ALBERT

Description: The Central and South Atlantic represents a vast ocean area and is home to a diverse range of ecosystems and species. Nevertheless, and similar to the rest of the global south, the area is comparatively understudied yet exposed to increasing levels of multisectoral pressures. To counteract this, the level of scientific exploration in the Central and South Atlantic has increased in recent years and will likely continue to do so within the context of the United Nations (UN) Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Here, we compile the literature to investigate the distribution of previous scientific exploration of offshore (30 m+) ecosystems in the Central and South Atlantic, both within and beyond national jurisdiction, allowing us to synthesise overall patterns of biodiversity. Furthermore, through the lens of sustainable management, we have reviewed the existing anthropogenic activities and associated management measures relevant to the region. Through this exercise, we have identified key knowledge gaps and undersampled regions that represent priority areas for future research and commented on how these may be best incorporated into, or enhanced through, future management measures such as those in discussion at the UN Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction negotiations. This review represents a comprehensive summary for scientists and managers alike looking to understand the key topographical, biological, and legislative features of the Central and South Atlantic.

Description: Coarse woody habitat (CWH) is an important structural habitat in freshwater ecosystems. In natural lakes, CWH accumulates over centuries alongside the succession of littoral tree communities. Newly created gravel pit lakes have difficulties in accumulating CWH due to their young age. Additionally, CWH presence might be negatively affected by shoreline development, where wood is removed to facilitate recreational activities such as angling. We studied 26 gravel pit lakes with an age ≤ 55 yrs in Lower Saxony, Germany, to quantify CWH density and to understand the impact of environmental factors, including lake morphology, lake age, wind direction, abundance of riparian trees, and the presence or absence of fisheries management, on CWH density. We sampled small and large CWH in the littoral zone of the study lakes using a transect-based approach. Density of CWH was lower in German gravel pit lakes than in North American natural lakes. In gravel pit lakes, we detected increasing densities of small CWH with increasing numbers of large trees on the shore and with increasing littoral slopes in lakes managed for recreational fisheries. Large CWH density was positively affected by lake age, by the density of large trees on the shore and with wind from land, and again by steep littoral slopes in lakes managed for recreational fisheries. We recommend that recreational fisheries managers and individual anglers maintain CWH in shallow littoral zones to promote fish habitats in generally low-structured gravel pit lakes.

Description: Cambrian igneous rocks in the Takaka Terrane of New Zealand provide important constraints for geodynamic reconstructions of the Cambrian SE Gondwana margin. We provide field data and a comprehensive trace element and isotope dataset for such rocks from the upper Baton River area in northwest Nelson, New Zealand, including the first combined Hf-Nd isotope data for Takaka Terrane rocks. These submarine volcanic rocks, known as Mataki and Benson volcanics of the Devil River Volcanics Group, are both interbedded with Haupiri Group sediments, providing a previously not observed direct stratigraphic link between the two volcanic units. Incompatible element abundances of Mataki Volcanics display a full spectrum from subduction-modified back-arc-tholeiites to E-MORB type tholeiites. Initial Hf-Nd isotope compositions are coupled, spanning a range from MORB-like to OIB-like compositions. The MORB-like endmember (initial ϵNd +7 and ϵHf +13), taps moderately depleted asthenospheric mantle. If extrapolated to present-day composition, this depleted mantle endmember does not resemble modern Pacific-type mantle, suggesting formation in a back-arc basin separated from Pacific mantle by a continent-ward, intra-oceanic subduction zone. The enriched asthenospheric mantle endmember in the Mataki Volcanics may be an equivalent to the sources of Neoproterozic or middle Cambrian intra-continental flood basalts in central and SE-Australia.

Description: Long-term changes in the life history and behaviour of seabirds during the non-breeding season can reflect shifts in environmental conditions. However, long-term marine studies are scarce, particularly on southern hemisphere seabirds. Here, we used moult scores from 86 Brown Skuas (Stercorarius antarcticus lonnbergi), a large predatory seabird breeding on the Chatham Islands, Aotearoa/New Zealand to model both the timing and duration of primary feather moult. In addition, we analysed stable isotope values (δ13C and δ15N) from 62 modern (2014–16) and ten museum tail feathers. These data provide insights into the non-breeding behaviour of Brown Skua. Interestingly, our results show that the primary feather moult occurred prior to birds departing the colony, starting on average on 2 January ± 5 days (SE). The average start of primary feather moult occurred five days prior to the end of breeding (7 January ± 10 days (SD)) and 42 days before the birds departed the colony (13 February ± 11 days (SD)). The average duration of primary feather moult was 189 ± 14 days (SE). Importantly, low δ13C values in four females suggested that tail feather moult might also occur while skuas are at the colony. There was no difference in tail feather δ13C and δ15N values between any pairwise comparison of modern and museum years. However, values of δ15N from tail feathers sampled in 2014 were different from those sampled in 2015 and 2016. This large annual variation in δ15N values from tail feathers over such a short period makes long-term comparisons difficult to interpret, particularly between years with low sample sizes. While the stable isotope analyses of tail feathers are informative, we recommend future studies of skuas sample the primary coverts rather than tail feathers.

Description: Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) will be necessary to fulfil the hundreds of pledges to reach net-zero by 2050. As with any industry, standard methodologies and certification are crucial to guarantee successful and reliable activities. However, buyers and policymakers currently face challenges in evaluating the ecosystem of CDR certification. The issue is not with CDR, nor with individual certifications – some of which may be very robust – but with the lack of transparency in the overall ecosystem. To bring some clarity, we present a snapshot of the CDR certification and standards ecosystem for the year 2021–2022. We find a complex ecosystem with at least 30 standard developing organizations proposing at least 125 standard methodologies for carbon removal from 23 different CDR activities and selling 27 different versions of certification instruments in voluntary and compliance markets. This exercise reveals many more existing standards for nature-based than for engineering-based activities and more diversity from standards serving the voluntary rather than the compliance market. It also highlights a proliferation of standards for the same activity, and a plethora of activities without standards. The process revealed ambiguity on what constitutes carbon removal, with many standards certifying activities that remove CO2 already in the environment as well as activities that avoid or reduce new emissions by sequestering the carbon into reservoirs. This mapping highlights key gaps and potential starting points for reforms to strengthen the CDR certification industry; it also underscores the need for independent oversight.

Description: The prediction of a spatial variable is of particular importance when analyzing spatial data. The main objective of this study is to evaluate and compare the performance of several prediction-based methods in spatial prediction through a simulation study. The studied methods include ordinary Kriging (OK), along with several neural network methods including Multi-Layer Perceptron network (MLP), Ensemble Neural Networks (ENN), and Radial Basis Function (RBF) network. We simulated several spatial datasets with three different scenarios due to changes in data stationarity and isotropy. The performance of methods was evaluated using the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Concordance Correlation Coefficient (CCC) indexes. Although the results of the simulation study revealed that the performance of the neural network in spatial prediction is weaker than the Kriging method, but it can still be a good competitor for Kriging.

Description: Algae are the oldest representatives of the plant world with reserves exceeding hundreds of millions of tons in the world's oceans. Currently, a growing interest is placed toward the use of algae as feedstocks for obtaining numerous natural products. Algae are a rich source of polyphenols that possess intriguing structural diversity. Among the algal polyphenols, phlorotannins, which are unique to brown seaweeds, and have immense value as potent modulators of biochemical processes linked to chronic diseases. In algae, flavonoids remain under-explored compared to other categories of polyphenols. Both phlorotannins and flavonoids are inclusive of compounds indicating a wide structural diversity. The present paper reviews the literature on the ecological significance, biosynthesis, structural diversity, and bioactivity of seaweed phlorotannins and flavonoids. The potential implementation of these chemical entities in functional foods, cosmeceuticals, medicaments, and as templates in drug design are described in detail, and perspectives are provided to tackle what are perceived to be the most momentous challenges related to the utilization of phlorotannins and flavonoids. Moving beyond: industrial biotechnology applications, metabolic engineering, total synthesis, biomimetic synthesis, and chemical derivatization of phlorotannins and flavonoids could broaden the research perspectives contributing to the health and economic up-gradation.

Description: Wetlands physical and biological processes are fundamental to the distribution and structuring of organic matter in sediments. This study investigated spatial and temporal changes in organic matter sources in sediments within the Nylsvley Wetland, South Africa across two seasons, five sites and three wetland zones and identified pertinent contributors to sediment organic matter. Results showed distributions were uneven throughout the wetlands, with the seasonal zone having slightly high sediment organic matter in the cool-dry season and the permanent zone had high sediment organic matter in the hot-wet season, whereas the temporary zone had low SOM concentrations. Significant differences in nutrient concentrations were observed across wetland zones and seasons for Phosphorous, Potassium, Calcium and Magnesium, with the seasonal zone tending to be the most nutrient-rich in the cool-dry season, and with permanent zone nutrient levels rising substantially in the hot-wet season. Sediment δ13C differed significantly among wetland zones, whereas δ15N was statistically similar. Autochthonous plants were the main sources of organic matter in sediments overall across sites and zones. This study’s findings help to better understand the distribution of organic matter in wetland ecosystems and the role wetland zones play in the seasonal provisioning of allochthonous inputs.

