in Europe and globally, focusing on environmental, climate, lifestyle, liveability and health aspects. Methods We used a narrative meta-review approach and PubMed and Google scholar databases were searched using specific terms. Results The implementation of the Super block model in Barcelona is slow, but with initial improvement in, for example, environmental, lifestyle, liveability and health indicators, although not so consistently. When applied on a large scale, the implementation of the Superblock model is not only likely to result in better environmental conditions, health and wellbeing, but can also contribute to the fight against the climate crisis. There is a need for further expansion of the program and further evaluation of its impacts and answers to related concerns, such as environmental equity and gentrification, traffic and related environmental exposure displacement. The implementation of the Superblock model gained a growing international reputation and variations of it are being planned or implemented in cities worldwide. Initial modelling exercises showed that it could be implemented in large parts of many cities. Conclusion The Superblock model is an innovative urban model that addresses environmental, climate, liveability and health concerns in cities. Adapted versions of the Barcelona Superblock model are being implemented in cities around Europe and further implementation, monitoring and evaluation are encouraged. The Superblock model can be considered an important public health intervention that will reduce mortality and morbidity and generate cost savings for health and other sectors.

Description: In academia and political debates, the notions of ‘degrowth’ has gained traction since the dawn of the 21st century. While some uncertainty around its exact definition remains, research on degrowth revolves around the idea of reducing resource and energy throughput as a unifying theme. We employ a mixed-methods design to systematically review the scientific peer-reviewed English literature from 2008 to 2022 that refers to ‘degrowth’ or ‘post-growth’ in title, keywords or abstract (N = 951). We find a lack of concrete distributional and monetary policy proposals in the sample analyzed, and a low overall degree of collaboration among authors in relation to degrowth's age and size. The scientific peer-reviewed literature analyzed can be grouped into seven clusters along two major gradients, one along methodology (qualitative-quantitative) and the other along scale-of-analysis (individual-societal). We conclude that the academic literature about degrowth would benefit from a more prominent discussion of the political implications of its ideas and proposals, and that in particular the debate about distributional policy implications of degrowth should be more prominent and concrete, with a stronger focus on distributional policies in a degrowing economy.

Description: The Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region frequently experiences ozone pollution events during the summer and autumn seasons. High-concentration events are typically related to synoptic weather patterns, which impact the transport and photochemical production of ozone at multiple scales, ranging from the local to regional scale. To better understand the regional ozone pollution problem, studies on ozone source attribution are needed, especially regarding the contributions of sources at different vertical heights based on tagging the region or time periods. Between September 3 and 8, 2020, an episode of ozone concentration anomaly high was observed in Hefei through ground-based stations and ozone Lidar. The mechanism behind this event was uncovered through synoptic weather pattern analysis and using the Weather Research and Forecasting Chemistry model (WRF-Chem). Because an approaching typhoon caused variable wind direction, the O3-rich air masses (ORMs) arising from the YRD region were transported to Hefei via the nocturnal residual layer and descended to the ground through horizontal advection and vertical mixing processes the next day. Based on geographic source tagging, the anthropogenic NOx emissions (ANEs) from local and regional sources were the main contributors to the heavy ozone pollution over Hefei on September 6. Furthermore, the intra-regional transported ozone from southern Jiangsu (SJS), southern Anhui (SAH), and Zhejiang (ZJ) in the YRD was the main driving factor of the surface and upper atmosphere ozone pollution. Based on time period tagging, The ozone generated due to ANEs from September 3 to 5 significantly contributed to this episode. It is important to pay attention to the impact of ANEs on September 5 on the surface peak ozone concentration the following day (i.e., September 6). Our findings provide significant insights into the regional ozone transport mechanism in the YRD and optimization of measures to prevent and control heavy ozone pollution on spatiotemporal scales.

Description: In this paper, the authors discuss the role of China in the emerging geopolitics of hydrogen. It begins with a review of China's external energy policy and its evolution over the past decades, highlighting China's transition to a net-energy importer as an important inflection point in that process. It then goes on to describe the main pillars of China's national hydrogen policy. Building on this the paper provides and overview of China's external hydrogen policy and how this aligns with both its broader energy foreign policy and its hydrogen policy objectives. The paper finds that China’s hydrogen strategy – both internal and external – are still at an emergent stage. National targets remain modest, and policy remains ambiguous regarding the preferred production pathway. China’s long-term vision clearly emphasizes the role of renewable hydrogen to help balance an energy system dominated by wind and solar energy. However, current policy provides ample space for the promotion of other forms of hydrogen production. Rather, than a strong, centralized policy approach, local and provincial governments along with SOEs have been driving investment and policy experimentation in the sector, which includes efforts to boost fossil-based hydrogen production.

Description: Some forty years ago, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS) created an unusual regime for states to collectively manage common natural resources on the international seabed beyond national jurisdiction (known as the Area) through the International Seabed Authority (ISA). In the intervening years, scientists have increasingly been warning about the serious environmental risks of mining seabed minerals. At this pivotal point in time, when states are negotiating whether or not to allow seabed mining, this essay explores the risk of undermining by mining, that is, contravening international marine environmental law and the obligations and responsibilities of states thereunder by allowing commercial mining activities to commence. We argue that allowing seabed mining in the Area at this juncture, when so much about the deep ocean remains unknown, would risk frustrating a host of measures, achievements, and progress to enhance marine environmental protection, particularly in areas beyond national jurisdiction. We begin with an overview of the ISA and its work to date, before discussing potential interactions between seabed mining and marine environmental law and policies, with a particular focus on the new ocean biodiversity agreement. We conclude by urging states to take cognizance of their overarching duty to protect and preserve the marine environment and ensure that all decisions taken with respect to seabed mining are consistent with their obligations and responsibilities under international law.

Description: Real-world laboratories have become a recognised research format for addressing sustainability challenges. In these transdisciplinary settings, actors from civil society, local government, and academia work together using a transdisciplinary research approach to jointly experiment and learn about sustainability transformations. While these labs are considered to have potential, their impact has not yet been fully measured. Therefore, in our paper we explore the case of the Zukunftsstadt Lüneburg 2030+ process to uncover the impacts that this long-term effort has generated over the past eight years. By examining the process and its design features from three analytical perspectives, we identify emergent impacts in three dimensions: education, governance, and the lab as an actor for sustainability. Based on our case study, we suggest that real-world labs contribute to sustainability on a local level, beyond the intentional experiments, through impacts that emerge over the course of the joint operation of the lab.

