ALBERT

Description: A sectoral perspective can help the Global Stocktake (GST) to effectively achieve its objective to inform Parties' in enhancing subsequent NDCs and in enhancing international cooperation. Specifically, granular and actionable sectoral lessons, grounded in country-driven assessments, should be identified and elaborated. To be effective, conversations on sectoral transformations need to synthesise key challenges and opportunities identified in the national analyses and link them to international enablers; focus on systemic interdependencies, involve diverse actors, and be thoroughly prepared including by pre-scoping points of convergences and divergence across transformations. We specifically recommend that: the co-facilitators of the Technical Dialogue use their (limited) mandate to facilitate an effective conversationon sectoral transformations e.g. by organising dedicated informal seminars in between formal negotiation sessions; key systemic transformations necessary toachieve net-zero by mid-century should be spelled out and included in the final decision or political declaration of the GST; and the political outcome of the GST should mandate follow-up processes at the regional level and encourage national-level conversations to translate the collective messages from GST into actionable and sector-specific policy recommendations.

Description: To achieve the EU's energy efficiency targets, both the rate of building energy renovation and its depth, i.e., the amount of energy savings post renovation need to be improved. Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are key to make energy efficiency measures transparent for the building market and to promote the energy efficiency of buildings through renovation. The revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) is seen as a pre-condition to meet the Renovation Wave objectives and to reach a highly energy efficient and decarbonized building stock by 2050. One focus of the current revision of the EPBD is therefore the improvement of EPCs. QualDeEPC - High-quality Energy Performance Assessment and Certification in Europe Accelerating Deep Energy Renovation, funded under the EU's Horizon 2020 programme, is a project that aims to improve EPCs. Following an EU-wide review of existing EPC schemes, and extensive stakeholder discussions in the seven partner countries, QualDeEPC found that EPCs and EPC schemes need to enhance particularly in the following three ways: 1. Establish a close link between EPCs and deep energy renovation 2. Improve the quality of EPC schemes, i.e., both the EPCs and their data, and the processes of assessment, certification, verification 3. Improve cross-EU convergence of EPC schemes.

Description: A large number and variety of activities are being undertaken to introduce Digital Product Passports (DPPs). However, only a few DPPs have made it into practice so far, so there is some uncertainty about which impact DPPs will actually have. With this paper, we aim to provide a structured overview of the current development of DPPs. We provide insights of 76 current corporate, policy, and research activities that exist and their objectives. To allow for a structured assessment and discussion of the diverse approaches we defined 13 criteria for a comparable description, categorization and evaluation. We expect that this overview will not only encourage feedback and contributions from the DPP community, as well as valuable discussions with and among experts. It is also intended to help promote and facilitate the adoption of DPPs for the Circular Economy by facilitating collaborations and suggestions for ongoing activities.

Description: This thesis conceptualizes the school as a socio-technical system, in which change towards sustainable development and a transition towards more climate awareness are necessary. The multi-level perspective (MLP) framework is applied to the German school system and to climate protection projects (CPPs) as examples of niche activities integrating climate protection (CP) in the school. The thesis utilizes the analytical levels of the MLP (landscape, regime, and niche) and the concept of regulative, cognitive, and normative rules and addresses the question: How do actors in CPPs perceive drivers and barriers for transitioning towards more climate awareness in the German school system? The data were collected through expert interviews and analyzed by conducting a qualitative content analysis. The results show that the German school system is characterized by an inherent rigidity, deep-set normative role dynamics, and an unappreciated role of schools in society. They also highlight the importance of public pressure, strategic CP orientation, and hands-on approaches. CPPs can be a driving force for this in individual schools, but, overall, CP needs to be addressed more systematically in the school and more substantial efforts and reforms are necessary. Highly motivated niche actors play an important role and represent key drivers for such developments. This thesis reveals the complex and systemic nature of the challenges the German school system is faced with. It highlights the difficulties of integrating CP and the importance of substantial and transformative political action. The thesis demonstrates the crucial need to recognize the significance of schools and their actors for society and to integrate new methods and approaches into the school. This thesis also contributes to the body of literature on socio-technical systems and sustainability transitions. It offers an operationalization of the MLP and reveals strengths and limits as well as future research outlooks.

Description: The Fit for 55 package stipulates a fair, competitive and green transition by 2030 and beyond. As part of this, increasing attention is given to the decarbonisation of the building stock: only 1 % of buildings in Europe are retrofitted each year, a number which must double if the EU is to meet its 2050 targets. Significant energy efficiency investments are needed, whilst the planned expansion of the EU-ETS to the building sector in 2026 will likely pass the carbon cost onto the consumer. This will increase the cost burden placed on low-income households, exacerbating energy poverty, if these two strategies are not counterbalanced by adequate policies and support mechanisms. The European Private Rented Sector (PRS) is often side-lined by policymakers when implementing energy efficiency policies to tackle energy poverty. As many as 1 in 10 Europeans spend 40 % or more of their income on housing costs, with those in the PRS struggling with energy-related problems, such as poor energy efficiency and maintenance, to a much greater degree than the general population. Understanding these challenges and creating targeted policies is of critical scientific and policy importance. To date, a pan-European policy on how to address energy poverty and energy efficiency improvements in the PRS is lacking; current European Union instruments to address such issues (including the Fit for 55, and the Clean Energy Package that preceded it) lack a dedicated approach towards the complex structural issues embedded in the European PRS. What is more, there is a limited understanding of the character of energy poverty in such residential dwellings, as well as policies to address energy injustices. We therefore examine current and historical disparities in energy poverty between the EU's PRS tenants and the general population by analysing a variety of quantitative indicators which reflect different dimensions of energy poverty. We then take stock of the policy landscape, identifying energy efficiency policies tailored to alleviate energy poverty in the PRS and common challenges. We subsequently interrogate possible solutions, drawing on existing good practice policies. In so doing, we aim to reduce the sector's political invisibility by addressing the lack of disaggregated, targeted data and dismantling barriers that currently lead to the PRS being disproportionately affected by energy poverty.

Description: As the worldwide remaining carbon budget decreases rapidly, countries across the globe are searching for solutions to limit greenhouse gas emissions. As the production and use of coal is among the most carbon-intensive processes, it is foreseeable that coal regions will be particularly affected by the consequences of a transformation towards a climate-neutral economy and energy system. Challenges arise in the area of energy production, environmental protection, but also for economic and social aspects in the transforming regions - often coined with the term "Just Transition". For the decision makers in coal regions, there is an urgent need for support tools that help to kick off measures to diversify the local economies while at the same time supporting the local workers and communities. The Wuppertal Institute aims to support coal regions worldwide by developing a Just Transition Toolbox, which illustrates the challenges and opportunities of a sustainable transition for a global audience. It comprises information about strategy development, sets recommendations for governance structures, fostering sustainable employment, highlights technology options and sheds light on the environmental rehabilitation and repurposing of coal-related sites and infrastructure. The toolbox builds on the work of the Wuppertal Institute for the EU Initiative for Coal Regions in Transition and takes into account country-specific findings from the SPIPA-partner countries India, Indonesia, South Africa, Japan, South Korea, Canada and the USA. The acronym SPIPA is short for "Strategic Partnerships for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement" an EU-BMU programme co-financed by the GIZ.