Description: Glacio-eustatic cycles lead to changes in sedimentation on all types of continental margins. There is, however, a paucity of sedimentation rate data over eustatic sea-level cycles in active subduction zones. During International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 375, coring of the upper ∼110 m of the northern Hikurangi Trough Site U1520 recovered a turbidite-dominated succession deposited during the last ∼45 kyrs (Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 1–3). We present an age model integrating radiocarbon dates, tephrochronology, and δ18O stratigraphy, to evaluate the bed recurrence interval (RI) and sediment accumulation rate (SAR). Our analyses indicate mean bed RI varies from ∼322 yrs in MIS1, ∼49 yrs in MIS2, and ∼231 yrs in MIS3. Large (6-fold) and abrupt variations in SAR are recorded across MIS transitions, with rates of up to ∼10 m/kyr occurring during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), and 〈1 m/kyr during MIS1 and 3. The pronounced variability in SAR, with extremely high rates during the LGM, even for a subduction zone, are the result of changes in regional sediment supply associated with climate-driven changes in terrestrial catchment erosion, and critical thresholds of eustatic sea-level change altering the degree of sediment bypassing the continental shelf and slope via submarine canyon systems.

Description: The challenges facing European regions undergoing structural transformations as they transition towards sustainable development pathways have attracted increasing interest in recent years. Straddling the border between Germany and Poland, Lusatia is experiencing considerable transformation pressure. Various domestic and European funding programmes, for example under the umbrella of the European Green Deal, are intended to cushion the impacts of the phase-out or reduction of coal-fired power generation. The recently adopted EU Just Transition Mechanism aims to support sustainable structural transformations and the broader goal of achieving climate neutrality by mitigating impacts on the workforce and contributing to the diversification of economies in the most affected areas. Funds made available through this mechanism should be deployed in consultation with regional stakeholders in Lusatia to complement national support measures. Further funding programmes are available targeting various policy areas and could be harnessed to strengthen integration throughout the region. Funding programmes that are centrally managed by the European Commission (i.e. not under shared management with national governments) are of particular interest in this context. Closer political and economic cooperation, coupled with a deeper exchange of experience, can accelerate regional integration and guide processes of structural transformation towards sustainable outcomes. However, there are some practical hurdles to overcome in border regions. The primary objectives in using available EU funding are to mitigate the social impacts of processes of structural transformation and to deliver a just transition at all levels. Measures funded through these programmes should be aligned with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and contribute to the goal of achieving climate neutrality.

Description: Este informe se ha elaborado en el marco del proyecto STRONG High Seas, basándose en una serie de encuestas a las partes interesadas, en la opinión de expertos y estudios bibliográficos, así como en la experiencia adquirida en varios talleres celebrados en la región del Pacífico Sudeste. El informe fue revisado por expertos para validar las conclusiones y garantizar un contenido sólido. Este informe forma parte de una serie de trabajos que abarcan cuestiones de gobernanza de los océanos, centrándose en las ABNJ de las regiones del Pacífico Sudeste y del Atlántico Sudeste, y se basa en informes anteriores publicados por el proyecto STRONG High Seas. Otros informes del proyecto abarcan el marco jurídico e institucional aplicable a las ABNJ, el estado ecológico y la importancia socioeconómica de las ABNJ en las regiones de interés, las distintas opciones en cuanto a medidas de gestión y conservación para la conservación de la biodiversidad marina en las ABNJ y las consideraciones para la gestión integrada de los océanos. Estos informes están disponibles en el sitio web del proyecto STRONG High Seas. Tras este capítulo introductorio, el capítulo 2 ofrece el contexto pertinente en relación con la gobernanza de los océanos en las zonas que se encuentran fuera de la jurisdicción nacional, las negociaciones en curso para alcanzar un nuevo acuerdo en el marco de la CONVEMAR y las necesidades y enfoques de desarrollo de capacidades relacionados. El capítulo 3 presenta un breve resumen de las encuestas realizadas por el proyecto STRONG High Seas en relación con las necesidades de capacidad en la región del Pacífico Sudeste y el capítulo 4 es un resumen de los correspondientes esfuerzos de desarrollo de capacidad llevados a cabo por parte del proyecto STRONG High Seas. El capítulo 5 ofrece reflexiones y recomendaciones para futuras actividades de desarrollo de capacidades más allá del ámbito del proyecto y destaca las lecciones aprendidas a lo largo de los cinco años de este proyecto. En los Anexos se ofrece información adicional sobre los antecedentes.

Description: This report was prepared as part of the STRONG High Seas project, based on a series of stakeholder surveys and experience gathered through various workshops held in the Southeast Pacific region, as well as on literature surveys and expert opinion. The report was reviewed by experts to validate findings and ensure robust content. This report is part of a series of reports covering issues of ocean governance with a focus on the ABNJ of the Southeast Pacific and the Southeast Atlantic regions and builds on previous reports published by the STRONG High Seas project. Further project reports cover the legal and institutional framework applicable to ABNJ, the ecological state and the socioeconomic importance of ABNJ in the project regions, options for management and conservation measures for conservation of marine biodiversity in ABNJ, and considerations for integrated ocean management. These reports are available through the STRONG High Seas project website. Following this introductory chapter, Chapter 2 provides relevant context with regards to ocean governance in areas beyond national jurisdiction, the ongoing negotiations towards a new agreement under UNCLOS and related capacity development needs and approaches. Chapter 3 presents a short summary of the surveys undertaken by the STRONG High Seas project with regards to capacity needs in the Southeast Pacific region and Chapter 4 is a summary of the corresponding capacity development efforts undertaken as part of the STRONG High Seas project. Chapter 5 provides reflections and recommendations for future capacity development activities beyond the scope of the project and highlights lessons learned through the five years of this project. Additional background information is provided in the Annexes.

Description: This paper examines the recent interest in hydrogen energy among political and economic leaders in the oil and gas producing states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Although key stakeholders continue to reinforce the fossil fuel systems that have defined the region’s political economy for decades, they increasingly recognize that the hydrocarbon era is drawing to a close. This has led to an increase in various “post-oil” energy investments, which most recently include hydrogen energy. This discussion paper examines why this is the case – that is, why the GCC’s political and corporate leaders are keen on promoting hydrogen energy systems in the region. It shows that the aspiration to produce “green” hydrogen – originating in Europe and Germany in particular – is increasingly seen as a way to broadcast the region’s green credentials, while simultaneously supporting the investments in “blue” hydrogen promoted by the state-owned hydrocarbon giants in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Description: Malaysia has set ambitious targets to increase the share of renewable energy (RE) in its energy mix. In 2021, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of Malaysia (KeTSA) established an aspirational target for national installed RE capacity of 3 1% by 2025.1 This aspiration was recently reaffirmed by the National Energy Policy 2022 – 20402, which lays out a long-term plan for Malaysia’s green future. Although the country has abundant solar, biomass, and hydro resources for clean energy production, a number of barriers are slowing the energy transition. With its economy heavily reliant on fossil fuels, Malaysia risks a carbon lock-in that would perpetuate existing pathdependencies, infrastructure, technologies, institutions and behaviours that are embedded in and intertwined with the carbon economy. State revenues derive to a large extent from fossil fuels and previous reforms to support the growth of renewables have been hampered by the fact that the state is both responsible for shaping energy policy and is also the largest stakeholder in Malaysia’s highly centralised fossil-based energy system. Structural changes in both the energy system and decision-making processes are needed to support a timely transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy. Post-pandemic recovery packages and policy changes can lend critical momentum to this process if they are properly targeted. In this policy brief we identify three key opportunities for action to advance the Malaysian energy transition: Recommendation 1: Broaden the range of actors in the electricity sector Efforts to liberalise Malaysia’s highly concentrated electricity sector, increase competition, and improve market efficiency should be strengthened. Existing reform plans should be extended to the areas of transmission and distribution. Recommendation 2: Involve stakeholders in policy design processes The government should facilitate the participation of stakeholders in all stages of the policy process by formalising participation processes and establishing permanent, independent bodies to vet government decisions as well as regular forums for stakeholder dialogue. The decentralisation of decision processes should be promoted. Recommendation 3: Prioritise green growth in post-pandemic recovery programmes Recovery programmes should prioritise investment in sustainable energy infrastructure, clean technology industries, capacity-building, and research and development. Targeted social investment is needed to cushion the social impacts of decarbonisation and harness co-benefits.

Description: This report presents a framework for the systematic monitoring of the global hydrogen economy. It suggests data sources and indicators to systematically survey the most important trends and developments of a future global hydrogen economy. Monitoring based on this framework could provide an important knowledge base for the continuous review of policy measures related to the German and European hydrogen policy.