Description: Numerous scientific reports have evidenced the transformation of the earth system due to human activities. These changes – captured under the term ‘Anthropocene’ – require a new perspective on global law and policy. The concept of ‘earth system law’ situates law in an earth system context and offers a new perspective to interrogate the role of law in governing planetary challenges such as climate change. The discourse on earth system law has not yet fully recognised courts as actors that could shape climate governance, while climate litigation discourse has insufficiently considered aspects of earth system law. We posit that courts play an increasingly influential climate governance role and that they need to be recognised as Anthropocene institutions within the earth system law paradigm. Drawing on a set of prominent climate cases, we discuss five inter-related domains that are relevant for earth system law and where the potential influence of courts can be discerned: establishing accountability, redefining power relations, remedying vulnerabilities and injustices, increasing the reach and impact of international climate law and applying climate science to adjudicate legal disputes. We suggest that their innovative work in these domains could provide a basis for positioning courts as planetary climate governance actors.

Description: Germany, the European Union member state with the largest fiscal space and its leading manufacturer of industrial goods, is pursuing an ambitious hydrogen strategy aiming at establishing itself as a major technology provider and importer of green hydrogen. The success of its hydrogen strategy represents not only a key element in realizing the European vision of climate neutrality but also a central driver of an emerging global hydrogen economy. This article provides a detailed review of German policy, highlighting its prominent international dimension and its implications for the development of a global renewable hydrogen economy. It provides an overview of the strategy's central goals and how these have evolved since the launch of the strategy in 2020. Next, it moves on to provide an overview of the strategy's main areas of intervention and highlights corresponding policy instruments. For this, we draw on a comprehensive assessment of hydrogen policy instruments, which have been systematically analyzed and coded. This was complemented by a detailed analysis of policy documents and information gathered in six interviews with government officials and staff of key implementing agencies. The article places particular emphasis on the strategy's international dimension. While less significant in financial terms than domestic hydrogen-related spending, it represents a defining feature of the German hydrogen strategy, setting it apart from strategies in other major economies. The article closes with a reflection on the key features of the strategy compared to other important countries, identifies gaps of the strategy and discusses important avenues for future research.

Description: In two recent South African cases, Indigenous communities successfully challenged proposed fossil fuel exploration activities by the Shell petroleum company off South Africa's pristine West Coast. In contrast to earlier climate litigation cases in South Africa, the litigants relied specifically on their Indigenous rights and knowledge. In this case note, we highlight the ways in which the two courts engaged with the communities' cultural beliefs and practices as well as their knowledge related to sustainability and how this relates to protecting their livelihoods, cultural practices and identities that are threatened by the proposed activities. We highlight the important role played by Indigenous communities in the climate movement and argue that, in the future, Indigenous and related considerations could provide a strong basis for climate litigation in South Africa and potentially contribute to efforts to protect Indigenous communities against the activities of carbon majors.

Description: This article presents an enhanced emission module for the PALM model system, which collects discrete emission sources from different emission sectors and assigns them dynamically to the prognostic equations for specific pollutant species as volumetric source terms. Bidirectional lookup between each source location and cell index are maintained through using a hash key approach, while allowing all emission source modules to be conceived, developed and operated in a homogeneous and mutually independent manner. An additional generic emission mode has also been implemented to allow the use of external emission data in simulation runs. Results from benchmark runs indicate a high level of performance and scalability. Subsequently, a module for modelling parametrized emissions from domestic heating is implemented under this framework, using the approach of building energy usage and temperature deficit as a generalized form of heating degree days. An model run has been executed under idealized conditions by considering solely dispersion of PM10 from domestic heating sources. The results demonstrate a strong overall dependence on the strength and clustering of individual sources, diurnal variation in domestic heat usage, as well as the temperature deficit between the ambient and the user-defined target temperature. Vertical transport contributes additionally to a rapid attenuation of daytime PM10. Although urban topology plays a minor role on the pollutant concentrations at ground level, it has a relevant contribution to the vertical pollutant distribution.

Description: The global steel sector is responsible for 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions, highlighting the need for significant changes in production practices and the adoption of low-carbon breakthrough technologies to achieve net-zero emissions. This study was conducted to explore positive tipping points at the company level, taking into account socio-political, economic and industry pressures that initiate the tipping process. The study operationalizes tipping points using the Triple Embededdness Framework, which incorporates indicators from the socio-political and economic environment, as well as the industry regime of companies. An analysis is performed of secondary data from four steel companies: BlueScope (Australia), POSCO (South Korea), voestalpine (Austria), and U.S. Steel (USA). The findings indicate that voestalpine is on the verge of reaching a positive tipping point, and POSCO is also on a promising track. In contrast, both BlueScope and U.S. Steel are lagging behind. In the tipping process, national policies play a critical role in expediting the transition to low-carbon steel production for frontrunners, while global climate policy has a greater leverage by influencing producers who operate in a less stringent national policy context. Additionally, the customer demand for low-carbon steel serves as a driving force for innovation and can incentivize steelmakers to produce low-carbon products.

Description: Increasing interconnectedness, along with the effects of climate change and other global risk drivers, has led to mounting systemic risks in the complex systems that characterize our world. Systemic risks, with their cascading impacts and long-term sustainability concerns, necessitate transformative approaches to manage their effects across system scales and dimensions. To date, however, an “operationalization gap” impedes translating between propositions for transformative change and policy options for addressing systemic risk. Here, we propose combining systemic risk analyses with local approaches, prominently including knowledge co-production, to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of complex systems. This combined approach can support stakeholders in designing transformative risk management and adaptation interventions that balance individual and higher-order interactions, incorporate diverse viewpoints, and thus manage systemic risks and leverage transformation potential more effectively. Furthermore, we suggest that a risk-layering approach can help differentiate, prioritize, and orchestrate these options for incremental and transformative changes.

Description: The potential for renewable energy to encourage sustainable development raises high hopes for the future among countries in the Global South. However, there has been less research on how energy transitions are perceived outside of the Global North and democratic contexts. This paper explores attitudes towards the energy transition in Jordan, where expert interviews reveal that a strong renewable energy industry has emerged from top-down government efforts to reduce energy dependency and costs. We perform an in-person household survey with 320 respondents in areas with different transition risks and benefits, and then test a series of hypotheses using regression analysis. In the four communities surveyed, income stress and climate concern influence attitudes, as well as perceptions of community benefits. National-level concerns also matter, including energy dependency and energy costs for all Jordanians. Our results highlight the importance of context: findings from the North are not universal and understanding transitions in the Global South requires studying them in their own right. Policy insights Jordanian policymakers should reverse their policy of blocking renewables to avoid public backlash. Jordanian policymakers and funders should promote projects in communities with high economic dependence on the fossil fuel industry to ensure local support in areas facing transition risks. Policymakers should highlight collective, not just individual benefits of transitions, as perceptions of community and country benefits increase support. Policymakers in highly energy-dependent countries like Jordan should frame renewables as an answer to local and national challenges such as high energy prices. Actors wishing to promote clean energy support in different contexts should investigate local dynamics to build communication strategies that frame transitions appropriately. Jordanian policymakers should reverse their policy of blocking renewables to avoid public backlash. Jordanian policymakers and funders should promote projects in communities with high economic dependence on the fossil fuel industry to ensure local support in areas facing transition risks. Policymakers should highlight collective, not just individual benefits of transitions, as perceptions of community and country benefits increase support. Policymakers in highly energy-dependent countries like Jordan should frame renewables as an answer to local and national challenges such as high energy prices. Actors wishing to promote clean energy support in different contexts should investigate local dynamics to build communication strategies that frame transitions appropriately.