Description: Im folgenden Bericht wird ein Konzept für ein systematisches Monitoring der globalen Wasserstoffwirtschaft vorgestellt. Der Bericht stellt Datenquellen und Indikatoren zur systematischen Erfassung der wichtigsten Trends und Entwicklungen im Rahmen einer globalen Wasserstoffwirtschaft vor. Ein entsprechendes Monitoring könnte einen wichtigen Beitrag zur kontinuierlichen Überprüfung von Politikmaßnahmen im Rahmen der deutschen und europäischen Wasserstoffpolitik leisten.

Description: Marine Ökosysteme wie Mangrovenwälder, Seegraswiesen, Salzwiesen und Makroalgen sowie marine Sedimente verfügen über die Eigenschaft, Kohlenstoff in ihrer Biomasse und Sedimenten zu speichern. Durch die Rehabilitation, Wiederherstellung und den Schutz dieser Ökosysteme kann somit das Potential des Ozeans zur Aufnahme von atmosphärischem CO2 erhöht werden. Dieses Potential wurde in Vorbereitung der 15. UN-Klimakonferenz in Kopenhagen 2009 unter dem Konzept „Blue Carbon" eingeführt und wird seitdem weiter erforscht und in politischen Prozessen weiterentwickelt. Die langfristige Sequestrierung von atmosphärischem CO2 durch Blue-Carbon-Ökosysteme unterstützt Umsetzungsprozesse zur Erreichung der Ziele des Pariser Abkommens. Das über Blue-Carbon-Ökosysteme sequestrierte CO2 zählt als Teil der globalen Kohlenstoffsenke als „negative Emissionen". So erreichte negative Emissionen sollten jedoch nicht zur Umgehung von ohnehin notwendigen politischen und wirtschaftlichen Schritten in Richtung einer CO2-neutralen Zukunft führen. Die Wiederherstellung und Rehabilitation von Blue-Carbon-Ökosystemen zur Erhöhung der natürlichen Kohlenstoffsenke des Planeten sollte zusätzlich zu einer signifikanten globalen Emissionsreduktion eingesetzt werden. Diese Studie erörtert die wissenschaftlichen, ökonomischen und politischen Fortschritte im Bereich Blue Carbon und stellt mögliche politische Handlungspfade vor, die das Potential von Blue-Carbon-Ökosystemen zum Klimaschutz in, durch und mit Deutschland stärken. Für die verschiedenen Blue-Carbon-Ökosysteme wird aufgezeigt, inwiefern die Ausweitung und der Schutz dieser Ökosystemen weitere Ziele der Klimaanpassung und der nachhaltigen Entwicklung unterstützen. Aufbauend auf einer Auswertung praktischer Umsetzungsbeispiele von Blue-Carbon-Projekten und möglicher Finanzierungsmechanismen wird nachfolgend ein politischer Handlungsleitpfaden für Deutschland in Bezug auf Blue Carbon entwickelt. Die politischen Handlungsempfehlungen wurden gemeinsam mit dem Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Nukleare Sicherheit entwickelt.

Description: Marine ecosystems like mangroves forests, seagrass meadows, salt marshes and macroalgae can store carbon in their biomass and sediments. Rehabilitation, restoration and conservation of these ecosystems can increase the potential for atmospheric carbon uptake by the ocean. This concept was first introduced as ‘blue carbon’ during the preparation for the 15th UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in 2009 and since then it has seen continuous incorporation into politics and research. The long-term sequestration of atmospheric CO2 via blue carbon ecosystems supports the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement. The CO2 that is sequestered by blue carbon ecosystems is part of the global carbon sink and therefore it can be counted as ‘negative emissions’ in the global carbon stocktake. However, such negative emissions should not be implemented as a substitute for necessary political and economic measures towards a carbon neutral future. Rehabilitation and restoration of blue carbon ecosystems as a natural carbon sink is one of many measures but cannot replace the significant reduction of global emissions needed for the realisation of the global climate targets. This study discusses the scientific, economic and political realm of blue carbon. Furthermore, possible courses for political action “in”, “by”, and “through” Germany that could strengthen the potential of blue carbon ecosystems to sequester carbon are explored. The study investigates a variety of blue carbon ecosystems to determine to what extent the expansion and conservation of blue carbon ecosystems can support additional climate adaptation targets and Sustainable Development Goals. The evaluation of a multitude of implemented and ongoing blue carbon projects across the globe gives insight to best practices and possible financing mechanisms. A political guideline for Germany regarding blue carbon was developed together with the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.

Description: In diesem Beitrag wird das aktuelle Interesse der politischen und wirtschaftlichen Entscheidungsträger in den öl- und gasproduzierenden Staaten des Golf-Kooperationsrates (GCC) an der Wasserstoffenergie untersucht. Obwohl die Hauptakteure die fossilen Energieträger, die die politische Ökonomie der Region seit Jahrzehnten bestimmen, weiterhin stärken, erkennen sie zunehmend, dass sich das Zeitalter der Kohlenwasserstoffe dem Ende zuneigt. Dies hat zu einer Zunahme verschiedener "Post-Öl"-Energieinvestitionen geführt, zu denen in letzter Zeit auch Wasserstoff gehört. In diesem Diskussionspapier wird untersucht, warum dies der Fall ist, d. h. warum die politischen und unternehmerischen Spitzen des Golf-Kooperationsrates (GCC) an der Förderung von Wasserstoffenergiesystemen in der Region interessiert sind. Es wird gezeigt, dass die Bestrebungen zur Herstellung von "grünem" Wasserstoff - die ihren Ursprung in Europa und insbesondere in Deutschland haben - zunehmend als eine Möglichkeit gesehen werden, den grünen Ruf der Region zu verbreiten und gleichzeitig Investitionen in "blauen" Wasserstoff zu unterstützen, die von den staatlichen Öl- und Gasriesen in den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten (VAE) und Saudi-Arabien gefördert werden.

Description: Dieses Paper behandelt Barrieren und positive Einflussfaktoren auf persönliches und öffentliches Engagement für Klimaschutz. Der Erfolg von ambitionierter Klimaschutzpolitik hängt in Demokratien von gesellschaftlicher Zustimmung und Ownership für die unternommenen Maßnahmen ab. AktivistInnen und EntscheidungsträgerInnen müssen ihre Ideen auf eine Weise kommunizieren, die die Menschen anspricht und sie aufrüttelt. Um dabei Erfolg zu haben, muss zunächst verstanden werden, was Menschen zum Handeln motiviert und was sie daran hindert. Dieses Paper trägt zur Beantwortung dieser Fragen bei, indem es einen Überblick über Theorien der Psychologie und der Kommunikationswissenschaft über die kognitiven Tendenzen gibt, die eine logische Entscheidungsfindung behindern. Anschließend wird eine Alternative zum weitverbreiteten „Angstaufruf“ in der Klimawandelkommunikation vorgeschlagen: ein positives, chancenorientiertes Framing, das mit den Werten der Menschen im Einklang steht und das Potenzial hat, langfristiges Engagement für nachhaltige Maßnahmen anzuregen. Schließlich wird aufgezeigt, wie das sogenannte Co-benefits Framing in der Politik genutzt werden kann.

Description: Deliberative Mini-Publics (DMPs) employ randomly selected groups of citizens, who work together to develop recommendations on specific issues. In democratic practice, DMPs, which include Citizens’ Assemblies, Citizens’ Councils, Deliberative Panels, Citizens’ Jury, etc., are usually called into action by policymakers to complement representative decision-making. The following describes how DMPs work, why they are used, and what determines their success.

Description: Jordan’s energy transition has been rapid and ambitious: in 2021 renewables accounted for 26 % of electricity production in Jordan, up from less than 1 % in 2014. This massive leap forward was prompted by energy security concerns in the wake of the Arab Spring that forced the government to scramble for alternatives to Egyptian gas. Today, Jordan is a regional clean energy industry frontrunner, with over 300 PV companies and around 13 000 employees in the sector. However, recent policy decisions have stalled further progress. Auctions for new projects have been scaled back or postponed, and new ventures in excess of 1 MW were indefinitely suspended in January 2019. At the same time, changes to electricity tariff structures have dampened demand for residential PV. This loss of momentum is largely due to financial constraints on Jordan’s state-owned National Electric Power Company (NEPCO), which is caught in long-term purchasing agreements for fossil fuels that conflict with the goal of growing Jordan’s renewable energy sector and are exacerbating NEPCO’s already significant debt burden. With 20 % of public debt linked to the electricity sector, this also has ripple effects for the rest of the Jordanian economy. Increased regional cooperation will be needed to re-negotiate Jordan’s commitments to purchase fossil fuels and to expand the regional market for renewable energy, allowing Jordan to export surplus electricity and establish itself as a clean energy hub while at the same time giving neighbours the chance to sell energy elsewhere and increasing regional stability. And while Jordan’s top-down approach to energy policy was crucial to driving the rapid growth of renewables, the current risk of stalling progress makes it clear that stakeholders from different ministries as well as industry and civil society must be involved in future policy development processes to accelerate Jordan’s energy transition and shift the country from the current single-buyer model towards a more competitive market for electricity.

Description: Kenya is a climate and renewable energy frontrunner in the sub-Saharan region. The country is committed to decarbonisation and currently aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 32 % by 2030, relative to the business-as-usual scenario. Kenya has rapidly increased electrification access over the last decade thanks to a strong on- and off-grid renewable energy sector. Electricity from renewable sources covered 88 % of total domestic demand in 2020. The bulk of this is generated using geothermal energy, followed by hydro and wind power. These are complemented by a growing solar PV sector. Despite this laudable progress and the introduction of policies to foster renewables, the energy sector still faces significant challenges, including a lack of universal access, affordability issues and limitations in the transmission and distribution network. These circumstances result in a capacity surplus of generated electricity that cannot be absorbed by demand. Recent discoveries of oil and gas reserves risk derailing efforts to decarbonise the energy sector unless the Kenyan government strengthens its current course. This policy brief identifies three key areas for action to enhance energy security and continue on a sustainable energy path: Recommendation 1: Improve the quality of the grid Kenya should bolster its digitalisation efforts, support the adoption of new technologies, invest in research to reduce inefficiencies, foster regional integration to increase connectivity, and implement demand scheduling mechanisms to harness the advantages of different energy sources. These efforts should be flanked by an update of the national grid code. Recommendation 2: Liberalise the electricity market The procurement process needs to remain competitive and based on least cost criteria. Net metering programmes and renewables auctions should be implemented in order to attract more players and investment. Improved regulations about public-private partnerships and power purchase agreements will be needed to remove bottlenecks for market entry and establish an equal playing field. These measures should be accompanied by open consultations to ensure public participation and improve the investment climate. Recommendation 3: Promote decentralised energy supply options Decentralised renewable energy generation should be promoted to ensure that off-grid consumers can access affordable, reliable, and secure energy. Kenya should enhance sustainable financing structures and improve tax incentives for technology development and distribution of decentralised energy options. Capacity building efforts should target local communities, domestic companies, and government agencies to facilitate the maintenance and administration of off-grid systems and increase their sustainability.

Description: Integrated ocean management (IOM) is an adaptive approach to managing human activities in the ocean, which is rooted in the ecosystem approach. It requires all dimensions of ocean space to be considered – physical, oceanographic, climatic, biological, social, economic spheres – and includes spatial and temporal dynamics of the system. It aims to create a framework for a sustainable ocean economy. To achieve this ambitious aim, management processes need to be integrated across governance, stakeholders, knowledge, system-dynamics, and be trans- boundary, which will form the ‘pillars’ for effective integration. Key features of the proposed integrated approach to ocean management call for enhanced collaboration, knowledge sharing, transparency, coordination, and communication. Community views and values, and scientific, traditional, and local knowledge play key roles in defining the design and operationalization of the above-mentioned pillars. The IOM approach has yet to be applied to ABNJ but is commonly applied to coastal waters. IOM will be increasingly important in ABNJ for addressing the rising challenges of achieving conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity. This report therefore aims to provide an overview on the application of IOM in the context of the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in ABNJ, particularly within the Southeast Atlantic and Southeast Pacific regions. It particularly aims at promoting IOM for ABNJ across sectors and ecological dimensions by considering the application of enabling conditions to achieve cooperation and collaboration between the various actors working in or affecting ABNJ. This report summarises the current challenges facing management of ABNJ, identifies opportunities to implement IOM across boundaries and provides recommendations for moving forward on this urgent priority, guided by the Sustainable Development Goals. Addressing IOM in ABNJ is particularly relevant at this point in time as States are negotiating a new legally binding instrument for the protection and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in ABNJ (referred to in this report as the BBNJ Agreement). Therefore, an opportunity exists for States to embed provisions that will allow IOM to be fully operational in the framework of the BBNJ Agreement upon its adoption and ratification. This report covers the concepts of IOM, its pillars, the importance of IOM for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in ABNJ and the opportunities for strengthening IOM for BBNJ conservation in both STRONG High Seas project focal regions: the Southeast Atlantic and the Southeast Pacific. After analysing opportunities in these two regions, this report highlights some clear pathways by which this integrated approach can significantly support the conservation of biodiversity in ABNJ. Selected recommendations from this report are included below. For a more thorough set of possible actions and decisions that could be adopted by a range of actors to improve IOM, see Table 2 in Chapter 3.

Description: In einem Bürgerrat erarbeitet eine heterogen zusammengesetzte und zufällig ausgewählte Gruppe von Bürgerinnen und Bürgern Empfehlungen zu einer bestimmten Fragestellung. Bürgerräte werden meist von politischen Entscheidungsträgerinnen und -trägern eingesetzt und stellen eine Ergänzung zu repräsentativen Entscheidungen dar. Im Folgenden wird dargestellt, wie Bürgerräte ablaufen, warum sie zum Einsatz kommen und was gelungene Bürgerräte ausmacht.

Description: This study is part of my research project on "Subnational Climate Governance Policies in the Brazilian Amazon – challenges and opportunities of cross border transformative co-creation", carried out at the IASS Potsdam. To acess my article, access https://www.iass-potsdam.de/en/output/publications/2021/subnational-climate-policiesbrazils- legal-amazon-glance.

Description: This COBENEFITS report gives an overview of enabling policies that have high potential to make fair use of the maximum potential of co-benefit opportunities that can be unlocked by following the pathway of a high share of renewable energies in the power sector. They are presented according to the different COBENEFITS categories. Enabling policies for renewable energy (RE) cobenefits and their specification and implementation are highly context-specific. They need to take into account the context of the country or region they are planned for, and need to be tailored to remove specific barriers preventing communities from unlocking them. Therefore, each enabling policy option presented in this report is accompanied by a short summary of an initial situation that they might solve or improve.

Description: This report contributes to the modelling work in SENTINEL and beyond in three main ways. First, we provide three social storylines that are closely linked to different governance logics and build on observed social and political drivers and barriers in the European energy transition. This is different than most other storylines used for modelling, because ours are based on governance patterns and normative assumptions of a “good future”, and not on the more commonly used geopolitical or techno-economic storyline assumptions. Second, we provide quantitative, empirical data for several important social/political parameters that can be used together with the storylines or as separate building blocks to answer specific research questions with energy models. Third, to test the usefulness of QTDIAN, we have soft-linked QTDIAN with the energy demand models DESSTINEE, HEB and DREEM, the energy system design model Euro-Calliope, and indirectly with the economic model WEGDYN. Based on feedback from the modelling exercises, we have revised QTDIAN and publish now this updated report 2.0 to improve its usefulness for a more realistic analysis of potential future energy systems.

Description: In dieser qualitativen Analyse dreier kommunaler Planungsprozesse wird das in Norderstedt entstehende Quartier „Grüne Heyde“ mit dem etwa gleichzeitig entstehenden Hamburger Stadtteil „Oberbillwerder“ sowie der lang zurückliegenden Planung des „Rotbäumlesfeldes“ in Ludwigsburg verglichen. In allen drei Fällen wurden besondere Ansprüche an die Nachhaltigkeit der Planungen gestellt und jeweils in unterschiedlichem Grade realisiert und durchgehalten. Die Studie arbeitet heraus, dass insbesondere der Zugriff auf verwaltungsexterne Kompetenzen, die explizite Heraushebung der Vorhaben als „Modelle“, der Bezug auf gesamtstädtisch-strategische Ziele sowie der Mut, beim Projektmanagement strukturell zu experimentieren, in einigen der Fälle zu einem ‚Mehr‘ an Nachhaltigkeit beitrugen bzw. dass diese Faktoren dort, wo sie fehlten, zu Risiken in der Planung führten. Eine strategisch durchdachte Bodenpolitik bildet einen weiteren Einflussfaktor, der sich aufgrund der Fallstudien solide bejahen lässt, während Öffentlichkeitskommunikation und -beteiligung in ihrer Auswirkung auf die städtebaulichen Qualitäten schwerer zu beurteilen sind. Der Studie separat zugeordnet ist ein Einleger mit Handlungsempfehlungen an kommunale Verwaltungen.

Description: In this qualitative analysis of three municipal planning processes, the housing project “Grüne Heyde” in Norderstedt is compared with projects in Hamburg (“Oberbillwerder”) and Ludwigsburg (“Rotbäumlesfeld”). The former two are still being developed whereas the third was planned quite some time ago. In all three cases, special demands were made for sustainable planning which were carried out and maintained to different degrees. The study shows that especially making use of competencies external to public administration, the fact that the projects are explicitly called “models”, the reference to strategic goals for the city as a whole, and the courage to experiment structurally in project management contributed to “more” sustainability in some of the cases. On the other hand, these factors led to risks in planning where they were lacking. A strategically though-out land policy is another influential factor that can be solidly affirmed on the basis of the case studies; however, public communication and participation are more difficult to assess in terms of their impact on urban development qualities. The study is accompanied by an insert with recommendations for action for municipal administrations.