Description: Die EU und die USA tun sich schwer mit ihrem „Club für grünen Stahl“. Es hakt an unterschiedlichen Vorstellungen zum Design, an den ungleichen Ausgangslagen und nicht zuletzt an einer drohenden Wiederwahl Donald Trumps. Aber schon ein Minimalkonsens würde zeigen, dass zwei führende Handelsmächte es ernst meinen mit dem Klimaschutz in der Stahlindustrie, ist Charlotte Unger vom RIFS überzeugt.

Description: We study the impact of California’s cap-and-trade system on carbon emissions in the electricity and industrial sectors. We use US state-level panel data covering the period 2005–2019 and apply the synthetic control method to construct an optimal counterfactual for per capita emissions in each sector. In our experiment, emissions in the power sector fall below counterfactual emissions by 48%. In the industrial sector, the state’s emissions are 6% higher than those of the synthetic control unit by the end of the observation period. Thus, cap-and-trade failed to deliver decarbonization across both sectors. While the abatement in the power sector was facilitated by complementary policies and driven by a switch from natural gas to renewables, California’s policy mix has disincentivized emission reductions in the industrial sector.

Description: This chapter focuses on the maintenance of waste infrastructures in urban areas, arguing that waste infrastructures and their maintenance should be made more visible to allow for a more extensive, ethical engagement with waste. This contribution claims that cities need to approach the (re)design of municipal waste infrastructures through dynamic maintenance and reflexive repair, wherein waste, repair and maintenance are understood as discursive processes. Waste infrastructures and their maintenance are mostly invisible in daily interactions in cities in High-Income Countries, despite the diversities in waste practices, such as collection and processing. Invisibility is an intended outcome of the design and operation of these infrastructures, stemming from a nineteenth-century waste imaginary called ‘the tidy city’. Current municipal waste infrastructures are kept invisible, upholding beliefs and practices that disvalue waste. While visions have been proposed that challenge this disvalue, few of them have been able to materialise in stratified municipal waste management systems. This engagement is seen as a first step in challenging modern notions of dirt and waste. Visibility is a (new) design criterion for municipal waste infrastructures, a criterion that the authors relate to waste-affirming beliefs and practices, elaborating on anthropological perspectives on dirt and waste.

Description: Little consideration has been given to the process of technological change in political theory. Given that ideas about this process play an important role in many strands of normative political thought, and are especially crucial to climate change politics, this is a remarkable oversight. It risks political theory being irrelevant to climate change mitigation. The implications of this oversight for political theory are explored here through an analysis of the liberalism-ecologism debate. The article argues that attempts to green liberalism – to move it beyond environmentalism – cannot succeed while liberalism is silent about technological change. More broadly, given that most political theory traditions make claims about technological change, claims crucial to their worldviews and normative goals, it argues that much more theorisation of the concept is necessary. Especially now that they shape how the world understands climate change mitigation, contests over the meaning of technological change are intensely political contests. Political theory needs to get much more involved.

Description: Deep-sea mining (DSM) will be highly energy-intensive and produce myriad emissions, including greenhouse gases (GHG). By and large, the emissions arising from DSM activities in areas beyond national jurisdiction (‘The Area’) do not yet fall within the remit of any international agreement and are thus unregulated. To close this gap, two incisive steps need to be taken. First, States must decide under which international regime(s) they want to regulate GHG-emissions from DSM operations (forum choice). Second, they must select the means to mitigate emissions (instrument choice). Forum and instrument choice should be decided in tandem as forum choice tends to influence instrument choice and vice versa. We explore the various possibilities and argue that the International Seabed Authority (ISA) is the most suitable forum, as it could implement a harmonized and targeted approach for this unique sector. We recommend that the ISA commission a technical study to assess the amount of GHG emissions expected to arise from DSM activities in the Area and evaluate the costs and benefits of implementing and enforcing various policy instruments. Such an exercise is both urgently needed and timely, particularly as the ISA is currently formulating the rules for mineral exploitation.

Description: This paper addresses the need for effective and fair codes of conduct for public-good-oriented transdisciplinary processes. These processes are characterized by the production of socially robust orientations (SoROs) through mutual learning and developing better action strategies by merging knowledge from practice and science. We argue that transdisciplinary processes should be governed by an appropriate social rule system that comprises codes of conduct for collaboration (CCC) in transdisciplinary discourses. In our view, participants in a transdisciplinary process must (1) follow rules of mutuality between science and practice (accepting the otherness of the other) and (2) enable the use and integration of knowledge from science and practice (e.g., through responsibility and/or co-leadership at all levels of a project). This requires (3) a protected discourse arena similar to an expanded Chatham House Rule that facilitates the generation of groundbreaking, novel ideas for sustainable transition. In transdisciplinary processes, CCC are based on these three perspectives and can be explicitly introduced yet require cultural and situational adaptations. Many aspects of transdisciplinary processes, such as legal status (e.g., who owns the data generated, whether it is a group or formal organization), are often unclear and need further investigation.

Description: Social-ecological transformation has become an important concept in the face of profound planetary crises (loss of biodiversity, climate crisis). Recently, the needs for social scientific transformation research have become more clearly defined. We reflect on the role of the social sciences and the humanities in democratically shaping social transformation in interaction with other sectors of society. Finally, we sketch three examples that illustrate the kind of new methodological and institutional approaches to be pursued.