Description: Cette analyse qualitative de trois processus de planification communaux compare le quartier “Grüne Heyde” en cours de réalisation à Norderstedt avec le quartier “Oberbillwerder” à Hambourg, qui a vu le jour à peu près au même moment, ainsi que la planification du “Rotbäumlesfeld” à Ludwigsburg, qui remonte à plus longtemps. Dans les trois cas, des exigences particulières ont été posées à la durabilité des planifications, qui ont été réalisées et maintenues à des degrés divers. L'étude montre que le recours à des compétences externes à l'administration, la mise en avant explicite des projets en tant que “modèles”, la référence à des objectifs stratégiques pour l'ensemble de la ville ainsi que le courage d'expérimenter des structures de gestion de projet ont contribué dans certains cas à un “plus” en matière de durabilité ou que ces facteurs ont entraîné des risques dans la planification lorsqu'ils faisaient défaut. Une politique foncière stratégiquement réfléchie constitue un autre facteur d’une influence positive sur la durabilité de ces études de cas, tandis que la communication et la participation du public sont plus difficiles à évaluer dans leur impact sur les qualités urbanistiques. L'étude est accompagnée d'un encart contenant des recommandations d'action pour les administrations communales.

Description: Este informe – Estudio sobre medidas para apoyar esfuerzos de conservación en áreas fuera de la jurisdicción nacional en la región del Pacífico Sudeste – pretende proporcionar recomendaciones para la conservación y uso sostenible de la biodiversidad marina en áreas fuera de la jurisdicción nacional (ABNJ, por sus siglas en inglés) en la región del Pacífico Sudeste. Estas recomendaciones incluyen consideraciones para establecer nuevas medidas de conservación y manejo y expandir o mejorar en la región otras medidas existentes; así como el uso de herramientas que apoyan el desarrollo de medidas de conservación. Este informe ha sido elaborado por investigadores del proyecto STRONG High Seas a partir de una revisión bibliográfica de artículos académicos, análisis de datos, conocimientos de las partes interesadas y experiencias recogidas en talleres de expertos celebrados en la región de interés del proyecto en 2021. La información presentada aquí pretende apoyar a tomadores de decisiones, incluyendo funcionarios de los gobiernos, el sector privado y otras partes interesadas que trabajen en el tema de la gobernanza oceánica en ABNJ y que participen o tengan interés en el actual desarrollo de la Conferencia Intergubernamental sobre un instrumento internacional jurídicamente vinculante en el marco de la Convención de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Derecho del Mar (CONVEMAR) relativo a la conservación y el uso sostenible de la diversidad biológica marina de las áreas fuera de la jurisdicción nacional (BBNJ, por sus siglas en inglés). Este informe hace parte de una serie de informes publicados por el proyecto STRONG High Seas [Strengthening Regional Ocean Governance for the High Seas (June 2017 – May 2022)], que cubren aspectos de la gobernanza de los océanos con un foco geográfico en la región del Pacífico Sudeste (y el Atlántico Sudeste).

Description: This report was prepared as part of the STRONG High Seas project, based on a series of stakeholder surveys and experience gathered through various workshops held in the Southeast Atlantic region, as well as on literature surveys and expert opinion. The report was reviewed by multiple experts to validate findings and ensure robust content. This report is part of a series of reports covering issues of ocean governance with a focus on the ABNJ of the Southeast Pacific and the Southeast Atlantic regions and builds on previous reports published by the STRONG High Seas project. Further project reports cover the legal and institutional framework applicable to ABNJ, the ecological state and the socioeconomic importance of ABNJ in the project regions, options for management and conservation measures for conservation of marine biodiversity in ABNJ, and considerations for integrated ocean management. These reports are available through the STRONG High Seas project website.

Description: Ernährung ist zentral für die sozial-ökologische Transformation und dabei ein für Bürger:innen zugängliches Alltagsthema. Einige Städte und Gemeinden in Deutschland und Frankreich haben das Potenzial einer innovativen lokalen Politik für nachhaltige Ernährung erkannt und spannende Ansätze entwickelt und erprobt. Dabei stoßen sie jedoch auf strukturelle Barrieren, die nicht auf der kommunalen Ebene zu beseitigen sind. Das Deutsch-Französische Zukunftswerk hat zu den Chancen und Hemmnissen lokaler Ernährungswenden recherchiert und engagierte Kommunen beider Länder miteinander in Austausch gebracht. Gemeinsam mit Expert:innen aus der Wissenschaft, Verwaltung und Zivilgesellschaft hat es darüber hinaus die Handlungsempfehlung „Entwicklung lokaler und nachhaltiger Ernährungssysteme priorisieren“ mit fünf Aktionsvorschlägen an die nationalen Regierungen entwickelt. Diese Studie versteht sich als Hintergrundpapier zur Handlungsempfehlung. Anhand des konkreten Beispiels von Mouans-Sartoux und anderen Kommunen beschreibt es die Potenziale einer nachhaltigen kommunalen Ernährungspolitik und liefert – aus der konkreten lokalen Praxis heraus – das Hintergrundwissen für jeden der fünf Aktionsvorschläge.

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: Die lokale Zusammenarbeit von organisierter Zivilgesellschaft und öffentlicher Hand gewinnt zunehmend an Bedeutung: in lokalen Transformationsprojekten, in der Wissenschaft und vereinzelt auch in Politik und Verwaltung. Commons-Public Partnerships (CPPs) bieten eine Möglichkeit, diese Zusammenarbeit zu rahmen, zu fördern und auszuweiten. Auf Seite der Zivilgesellschaft zeichnen sich CCPs durch die Praxis des Commoning aus, also gemeinschafts- wie gemeinwohlorientierte Praktiken der lokalen Selbstorganisation. Im vorliegenden Diskussionspapier wird sowohl das Commoning als auch die Form der Kooperation konzeptuell und in der Praxis verortet. Mit einem Fokus auf die Herausforderungen der sozialökologischen Transformation werden Potenzialfelder für den Einsatz von CPPs identifiziert. Darüber hinaus werden konzeptuelle Spannungsfelder beleuchtet.

Description: Measures to support conservation efforts must put the protection of biodiversity and/or ecological integrity as the primary objective and consider cumulative pressures on the marine environment. This also means including ecological connectivity (e.g., migratory routes of marine species, transboundary impacts of human activities), and climate change impacts in their design and implementation. Moreover, the complexity and dynamic nature of the ocean, including in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ), requires that conservation efforts acknowledge uncertainty, include options to address it or adapt swiftly to new scientific information, and consider the three-dimensional space of the ocean. This also requires that the best available interdisciplinary scientific and indigenous knowledge provide the basis for the design and implementation of such measures. It will be essential that measures to support conservation efforts apply mechanisms for cross-sectoral consultation, cooperation, and collaboration, as well as consider appropriate spatial and temporal scales for implementation. They must reflect broad societal goals and consider uneven distribution of socio-economic outcomes resulting from exploitative activities in ABNJ. Governance and management actions must recognise coupled and diverse social-ecological systems, and the interconnection between ocean health and human wellbeing, including diverse stakeholder considerations in the design and implementation of the measure or approach. It is essential that the design and implementation of measures to support conservation efforts include appropriate means to ensure the regular monitoring, control, and surveillance of human activities as well as the compliance and enforcement of the laws and regulations in place. States are familiar with legal instruments, such as those under the United Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), International Maritime Organisation (IMO) conventions, International Seabed Authority (ISA), and management measures adopted by the Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs). They have developed governance structures and capacity to support their implementation. The recommendation in this context would be for States to support the consolidation and further development of measures to support conservation efforts with the aim to ensure that they integrate their approach with considerations for ecological connectivity, biodiversity protection, ecosystem-based integrated ocean management and climate change implications for the conservation and management of biodiversity in ABNJ. To be effective, any measures to support conservation efforts proposed for ABNJ in the Southeast Atlantic region must consider the socio-economic and political realities of the countries whose Exclusive Economic Zones border these areas. In this sense, it is important to note the important role that the fishing sector has historically played and continues to play for most economies of this region. The proposed Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Instrument in negotiation at the United Nations, will be fundamental for establishing the legal basis for developing and implementing cross-sectoral measures to support conservation efforts in ABNJ. The way in which the proposed BBNJ Instrument is integrated and how the link to existing conservation and sustainable use measures established under existing management organisations is made will determine the effectiveness of the possible measures to support current and future conservation efforts. In this regard, it is particularly important for the Southeast Atlantic region how existing RFMOs will be able to interact with the proposed BBNJ Instrument. Considering the capacity (technological, experience, financial, logistical) challenges of many of the countries in the Southeast Atlantic, it is important that measures to support conservation efforts under existing international treaties or legal mechanisms be integrated, practical, and cost-effective. The different legal status of the water column and the deep seabed beyond national jurisdiction and the different legal provisions in place represent a challenge for the development of a coherent, comprehensive, and integrated approach to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in ABNJ. Lack of uniformity in compliance among flag States and the lack of monitoring and enforcement mechanisms in ABNJ jeopardise the achievement of an integrated approach for conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in these vast areas of ocean. The wide array of existing instruments can be used to improve conservation of biodiversity in ABNJ through improved monitoring and enforced compliance. This remains the responsibility of individual flag States, but at present there is limited reporting of vessels and minimum follow up action by flag or port States.

Description: The STRONG High Seas project has published a guidance document to support the implementation of the international legally binding instrument for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) that is being negotiated under the United Nations. This work is framed in the context of achieving spatial conservation measures but draws on examples from other biodiversity conservation efforts and offers guidance for achieving binding measures for any matter, in any regional fisheries management organisation (RFMO). Aspirations for achieving biodiversity conservation using enforceable, area-based management tools (ABMTs) in an RFMO will require dedicated action if they are to move from aspirations to actuality. Getting legally binding measures for areas beyond national jurisdiction approved and enforced in an RFMO is a complex, multi-stage process. The guidance document offers insights and strategic considerations on how to achieve biodiversity conservation outcomes in an RFMO and have such measures adopted (i.e. made legally binding). It is a distillation of personal experiences including successes, failures, and insights into some of the more arcane aspects of RFMOs’ functioning, derived from the authors’ participation in dozens of meetings at many RFMOs.

Description: In April 2021, under the “IMPACT R” project, IASS Potsdam and HEDERA Sustainable Solutions GmbH in Berlin, together with University of Rwanda and Sustainable Villages Foundation (SVF), conducted a household survey in two villages in Rwanda. SVF has started an integrated village development pilot project in those two villages and wanted to better understand the local populations’ needs and establish a baseline for impact measurement, in order to track the project’s progress over time. In parallel, focus group discussions and key stakeholder interviews were carried out. The main results are as follows: Over 80 % of households get their main income from agriculture, largely on small plots. Two-thirds of the households have USD 45 or less to spend on a 5-person family, on average. There is no public electricity grid. Half of the households have access to very basic electricity through solar systems; the other half has none at all. Over 90 % of households use wood and open fire pits or handmade clay stoves for cooking, mostly indoors, causing deforestation and health problems because of the smoke. There is no public or private drinking water supply. Villagers collect rainwater and/or surface water, which has to be carried over several kilometers by adults and children. The water is dirty and not treated before drinking in one-third of households, which triggers diseases. Only 26 % of households are classified as food-secure, whereas 15.5 % are above the severe food insecurity threshold. A significant percentage of the inhabitants does not eat a balanced diet due to lack of resources. The local community especially emphasized the need for: Priority 1: Safe drinking water Priority 2: Electricity Priority 3: Clean cooking devices Another severe challenge is poverty in general. There is a shortage of food in terms of quantity and quality for a significant portion of the population. This is caused by households’ limited financial capacity and insufficient agricultural yield due to the absence of water for irrigation and inefficient agricultural techniques. Furthermore, teacher qualification in English and information technology (IT) is not satisfactory, and the primary school has no electricity in most of the classrooms and no computers. Professional training options are only offered far away from the villages and are very costly. New business development is hindered by the lack of electricity. The target communities seek for support to address all the above challenges and are willing to contribute their part.

Description: Deep-seabed mining in the Area is regulated by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) which is mandated to act on behalf of humankind as a whole. Consistent with international environmental law and human rights norms, in its decision making the ISA is expected to engage with its broad constituency. Using ten assessment criteria, this paper analyses the extent to which the ISA has facilitated public participation to date. This paper finds that, while the ISA has increased outreach activities, significant scope for improvement remains. Several ways to improve public participation at the ISA are identified, including (1) proactive consultation with a wider reach, including stakeholders that are hitherto not engaged; (2) mechanisms to ensure stakeholder consultations and submissions are given due consideration, and that the rationale for decisions are publicly communicated; and (3) enhanced public engagement in the implementation of decisions.

Description: La gestión integrada de los océanos (GIO) es un enfoque adaptativo de la gestión de las actividades humanas en el océano, que tiene sus raíces en el enfoque ecosistémico. Requiere la consideración de todas las dimensiones del espacio oceánico – esferas física, oceanográfica, climática, biológica, social y económica – e incluye la dinámica espacial y temporal del sistema. Su objetivo es crear un marco para una economía oceánica sostenible. Para lograr este ambicioso objetivo, los procesos de gestión deben integrarse entre la gobernanza, las partes interesadas, los conocimientos, la dinámica del sistema y ser transfronterizos, lo que constituirá los "pilares" para una integración eficaz. Las características clave del enfoque integrado propuesto para la gestión de los océanos exigen una mayor colaboración, intercambio de conocimientos, transparencia, coordinación y comunicación. Los puntos de vista y valores de la comunidad, así como los conocimientos científicos, tradicionales y locales, desempeñan un papel fundamental en la definición y puesta en marcha de los pilares mencionados. El enfoque de la GIO aún no se ha aplicado a las ABNJ, pero sí a las aguas costeras. La GIO será cada vez más importante en las ABNJ para hacer frente a los crecientes desafíos de lograr la conservación y el uso sostenible de la biodiversidad marina. Por ello, este informe pretende ofrecer una visión general de la aplicación de la GIO en el contexto de la conservación y el uso sostenible de la biodiversidad marina en las ABNJ, especialmente en las regiones del Atlántico Sudeste y del Pacífico Sudeste. En particular, pretende promover la GIO para las ABNJ en todos los sectores y dimensiones ecológicas, considerando la aplicación de condiciones propicias para lograr la cooperación y la colaboración entre los diversos actores que trabajan en las ABNJ o que las afectan. Este informe resume Resumen ejecutivo los retos actuales a los que se enfrenta la gestión de las ABNJ, identifica las oportunidades para aplicar la GIO a través de las fronteras y ofrece recomendaciones para avanzar en esta prioridad urgente, guiada por los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible. Abordar la GIO en las ABNJ es especialmente pertinente en este momento, ya que los Estados están negociando un nuevo instrumento jurídicamente vinculante para la conservación y el uso sostenible de la biodiversidad marina en las ABNJ (denominado en este informe Acuerdo BBNJ). Por lo tanto, existe la oportunidad de que los Estados incorporen disposiciones que permitan que el mecanismo sea plenamente operativo en el marco del Acuerdo BBNJ una vez que éste sea adoptado y ratificado. Este informe abarca los conceptos de la GIO, sus pilares, la importancia de la GIO para la conservación y el uso sostenible de la biodiversidad marina en las ABNJ y las oportunidades de reforzar la GIO para la conservación de la BBNJ en las dos regiones focales del proyecto STRONG High Seas: el Atlántico Sudeste y el Pacífico Sudeste. Tras analizar las oportunidades en estas dos regiones, este informe destaca algunas vías claras por las que este enfoque integrado puede apoyar significativamente la conservación de la biodiversidad en ABNJ. A continuación, se incluyen algunas recomendaciones de este informe. Para un conjunto más completo de posibles acciones y decisiones que podrían adoptar una serie de actores para mejorar la GIO, véase Table 2 en el capítulo 3.

Description: The high volume of plastic packaging currently consumed in Germany poses a complex socio-ecological risk. As part of the BMBF-funded ENSURE research consortium, environmental psychologists at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam have studied various policy options to promote a reduction in individual consumption of plastic food packaging. A representative nationwide survey of 1,200 persons conducted by the researchers shows that 92 per cent of the interviewed consumers consider plastic waste in the environment a threat to the preservation of our natural resources and the foundations of life. Despite this widespread awareness, the consumption of plastic packaging continues to grow: In 2018, Germany generated over three million tonnes of plastic packaging waste; more than double the amount produced in 1997. The findings of the ENSURE project indicate that consumers are willing and indeed wish to reduce their consumption of plastic packaging; however, they are hindered by personal and structural barriers. Political action is needed to break down these barriers to change and support consumers in their efforts. This IASS Policy Brief presents three strategic policy recommendations that could help reduce the consumption of packaging in daily life. Following an outline of the broader context and key issues, these three recommendations are explained in detail. In conclusion, we highlight the need for a systemic approach to the reduction of plastic packaging.

Description: This report aims to showcase and assess the participative multi-stakeholder approach used in the STRONG High Seas project to co-develop and co-design activities and outputs such as scientific assessments and capacity development programs. In particular, the report provides reflections from the project team on the numerous lessons learned during the project duration on participative multi-stakeholder approaches in transdisciplinary ocean governance research, such as designing and implementing effective engagement strategies, designing targeted capacity development programmes, and fostering co-creative research processes for supporting decision-making and achieving policy impact. The reflections on and recommendations for participative multi-stakeholder approaches within transdisciplinary ocean governance research gained through the course of the STRONG High Seas project can be found in Chapter 3.

Description: The STRONG High Seas project has published a Glossary of Ocean Governance Terms to provide decision-makers and other stakeholders, including the private sector, scientific communities, civil society, and traditional communities, with a reference lexicon on ocean governance related terms to facilitate understanding when engaging in negotiations and implementation of international and national policies and regulations. As in most areas of knowledge or activity, the field of ocean governance is associated with specialized terminology, or jargon. The use of specific terms is essential for clear communication, particularly among peers, but also to a wider audience. However, as one area becomes more specialized and consequently the use of jargons increases, the challenge for comprehensible communication also grows. A shared understanding of terms by stakeholders engaging in policy instruments is particularly critical. Texts of policy instruments and of decisions (or similar documents, such as Resolutions or measures) under these instruments are, in some cases, legally-binding, which makes States Parties generally abide by them. The same word could have different meaning to different audiences and at different times. Having a common understanding of a term will, therefore, ease communication and, ultimately, help decision-makers achieve agreement in a political context.