Description: Superconducting cables have been proven in a variety of pilot projects and utility installations, demonstrating several of their advantages, including compact size and low energy losses, which can make the technology economically attractive for certain applications. It is clear though that different applications impose different requirements and challenges, but also opportunities for the cables. An interesting application is high-power DC transfer at medium voltage (MVDC). The high-current capability of the superconductor allows for a reduction in voltage while maintaining or increasing the power transfer level. In this way, one MVDC superconducting cable can replace one or more conventional high-voltage DC cables. In the European project Superconducting cables for sustainable energy transition (SCARLET), two types of MVDC cables will be developed, one based on HTS and one on MgB2 materials. Additionally, protection requirements will be considered, including the development of a modular DC fault current limiter for 10 kA. A main motivation for the development is the elimination of costly high-voltage converter stations when going from high to medium voltage, e.g., for offshore wind power plants. Another feature is the combined hydrogen and electricity transmission from generation sites to industry or mobility end users. This paper describes the superconducting MVDC cable concept as well as the main challenges and research needed to develop and type test the cables.

Description: Today, populism is widely understood to entail an exclusionary conception of “the people” that threatens climate change action. While this threat is real, I argue that populism itself can be understood as a response to perceived exclusion and marginalization, making it possible to conceptualize a more heterogeneous conception of populism’s “people.” Examining two approaches to climate change action rooted in contrasting conceptions of the people and the elite, I argue that climate justice organizing offers a promising effort to construct a heterogeneous people and offers a powerful critique of the elite representation of climate change action in which “we are all in this together.” Yet along with this promise, climate justice organizing must navigate tensions that are inescapable within any populist formation. One neglected thread of populist history and theory offers resources for doing so; in the final section of this paper, I explore its relevance to climate justice today.

Description: Crises may act as tipping points for decarbonization pathways by triggering structural economic change or offering windows of opportunity for policy change. We investigate both types of effects of the global financial and COVID-19 crises on decarbonization in Spain and Germany through a quantitative Kaya-decomposition analysis of CO2 emissions and through a qualitative review of climate and energy policy changes. We show that the global financial crisis resulted in a critical juncture for Spanish CO2 emissions due to the combined effects of the deep economic recession and crisis-induced structural change, resulting in reductions in carbon and energy intensities and shifts in the economic structure. However, the crisis also resulted in a rollback of renewable energy policy, halting progress in the transition to green electricity. The impacts were less pronounced in Germany, where pre-existing decarbonization and policy trends continued after the crisis. Recovery packages had modest effects, primarily due to their temporary nature and the limited share of climate-related spending. The direct short-term impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on CO2 emissions were more substantial in Spain than in Germany. The policy responses in both countries sought to align short-term economic recovery with the long-term climate change goals of decarbonization, but it is too soon to observe their lasting effects. Our findings show that crises can affect structural change and support decarbonization but suggest that such effects depend on pre-existing trends, the severity of the crisis and political manoeuvring during the crisis.

Description: The combination of liquid hydrogen and superconducting cables presents a unique opportunity to distribute both hydrogen and bulk electricity in the same infrastructure. In particular, liquid hydrogen around 20 K is ideally suited for cooling the MgB2 superconductor, resulting in a compact power cable that also leaves sufficient place for the hydrogen flow. Such a hybrid system operating in the MVDC range at 25 kV and 20 kA constitutes one of the main goals of the European project SCARLET. After a description of the rationale and benefits of the electricity - hydrogen system, various possible applications and a first distribution system are presented. Furthermore, the different cable components already designed are discussed along with the research challenges and general strategy for the development.

Description: Mainstream Online Social Networks (OSNs) face extensive criticism for their revenue model and its negative consequences for users and societies. While experts often discuss alternative OSN models, little is known about potential users’ evaluations of different OSN models. To close this research gap, the present study investigates how non-expert individuals, i.e., potential users, evaluate mainstream OSNs and expert-proposed alternative models. Next to the general evaluations of different models, individual differences among users open to various OSN models were explored. Three OSN scenarios were created based on interviews with experts from academia and industry and presented to samples of German adolescents (N = 1166) and adults (N = 878): one describing the “status quo”, one “option” model similar to the model currently considered by Meta, and one describing a “public-service” broadcasting OSN. Participants rated each characteristic of the “status quo” scenario, indicated their willingness to pay for each of the three OSN models, and specified their preferred OSN model next to providing sociodemographic information. Replicated across both samples was that the “status quo” scenario received predominantly negative evaluations. Further replicated across both samples was that most participants were willing to pay for a “public-service” OSN and chose this model as the preferred one. Only a few significant relations of sociodemographic variables were observed. Consistently replicated across both samples, men rated various characteristics of the “status quo” scenario more positively, and women were more likely to prefer the “public-service” OSN. Some differences between the two samples also emerged. In summary, both adolescents and adults demonstrated receptivity to alternative OSN models, especially a public-service broadcasting OSN. Most sociodemographic factors had limited influence indicating potential widespread adoption if such an alternative was implemented – at least in Germany. Consequences arising from such a model for platform design, policy, regulation, and governance are discussed.

Description: In response to the climate and biodiversity crisis, the number of transdisciplinary research projects in which researchers partner with sustainability initiatives to foster transformative change is increasing globally. To enable and catalyze substantial transformative change, transformative transdisciplinary research (TTDR) is urgently needed to provide knowledge and guidance for actions. We review prominent discussions on TTDR and draw on our experiences from research projects in the Global South and North. Drawing on this, we identify key gaps and stimulate debate on how sustainability researchers can enable and catalyze transformative change by advancing five priority areas: clarify what TTDR is, conduct meaningful people-centric research, unpack how to act at deep leverage points, improve engagement with diverse knowledge systems, and explore potentials and risks of global digitalization for transformative change.

Description: This article explores the role of energy in regionalization processes, assessing the case of natural gas finds in the Eastern Mediterranean (East Med). It makes three observations. First, we show that energy resources are a defining factor in shaping a region by rearranging the interactions and networks of actors involved in regionalization processes. Second, we demonstrate that such “energization” processes are not only—and not even primarily—attributable to security practices pursued by state actors. Regionalization underpinned by energy as the key governance object is characterized by a variety of actors, including governments, but also international energy companies, investors, consumers, and regulators. Third, we posit that regionalization processes cannot be fully understood without appreciating the importance of existing global and regional governance frameworks and the values ascribed to the physical resource by international market forces. The findings call on International Relations to go beyond analyzing the East Med energy region through the prism of security studies, which arguably is a function of both theoretical path dependence and a lack of attention to the insights from energy studies. Instead, a multidisciplinary research agenda promises to strengthen academic inquiry into regionalization dynamics in the East Med and the role of regions in world politics more broadly.

Description: As climate targets tighten, all countries must transition toward a renewable electricity system, but conflicts about generation and infrastructure deployment impede transition progress. Although the triggers of opposition are well studied, what people want remains understudied. We survey citizen preferences for a renewable electricity future through a conjoint analysis among 4,103 individuals in Denmark, Portugal, Poland, and Germany. With our study we go beyond the Likert scale survey approach specifically seeking trade-offs and contextualized preferences for regional electricity system designs. We show the importance of identifying both the ‘‘least preferred’’ and ‘‘most preferred’’ solutions and highlighting the possibility of identifying very different systems with identical utility. Lastly, our research actively bridges the divide between social aspects and techno-economic modeling, promoting their integration. We show that the most preferred system design in all four countries is a predominantly regional one, based on rooftop solar, communally owned, and not relying on transmission expansion.

Description: Various analyses show that right-wing populist parties (RWP) tend to be sceptical of climate science and policy. This points to a blank space in the dominant analyses of populism: their blindness towards society-nature relations. This paper aims to develop an approach grounded in Cultural Political Economy (CPE) that can be used to decipher the mediation of RWP within the context of economic, political, and cultural developments as well as society–nature relations. Against this background, the argument is developed that RWP is concerned not only with countering migration and processes of societal liberalisation, but also with defending an existing way of life that is firmly rooted in the destructive appropriation of nature. As a current of right-wing politics, RWP defends the imperial mode of living by expressing scepticism towards the existence of anthropogenic climate change. The paper contributes to a better understanding of the political economy of RWP by linking the dimensions of social domination with the appropriation of nature.

Description: Governments and international organizations are increasingly using public funds to mobilize and leverage private finance for climate projects in the Global South. An important international organization in the effort to mobilize the private sector for financing climate mitigation and adaptation in the Global South is the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The GCF was established under the UNFCCC in 2010 and is the world’s largest dedicated multilateral climate fund. The GCF differs from other intergovernmental institutions through its fund-wide inclusion of the private sector, ranging from project design and financing to project implementation. In this paper, we investigate private sector involvement in the GCF through a qualitative exploratory research approach. We ask two main questions: Do private sector projects deliver on their ambitious goals? What are the tensions, if any, between private sector engagement and other principles of the GCF (most importantly the principles of country ownership, mitigation/adaptation balance, transparency, and civil society participation)? This paper argues that private sector involvement does not provide an easy way out of the financial constraints of public climate financing. We show that the GCF fails to deliver on its ambitious goals in private sector engagement for a number of reasons. First, private sector interest in GCF projects is thus far underwhelming. Second, there are strong tradeoffs between private sector projects and the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (GPEDC) principles of country ownership, transparency, and civil society participation. Third, private sector involvement is creating a mitigation bias within the GCF portfolio. Fourth, while the private sector portfolio is good at channeling funds to particularly vulnerable countries, it does so mostly through large multi-country projects with weak country ownership. Fifth, there is a danger that private climate financing based on loans and equity might add to the debt burden of developing countries, destabilize financial markets, and further increase dependency on the Global North.

Description: Real-world labs are witnessing continued growth and institutionalization in the field of transformation-oriented sustainability research, as well as in adjacent disciplines. With their experimental research agendas, these labs aim at sustainability transformations, however, there is still a need to improve the understanding of their impacts. Drawing from this Special Issue’s contributions, we offer a broad overview of the impacts achieved by various real-world labs, highlight the diverse areas and forms of impact, and elucidate strategies as well as mechanisms for achieving impact. We present methodological advances, and address common challenges along with potential solutions for understanding and realizing impact.

Description: Policymakers and governments increasingly frame climate protection in terms of green growth, arguing that continued economic growth and climate protection are complementary and mutually beneficial. With such framing, governments hope to overcome the global common goods problem associated with climate change and to enable higher ambition on climate action within and across states. Yet, no empirical evidence to date has been provided on how widespread the support for green growth is in international climate politics. This paper, therefore, investigates which countries employ green growth framings at UNFCCC negotiations, and whether this relates to domestic factors, in particular economic structure, level of development and climate impacts. We conduct panel-data analysis on green growth positions derived from hand-coding a unique dataset of High-level Segment statements at the Convention of the Parties (COPs) from 2010 to 2019 for 151 countries. The results reveal that, to date, green growth proponents are those countries with the most advanced national clean energy technology (CET) capacities–as measured by the Green Complexity Index. The findings highlight that green growth is not promoted by all countries at international climate negotiations. Key policy insights In international climate negotiations, climate protection is increasingly framed as a green growth opportunity to motivate global ambition. Clean Energy Technology (CET) leading countries are more likely to use green growth framings than other less-technologically advanced peers and those with high exposure to climate risks. Mechanisms to support green growth pathways for all countries should be scaled up, including technology transfer and finance to foster local capacities and human capital. Given that green growth framings are not universally endorsed, further emphasis should be placed on additional co-benefits of climate action beyond economic growth, such as food and energy security, adaptation and resilience-building.

Description: Real-world laboratories (RwLs) are gaining further traction as a means to achieve systemic impacts towards sustainability transformation. To guide the analysis of intended impacts, we introduce the concept of leverage points, discerning where, how, and to what end RwLs intervene in systems. Building on conceptual reasoning, we further develop our argument by exploring two RwL cases. Examining RwLs through the lens of the leverage points opens the way for a balanced and comprehensive approach to systemic experimentation. We invite RwL researchers and practitioners to further advance RwLs’ transformative capacity by targeting the design and emerging direction of a system, contributing to a culture of sustainability.

Description: Observed climate changes in Pacific island countries (PICs) are causing detrimental effects on the health of communities. Increased frequency and intensity of cyclones, more extremely hot days, and changes in rainfall patterns can change the geographic distribution of vector-borne diseases, decrease food and water security and safety, and strain health service capacity. These impacts are projected to worsen with additional climate change in the absence of strong and effective mitigation and adaptation measures. Health vulnerability and adaptation assessments conducted in twelve PICs in 2014 highlighted significant knowledge gaps on the national health risks of climate change and on adaptation implementation and policy translation. We synthesize recent research to identify approaches to support evidence-based policymaking to increase resilience of health systems in the Pacific. Broad areas where further and substantial investment and support are needed include: (i) health workforce capacity development; (ii) enhanced surveillance and monitoring systems, and (iii) research to enhance understanding of risks and effective interventions and their subsequent translation into practice and policy. Finally, health facilities need urgent upgrades; many are old and located in coastal areas, and are heavy users of coal-fired electricity.

Description: This paper discusses the key questions and challenges for promoting international cooperation between the EU and potential international partners within an emerging hydrogen economy. On this basis, it identifies entry-points for related policy action. Specifically, it outlines six policy dimensions that European policymakers should consider when engaging in the development of international partnerships within the emerging hydrogen economy: climate mitigation, green industrial development in Europe, just transitions in partner countries, geopolitics, security of supply, and economic feasibility. Taking these six dimensions as its starting point, the paper presents nine policy messages for the development of an international hydrogen economy within the context of broader decarbonisation efforts in the EU.