Description: La gestion intégrée des océans (GIO) est une approche adaptative de la gestion des activités humaines dans l'océan, qui est ancrée dans l'approche écosystémique. Elle nécessite la prise en compte de toutes les dimensions de l'espace océanique – sphères physique, océanographique, climatique, biologique, sociale, économique – et inclut la dynamique spatiale et temporelle du système. Elle vise à créer un cadre pour une économie océanique durable. Pour atteindre cet objectif ambitieux, les processus de gestion doivent être intégrés dans la gouvernance, les parties prenantes, les connaissances, la dynamique du système et être transfrontaliers, ce qui constituera les "piliers" d'une intégration efficace. Les principales caractéristiques de l'approche intégrée proposée pour la gestion des océans exigent une collaboration accrue, le partage des connaissances, la transparence, la coordination et la communication. Les points de vue et les valeurs des communautés, ainsi que les connaissances scientifiques, traditionnelles et locales, jouent un rôle clé dans la definition de la conception et de l'opérationnalisation des piliers susmentionnés. L'approche de la GIO n'a pas encore été appliquée aux zones situées au-delà des limites de la juridiction nationale, mais elle est couramment appliquée aux eaux côtières. La GIO sera de plus en plus importante dans les ZAJN pour relever les défis croissants de la conservation et de l'utilisation durable de la biodiversité marine. Ce rapport vise donc à donner un aperçu de l'application de la GIO dans le contexte de la conservation et de l'utilisation durable de la biodiversité marine dans les ZAJN, en particulier dans les régions de l'Atlantique du Sud-Est et du Pacifique du Sud-Est. Il vise en particulier à promouvoir l'application de la GIO pour les ZAJN à travers les secteurs et les dimensions écologiques en envisageant l'application de conditions favorables pour parvenir à une coopération et une collaboration entre les différents acteurs travaillant dans les ZAJN ou les affectant. Ce rapport résume les défis actuels auxquels est confrontée la gestion des ZAJN, identifie les opportunités de mise en œuvre de la GIO à travers les frontières et fournit des recommandations pour aller de l'avant sur cette priorité urgente, guidée par les objectifs de développement durable. La question de la GIO dans les ZAJN est particulièrement pertinente à l'heure actuelle, car les Etats négocient actuellement un nouvel instrument juridiquement contraignant pour la protection et l'utilisation durable de la biodiversité marine dans les ZAJN (appelé dans le présent rapport l'Accord BZAJN). Les États ont donc la possibilité d'intégrer des dispositions qui permettront à la GIO d'être pleinement opérationnelle dans le cadre de l'Accord BZAJN dès son adoption et sa ratification. Ce rapport couvre les concepts de la GIO, ses piliers, l'importance de la GIO pour la conservation et l'utilisation durable de la biodiversité marine dans les ZAJN et les opportunités de renforcement de la GIO pour la conservation des ZAJN dans les deux régions focales du projet STRONG High Seas: l'Atlantique du Sud-Est et le Pacifique du Sud-Est. Après avoir analysé les opportunités dans ces deux régions, ce rapport met en évidence certaines voies claires par lesquelles cette approche intégrée peut soutenir de manière significative la conservation de la biodiversité dans les ZAJN. Les recommandations sélectionnées dans ce rapport sont incluses ci-dessous. Pour un ensemble plus complet d'actions et de décisions possibles qui pourraient être adoptées par une série d'acteurs pour améliorer la GIO, voir Table 2 au chapitre 3.

Description: In the last years, the concept of tipping points received increasing recognition in social science and rose on the political agenda. Identifying tipping points would allow researchers to identify the point in time in which a transition happens, and to understand the processes of overcoming lock-in mechanisms and trigger deliberate tipping an existing system into a qualitatively new state. Because tipping points bring about rapid systemic change, it is desirable to further understand how tipping points may be triggered to accelerate the transformation of social and economic systems. There is little doubt that tipping points exist in both social and socio-technical systems because we can observe that systems and societies are fundamentally different today than they were in the past. However, despite a growing body of literature, there remain many open questions how to conceptualise and ultimately operationalize social tipping points. This also stems from a lack of empirical studies and insights observing tipping points in social contexts. In the Tipping.Plus project we addressed this gap with a literature review and empirical case studies investigating tipping dynamics from a public policy and governance perspective. In the literature review we explored definitions, characteristics, and the application of the concept and notion of tipping points in political and governance theories and contexts. In the second step, we conducted an empirical study investigating the socio-economic transition processes of the two German neigbouring cities Essen and Duisburg, which have both phased out their coal industries, as part of the wider structural change in the Ruhr Region. We focused on (political) interventions and their effects on the cities’ development trajectories in the last 30+ years to identify differences in outcome as a function of policy interventions and/or contextual differences. Apart from identifying the key development drivers, we investigate whether either city crossed a tipping point in their transition process (yet), away from coal towards a low carbon but still prosperous future (Mey and Lilliestam 2022). In the following we synthesise the findings of this work and our observations and experiences in order to contribute to the overall Tipping.Plus Integration Framework and Social Theory on social tipping points in energy transitions.

Description: In this paper, we investigate the socio-economic transition processes of Essen and Duisburg as part of the wider structural change in the Ruhr Region. In the two case studies, we explore causes and effects of the cities’ development trajectories in the last 30+ years, seeking to identify differences in outcome as a function of the interventions and/or contextual differences. We analyse events, interventions and their impacts on the social and economic systems of the two cities across time. Apart from identifying the key development drivers, we investigate whether either city crossed a tipping point in their transition process (yet), away from coal towards a low-carbon but still prosperous future. Therefore, we specifically evaluate the cities’ development trajectories by seeking evidence for “no”, “incremental” or “radical” changes in a set of indicators. Here, we have taken a long temporal perspective, because trajectories of and trajectory changes in social systems are specifically visible in demographic dynamics, economic structures and political arrangements across time.

Description: Research undertaken in Task 2.2 identified a range of governance challenges to ocean-based NETs related to the global ocean governance framework, e.g., linked to the transboundary nature of the ocean, potential effects of ocean-based NETs on the ocean’s condition and marine ecosystem services, as well as the many unknowns and uncertainties linked to NET-deployment. The fragmented approaches and frameworks in place to govern the global ocean further complicate comprehensive governance of these emerging technologies. This deliverable presents results from a workshop that explored how ocean-based NETs should be governed to best confront these challenges and integrate international climate targets as well as global goals for ocean and biodiversity conservation, in addition to global ambitions towards sustainable development. The workshop is part of research undertaken by Task 2.2 to assess how ocean-based NETs are addressed by the current global ocean governance framework and develop governance scenarios and recommendations to policy makers for a “good governance” of NETs in the ocean.

Description: Die diesen Handlungsempfehlungen zu Grunde liegende Studie „Mehr Nachhaltigkeit im Quartier erzielen – Erfolgsfaktoren aus drei kommunalen Planungsprozessen“ (DOI: 10.48481/iass.2022.032) des Instituts für transformative Nachhaltigkeitsforschung (IASS) ging der folgenden Frage nach: Wie gelingt es Kommunen, Quartiere mit einem hohem Nachhaltigkeitsanspruch zu planen, ohne die Qualitäten im Prozess zu verlieren?