Description: Quelle für Wärme, Speicher für klimaschädliche Gase, Lagerstätte für grünen Wasserstoff – der Untergrund bietet viele Möglichkeiten. Ein Gastbeitrag.

Description: Ariadne-Forschende haben deshalb auf Grundlage von zwei bundesweit durchgeführten Panel-Umfragen die Zustimmung von 26 Klimaschutzmaßnahmen auf regionaler Ebene geschätzt und dabei geographische und zeitliche Meinungsunterschiede sichtbar gemacht. Die Ergebnisse der Forschenden verdeutlichen regionale Unterschiede in der Zustimmung zu einzelnen Klimaschutzmaßnahmen, die sich vor allem zwischen Stadt- und Landbevölkerung sowie Ost- und Westdeutschland zeigen.

Description: The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is expected to launch in October 2023, with reporting obligations only. The scheme aims to ensure that European efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions do not induce so-called ‘carbon leakage’, which could occur if companies based in the EU relocate carbon-intensive production to countries with less ambitious climate standards or increase imports of carbon-intensive products to the EU. The mechanism will require companies importing certain products to the EU to offset embedded GHG emissions by purchasing CBAM certificates, thus ensuring that the carbon price of imported products is equivalent to that of products made by European producers under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). CBAM’s effectiveness and impact will be evaluated by the EU towards the end of its phase-in period. This evaluation will likely lead to adjustments in the mechanism’s design and will be followed closely by third countries considering the introduction of similar instruments. Economies and sectors dependent on exports to the EU will be both more exposed and vulnerable to the mechanism. In this policy brief we explore the views of stakeholders in South Africa, the EU’s largest trading partner in Africa, and consider measures necessary to ensure that CBAM addresses issues of justice and sustainability. In particular we identify three key recommendations for European policymakers.

Description: In mid-2021, the Republic of Nauru invoked a treaty provision at the International Seabed Authority known as the “two-year rule”. This effectively imposed a deadline on the Council of the International Seabed Authority to complete the elaboration and adoption of regulations for the exploitation of seabed minerals in the international seabed Area by 9 July 2023. Come 10 July 2023, the Authority would be presented with a new legal situation, whereby applications for mining activities may be submitted despite the absence of applicable regulations. There remain many outstanding matters in the negotiations and, considering that the regulations for exploitation must be adopted by consensus at the Council, it would appear that there is still a long and winding road ahead before an agreement is reached among member states – if this is at all possible. In light of this, the Council clearly needs to discuss what would occur if an application for the approval of a plan of work for exploitation activities happens to be submitted in the absence of applicable regulations. While the open legal questions that arise from the invocation of the two-year rule and upon the expiration of the deadline have been analysed elsewhere, this discussion paper examines the new political reality that the Authority finds itself in following the expiry of the deadline on 9 July 2023. Building on previous work by the author, this discussion paper attempts to underscore what is at stake at the Authority and explores how member states should approach this situation.

Description: This paper examines the challenges and prospects for Norway’s internal and external hydrogen strategy from around 2019, when Norway’s low-carbon hydrogen policies and activities began to gain traction. Norway has taken a technology-neutral approach to ‘green’ and ‘blue’ hydrogen technologies linked to reducing emissions. Two end-use sectors have been prioritised: maritime transport and energy-intensive industries. This strategy is based on Norway’s energy mix, industry structure/interest and research competence. While climate concerns appear as the predominant motivation underlying the Norwegian government’s low-carbon hydrogen strategy, industrial value creation is an additional key goal. Political priorities roughly align with actual funding priorities – there has been a massive increase in direct state aid to low-carbon hydrogen projects. Externally, Norway’s hydrogen strategy has potential significance for Europe, particularly for countries with maritime interests and high hydrogen import needs. However, Norway’s technology-neutral approach deviates from most other European countries. What Norway’s hydrogen strategy will mean for Europe remains to be seen – but its main interests concern the export of ‘blue’ hydrogen, with ‘green’ hydrogen primarily suited to meet domestic needs.

Description: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in online communication, offering a unique burning glass perspective on the advantages of transferring formerly face-to-face conversations online as well as uncovering limitations of using technical applications to this end. These experiences are of great importance for the development of new e-participation instruments. So far, digital participation has failed to match the quality of real-world procedures. This paper discusses various emerging formats for online participation and their prerequisites. Blended participation models, in particular, appear to offer the most promise, enhancing negotiation processes between heterogenous social groups and facilitating responsive policy making.

Description: Die Corona-Pandemie hat die Nutzung der Online-Kommunikation stark befördert. Diese einzigartige experimentelle Situation machte die Möglichkeiten und Grenzen eines Wechsels der Kommunikationsmedien von Face-to-Face- in Online-Formate sichtbar. Die gesammelten Erfahrungen sind von erheblicher Bedeutung für die Entwicklung neuer Instrumente und Tools der Online-Beteiligung. Bislang allerdings sind Online-Beteiligungsformate den klassischen Offline-Beteiligungsformaten qualitativ nicht ebenbürtig. Daher werden in diesem Beitrag Ansatzpunkte für neue Formate und deren Grundvoraussetzungen diskutiert. Insbesondere Konzepte, welche sowohl Online- als auch Offline-Elemente verbinden (Blended Participation), erscheinen vielversprechend, da sie Austauschprozesse zwischen heterogenen sozialen Gruppen verbessern und die Responsivität des politischen Entscheidungsfindungsprozesses erhöhen können.

Description: Inspired by a paper by Teseletso and Adachi (Miner Econ 8(10):21, 2021), the hypothesis regarding the declining grade of mined copper ore and its possible use as a guide to the future of ultimate recoverable resources (URRs) is tested. As a time axis, cumulative production is taken. Grades can be either grade of cumulative tonnage or annual production grade. Correlation can be linear (grade and tonnage) or semi-logarithmic (grade linear, tonnage logarithmic). We first show that the assumption that the highest correlation is the best guide to the future may be a fallacy. This is the linear correlation between grades of cumulative tonnage and cumulative tonnages since 1959, i.e., 85% of all copper mined historically with a near-perfect correlation approaching one (R2 = 0.97). This leads to implausibly low results of the URR, clearly demonstrating that this trend must shift in the future. Moreover, Teseletso and Adachi’s (Miner Econ 8(10):21, 2021) approach using a linear or semi-logarithmic correlation between annual grades with cumulative production leads to erroneous results. Here, the later the calculation of the correlation begins, the lower the extrapolated tonnages are at predetermined, postulated ultimate cutoff grades. This contradicts the accepted knowledge that with lower grades, the resource base is broadened—not narrowed. The only reasonable finding results from the correlation between linear grades of cumulative production with logarithmic cumulative production, i.e., the Lasky relationship, indicating a URR of 7.5 GT Cu, of which 6.7 GT remain to be mined, which is equivalent of close to 325 years of present production. The trend towards declining Cu grades with constant real Cu prices shows the potential for creative solutions for other metal as well.

Description: Considering growing participatory turns in regulatory scientific risk analysis, this paper compares how social scientists use participatory and analytical methods to understand risk perceptions and meet competing demands for representativeness and inclusiveness. Drawing on case studies of how three European risk agencies use participatory and analytic methods in the context of biotechnology, it confirms difficulties of analytic methods to shed light on perceptions when applied to unfamiliar topics. It also shows the potential of participatory in particular deliberative formats to engage affected populations in the risk analysis process, despite challenges in promoting inclusiveness. The cases call for the integration of methods, while remaining aware of the need to understand the mutual interplay in the constructions of risks and structural inequalities.

Description: The invocation of a treaty provision known as the "two-year rule" at the International Seabed Authority effectively placed a deadline on the Authority to complete the adoption of regulations for exploitation activities within two years, i.e. by 9 July 2023. However, it is not a hard "deadline" and it is likely that the Authority might miss this deadline. In recent months, the member states of the Authority have commenced discussions on what would happen if the deadline is missed (or the "what if scenario"). It follows that missing the deadline will give rise to a host of open legal questions. Building on previous work, this discussion paper attempts to provide some insights and possible interpretations to answer some of those questions.

Description: As the climate targets tighten and countries are impacted by several crises, understanding how and under which conditions carbon dioxide emissions peak and start declining is gaining importance. We assess the timing of emissions peaks in all major emitters (1965–2019) and the extent to which past economic crises have impacted structural drivers of emissions contributing to emission peaks. We show that in 26 of 28 countries that have peaked emissions, the peak occurred just before or during a recession through the combined effect of lower economic growth (1.5 median percentage points per year) and decreasing energy and/or carbon intensity (0.7) during and after the crisis. In peak-and-decline countries, crises have typically magnified pre-existing improvements in structural change. In non-peaking countries, economic growth was less affected, and structural change effects were weaker or increased emissions. Crises do not automatically trigger peaks but may strengthen ongoing decarbonisation trends through several mechanisms.

Description: Es gibt viele technologische Lösungen, die globalen CO2-Emissionen zu verringern. Wir brauchen sie alle, argumentieren Kristina Fürst vom RIFS am Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam und Aliaksei Patonia vom Oxford Institute in ihrem Standpunkt. Dabei haben Sie insbesondere die Abscheidung und Nutzung von CO2 im Blick.

Description: Stakeholder engagement has become increasingly important in energy research and is now even required by many funding agencies. Recent energy modelling projects also claim to involve stakeholders in the research process, although this is usually a process of one-way communication. This raises the question of the extent to which stakeholder involvement can have an impact on the modelling work, or whether it is often a case of mere ‘stakeholder-washing’ to meet funding requirements. In this discussion paper, I reflect on the experiences of stakeholder engagement in the EU Horizon 2020 project Sustainable Energy Transition Laboratory (SENTINEL), discuss the impacts of stakeholder participation on the energy modelling and unfold key challenges of involving stakeholders in energy modelling. I discuss that it worked well to engage stakeholders in defining user needs and discussing modelling results, while only a few stakeholders could be continuously involved through the project period. I also show that although the project successfully identified research questions and needs, the ability of models to answer questions was limited, and making models understandable to users remains a key challenge. Stakeholder engagement in SENTINEL was more than ‘stakeholder-washing’: it led to the identification of user needs and research questions, impacted scenario design, modelling improvements and the development of new modelling tools, and enabled critical reflection on modelling approaches and results. Finally, I make nine recommendations for future stakeholder engagement in energy (modelling) research that can enable mutual learning and enhance the legitimacy, relevance and impact of modelling. The further development of multi-stakeholder communities of practice around innovative energy modelling approaches can facilitate the transition to climate neutrality.

Description: This chapter provides a review of Germany’s ambitious import-oriented hydrogen strategy. It places the German policy approach in the context of its broader Energiewende (energy transition) strategy, aimed not only at a transition of Germany’s energy and industrial system to carbon neutrality by 2045 but also at the promotion of the German Energiewende approach abroad. The chapter begins by providing a short review of the German Energiewende policy legacy, relating it to it emerging hydrogen policy. On this basis, it provides a comprehensive review of Germany’s National Hydrogen Strategy (NHS) with a particular focus on its outward-oriented elements. It discusses Germany’s external hydrogen policy along the following five dimensions: political dialogue and diplomacy (both bilateral and multilateral); interventions aimed at building international supply chains; cooperation in research and innovation; capacity building and skill development; and activities aimed at addressing questions of sustainability. The chapter closes with discussion of key strengths and weaknesses of the strategy and highlights areas for its further development. While Germany's outward-oriented approach is identified as an important strength of the strategy, it could place greater emphasis on cooperation with partners in the EU. Moreover, collaboration with partner countries, both in- and outside the EU, should go beyond the relatively narrow focus on the promotion of hydrogen production and trade. Rather, it should take a broader perspective, aimed at promoting competitive and resilient industrial value chains centered on the EU and its policy and regulatory model. In particular, countries in the European Neighborhood represent important partners in such a strategy. Broadening the scope of cooperation with these countries will also increase the incentives for these countries to engage in partnership development. Finally, the chapter points out that Germany has taken an ambiguous stance on the role that blue hydrogen should play in a future hydrogen economy. While its strategy comes out strongly in favor of green hydrogen, it is also pursuing partnerships for the import of blue hydrogen. This has resulted in a mismatch. While analytical capacities and standardization-related activities are being advanced for green hydrogen production, the government also needs to clearly define its stance on blue hydrogen imports and develop the needed analytical tools and policy instruments for this purpose.

Description: The UK aims to become a leader in green industries by developing a competitive hydrogen industry, bringing new jobs, and revitalizing peripheral areas of the country. Hydrogen is also seen as an opportunity for the country to improve its energy security, as extracting fossil fuels is increasingly costly and unfeasible given the UK’s decarbonization goals. Its hydrogen strategy takes a “twin track” approach, that is, simultaneously promoting hydrogen from gas with carbon capture and hydrogen from low-carbon electricity. The UK strategy focuses on the importance of applying hydrogen to industry including chemicals, steel, and glass. However, its funding and research initiatives rather place an emphasis on developing local hydrogen markets by using hydrogen for heating and transportation. In the short term, the UK aims to develop “blue” hydrogen, which is perceived as cheaper, to replace household gas use. Funding for hydrogen innovation comes from the government, but revenue support is likely to be funded by levies on energy consumption. This approach seems unlikely to result in the green industrial leadership the government hopes to achieve. The unwillingness of the government to take strategic decisions on hydrogen types and uses means that its funding is stretched across different cases. And, while the UK participates in international standard-setting initiatives to better participate in global markets, it is not officially coordinating with or investing in hydrogen infrastructure that could connect it with Europe and thereby enable regional hydrogen trade. Given the rise in industrial policy measures including for hydrogen in the US and EU, the UK’s goal of becoming a major hydrogen player seems unlikely without a significant change in policy clarity and ambition.

Description: Der Strukturwandel in den ehemaligen Braunkohlerevieren wird mit erheb- lichen Bundes- und Landesmitteln gefördert. Sie fließen zum einen als Kompensation für einen vorzeitigen Kohleausstieg. Damit verbunden ist zum anderen der Anspruch, dass Transformationen Erfolg haben können, indem neue Arbeitsplätze sowie lebenswerte und zukunftsfähige Regionen entstehen. Es geht um Nachhaltigkeit im Strukturwandel und nicht nur um den Kohleausstieg. Da es bisher kein Nachhaltigkeitsmonitoring für die Lausitz gibt, lassen sich aufgrund der vorliegen- den Projekte und Projektanträge sowie zahlreicher Gespräche vor Ort nur erste vorsichtige Schlüsse zie- hen. Diese beziehen sich auf die verabschiedeten und vorgeschlagenen Projekte, bei denen das Land Bran- denburg die Verantwortung hat (sog. Arm 1-Projekte): Antragsstellende müssen erläutern, wie ihre Projek- te einen positiven Beitrag zu einem ökologischen und einem weiteren der 17 nachhaltigen Entwick- lungsziele der Vereinten Nationen leisten. Diese Auflage führte bislang kaum dazu, dass die Projek- te einen hohen Nachhaltigkeitsanspruch verfolgen. Hohe Förderquoten würden es bereits jetzt ermög- lichen ambitioniertere Nachhaltigkeitsinvestitionen zu vertretbaren Kosten umzusetzen. Eher günstige geographische und makroökonomi- sche Bedingungen führen dazu, dass viele Projekte auf eine Reduktion von Treibhausgasemissionen bzw. zur Erforschung entsprechender Technologi- en ausgerichtet sind. Mit seinem bisherigen Verfahren verfolgt Branden- burg einen anderen Ansatz als Sachsen, das Nachhal- tigkeit in einem Scoring-Verfahren berücksichtigt. Sowohl die Nachhaltigkeitserklärungen als auch die Scoring-Verfahren setzen geringe Nachhaltigkeitsan- reize im Vergleich etwa zu EU-Vorgaben. In diesem Policy Brief liefern wir drei umsetzbare und kostengünstige Vorschläge, wie sich die Nach- haltigkeit des Strukturwandels in der brandenburgischen Lausitz verbessern ließe.

Description: The "Comprehensive Policy Brief to the EU Commission - Roadmap to Decolonial Arctic Research" is an evidence-based tool for achieving decolonial innovation in methodology and funding mechanisms in the Arctic research landscape, including the natural and social sciences and the humanities. In four concise chapters, the group of experts, consisting of Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers and Indigenous rights holders, 1) guide the readership through the legal and political dimensions as well as that of research innovation and paradigmatic shifts in Arctic research; 2) it offers concrete methodological considerations in carrying out projects; 3) it elaborates on the participation of Indigenous rights holders in the EU research funding structures from a practice perspective. 4) it outlines the benefits of Indigenous-led Arctic research and of funding co-creative projects. This Roadmap can support the mainstreaming of co-creative and collaborative principles and equal partnership by Indigenous and non-Indigenous actors in 1) large-scale research projects, 2) calls for projects, 3) proposal design and project evaluation, and 4) in the implementation of the European Polar Research Program. At the international level, the rights of Indigenous Peoples have been receiving increasing legal recognition. Similarly, EU calls-for-proposals ask nowadays increasingly for a ‘co-design approach’ in research (e.g., in the past Horizon 2020, and the current Horizon Europe funding schemes). Arctic researchers are increasingly adopting decolonial research approaches. Yet implementing decolonial research practices as new standards and taking initiative that supports Indigenous sovereignty in the Arctic is often still lacking. Therefore, theoretical and methodological expertise about co-creation of knowledge, as offered in this Roadmap, can help to foster capacity among researchers in all disciplines (natural and social sciences, the humanities) and among the relevant funding bodies such as the EU Commission and the large variety of international and national funding organisations.

Description: Sie werden in Berlin immer populärer: Wohnviertel ohne Durchgangsverkehr motivieren zu mehr Fahrrad- und ÖPNV-Nutzung, wie Studien aus dem Ausland zeigen. Ein Gastbeitrag.

Description: Im Laufe der letzten 50 Jahre der Entwicklung und Anwendung der Kernenergie hat die Politik zur nuklearen Energieerzeugung in fast allen Ländern der Welt ein Wechselbad der Gefühle erlebt, das von Begeisterung bis zu tiefer Skepsis reicht. Den Versprechungen einer (vermeintlich?) billigen und unerschöpflichen Energieversorgung standen Bedenken hinsichtlich der nuklearen Sicherheit, des Missbrauchs für kriegerische Zwecke und der Abfallentsorgung gegenüber. Wichtige Meilensteine in der Geschichte der Kernenergiepolitik waren der nukleare Zwischenfall in TMI (Three Mile Island) bei Harrisburg in den Vereinigten Staaten 1979, der Unfall in Tschernobyl in der Ukraine 1986 und zuletzt die Kernschmelze in Fukushima in Japan im Jahr 2011. Alle drei Ereignisse lösten große Veränderungen und Anpassungen in der öffentlichen Meinung sowie in der Regulierung und im Risikomanagement aus.

Description: Systemische Risiken stellen eine Herausforderung für Governance dar, weil diese Risiken hochgradig vernetzt und komplex sind sowie non-linearen Entwicklungen folgen und in ihren Ursache-Wirkungs-Beziehungen nicht deterministisch sind. Erarbeitete Lösungen sollten zudem ethische Belange reflektieren. So werden inklusive Governance-Strategien notwendig, um die Ziele von Nachhaltigkeitstransformationen zu verfolgen. Das Konzept der transdisziplinären Risiko-Governance dient als Orientierungsrahmen, um die Herausforderungen von systemischen Risiken zu adressieren.