Description: Die Arktis erwärmt sich substanziell schneller als der globale Durchschnitt. Der rasche Temperatur-anstieg verändert die Arktis bereits tiefgreifend - und wird dies auch weiterhin tun - mit noch unbekannten Folgen für die Region und die ganze Welt. Gleichzeitig mit dem Rückgang des Meereises und der sich verändernden Verteilung der lebenden Meeresressourcen hat eine Zunahme des wirtschaftlichen Interesses an der Region zu Bedenken hinsichtlich der Nachhaltigkeit der wirtschaftlichen Aktivitäten in der Arktis geführt. Um Wege zu finden, wie der Schutz und die nachhaltige Nutzung der arktischen Meeresumwelt gewährleistet werden können, ist ein umfassendes Verständnis der Meeresumwelt, der sie beeinflussenden Belastungen und der relevanten Regulierungen und Managementmaßnahmen erforderlich. DasEcologic Institut und das Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies haben sich zum Ziel gesetzt, durch eine Reihe von Berichten zum Meeresschutz in der Arktis einen Überblick über die relevantenInformationen zu geben. Die Berichte konzentrieren sich auf die fünf arktischen Anrainerstaaten: Kanada, Dänemark (durch Grönland), Norwegen, die Russische Föderation und die Vereinigten Staaten.Darüber hinaus gibt ein regionaler Bericht einen umfassenden Überblick und fasst die einschlägigen internationalen und regionalen Vorschriften zusammen. Der vorliegende Bericht gibt einen Überblick über Informationen, die für den Meeresschutz in der Arktis relevant sind. Der Bericht deckt vier Hauptthemen ab: Er beginnt mit der Beschreibung der wichtigsten Merkmale der arktischen Meeresumwelt. Anschließend werden wesentliche Belastungen untersucht, die sich auf die marine Biodiversität in der Region auswirken, gefolgt von einer Untersuchung der soziokulturellen und wirtschaftlichen Rolle sowie der Umweltauswirkungen der wichtigsten meeresbezogenen menschlichen Aktivitäten in der Arktis. Der letzte Teil des Berichts gibt einen Überblick über die relevanten internationalen und regionalen Vereinbarungen und Rahmenwerke sowie über Regulierungen, Vorschriften und Instrumente, die zum Schutz der arktischen Meeresbiodiversität und zur Gewährleistung ihrer nachhaltigen Nutzung eingesetzt werden oder eingesetzt werden könnten. Hinweis: Die in diesem Bericht präsentierten Informationen wurden hauptsächlich während der weltweiten Covid-19-Pandemie und vor dem russischen Einmarsch in die Ukraine im Jahr 2022 zusammengetragen. Die (weiteren) politischen und wirtschaftlichen Auswirkungen dieser Ereignisse und dies ich daraus ergebenden Veränderungen in der Arktis-Governance sind zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt nichtabsehbar, und es ist zu erwarten, dass sich einige der in diesem Bericht dargestellten Entwicklungen und Trends erheblich ändern werden. Die Kernbotschaften des Berichts finden sich unter der folgenden englischen Zusammenfassung.

Description: The Arctic is warming three times faster than the global average. These rapidly increasing temperatures are already profoundly changing the Arctic – and will continue to do so – with yet unknown consequences for the region as well as worldwide. The diminishing sea ice extent and the changing distribution of marine living resources have led to an increase in economic interest in the region as well as concerns about the sustainability of economic activities in the Arctic. In order to identify ways in which conservation and sustainable use of the Arctic marine environment can be ensured, a broad understanding of the marine environment, the pressures affecting it, and the relevant regulations is needed. Ecologic Institute and the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies aim to provide an overview of relevant information through a series of reports on marine conservation in the Arctic. The reports focus on the five Arctic coastal states: Canada, Denmark (by virtue of Green-land), Norway, the Russian Federation, and the United States. In addition, a regional report is providing a broader overview and summarises relevant international and regional regulations. This current report presents an overview of information relevant to marine conservation in the Arctic.The report covers four main issues: it starts with the description of the key characteristics of the Arctic marine environment. Then it examines significant pressures impacting marine biodiversity in the region, followed by exploring the socio-cultural and economic role as well as the environmental impact of the main sea-based human activities in the Arctic. The last part of the report provides an overview of relevant international and regional agreements and frameworks as well as rules, regulations and tools which are, or could be, employed to protect the Arctic marine biodiversity and ensure its sustain-able use. NB: The information presented in this report was mainly collated during the global Covid-19 pandemic and prior to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The (further) political and economic impacts oft hese events and resulting changes in Arctic governance cannot be foreseen at this point in time and it can be expected that some of the developments and trends presented in this report may change substantially.

Description: Die Arktis erwärmt sich substanziell schneller als der globale Durchschnitt. Der rasche Temperaturanstieg verändert die Arktis bereits tiefgreifend - und wird dies auch weiterhin tun - mit noch unbekannten Folgen für die Region und die ganze Welt. Gleichzeitig mit dem Rückgang des Meereises und der sich verändernden Verteilung der lebenden Meeresressourcen hat eine Zunahme des wirtschaftlichen Interesses an der Region zu Bedenken hinsichtlich der Nachhaltigkeit der wirtschaftlichen Aktivitäten in der Arktis geführt. Um Wege zu finden, wie der Schutz und die nachhaltige Nutzung der arktischen Meeresumwelt gewährleistet werden können, ist ein umfassendes Verständnis der Meeresumwelt, der sie beeinflussenden Belastungen und der relevanten Regulierungen und Managementmaßnahmen erforderlich. Das Ecologic Institut und das Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies haben sich zum Ziel gesetzt, durch eine Reihe von Berichten zum Meeresschutz in der Arktis einen Überblick über die relevanten Informationen zu geben. Die Berichte konzentrieren sich auf die fünf arktischen Anrainerstaaten: Kanada, Dänemark (durch Grönland), Norwegen, die Russische Föderation und die Vereinigten Staaten. Darüber hinaus gibt ein regionaler Bericht einen umfassenden Überblick und fasst die einschlägigen internationalen und regionalen Vorschriften zusammen. Der vorliegende Bericht gibt einen Überblick über Informationen, die für den Meeresschutz in der Arktis relevant sind. Der Bericht deckt vier Hauptthemen ab: Er beginnt mit der Beschreibung der wichtigsten Merkmale der arktischen Meeresumwelt. Anschließend werden wesentliche Belastungen untersucht, die sich auf die marine Biodiversität in der Region auswirken, gefolgt von einer Untersuchung der soziokulturellen und wirtschaftlichen Rolle sowie der Umweltauswirkungen der wichtigsten meeresbezogenen menschlichen Aktivitäten in der Arktis. Der letzte Teil des Berichts gibt einen Überblick über die relevanten internationalen und regionalen Vereinbarungen und Rahmenwerke sowie über Regulierungen, Vorschriften und Instrumente, die zum Schutz der arktischen Meeresbiodiversität und zur Gewährleistung ihrer nachhaltigen Nutzung eingesetzt werden oder eingesetzt werden könnten. Hinweis: Die in diesem Bericht präsentierten Informationen wurden hauptsächlich während der weltweiten Covid-19-Pandemie und vor dem russischen Einmarsch in die Ukraine im Jahr 2022 zusammengetragen. Die (weiteren) politischen und wirtschaftlichen Auswirkungen dieser Ereignisse und dies ich daraus ergebenden Veränderungen in der Arktis-Governance sind zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt nichtabsehbar, und es ist zu erwarten, dass sich einige der in diesem Bericht dargestellten Entwicklungen und Trends erheblich ändern werden. Die Kernbotschaften des Berichts finden sich unter der folgenden englischen Zusammenfassung.

Description: The Arctic is warming three times faster than the global average. These rapidly increasing temperatures are already profoundly changing the Arctic – and will continue to do so – with yet unknown consequences for the region as well as worldwide. The diminishing sea ice extent and the changing distribution of marine living resources have led to an increase in economic interest in the region as well as concerns about the sustainability of economic activities in the Arctic. In order to identify ways in which conservation and sustainable use of the Arctic marine environment can be ensured, a broad understanding of the marine environment, the pressures affecting it, and the relevant regulations is needed. Ecologic Institute and the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies aim to provide an overview of relevant information through a series of reports on marine conservation in the Arctic. The reports focus on the five Arctic coastal states: Canada, Denmark (by virtue of Greenland), Norway, the Russian Federation, and the United States. In addition, a regional report is providing a broader overview and summarises relevant international and regional regulations. This current report presents an overview of information relevant to marine conservation in Greenland.The report covers four main issues: it starts with the description of the key characteristics of the Greenlandic marine environment. Then it examines significant pressures impacting marine biodiversity in the region, followed by exploring the socio-cultural and economic role as well as the environmental impact of the main sea-based human activities in Greenland. The last part of the report describes the Greenlandic ocean governance system and provides an overview of relevant national institutions as well as rules, regulations and tools which are, or could be, employed to protect the Greenlandic marine biodiversity and ensure its sustainable use. NB: The information presented in this report was mainly collated during the global Covid-19 pandemic and prior to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The (further) political and economic impacts oft hese events and resulting changes in Arctic governance cannot be foreseen at this point in time and it can be expected that some of the developments and trends presented in this report may change substantially.

Description: The deployment of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is accelerating across the globe, as prices continue to fall and countries begin their transition from fossil to renewable energy. Public auctions have become the dominant policy tool for solar PV deployment: 106 countries held renewable energy auctions (dominated by solar) by the end of 2018 (IRENA a, 2019). One third of the 55 countries that held renewable auctions in 2017 – 2018 did so for the first time (ibid.). Little solar-specific experience and capacity in newly adopting countries can result in technical failures and lower solar plant performance (IRENA 2017). For instance, it was reported that 30 percent of nearly 100 analysed projects in different countries indicate severe defects that impact performance (TÜV Rheinland 2015). This makes investment in solar plants in newcomer countries risky, hindering the development of the solar sector and undermining political targets of solar energy deployment in these countries. In this context, international organisations have suggested that policymakers in adopting countries include international quality standards1 as technical requirements in the design of public auctions. This policy brief outlines the potential benefits and challenges of doing so, highlighting the crucial role of the Quality Infrastructure (QI) system in newcomer countries. Key lessons learnt are synthesised from international experiences with technical requirements in solar PV auctions. On this basis, entry points are identified for the development of strategies for their introduction in newly adopting countries. The two key things policymakers should consider are the adoption of appropriate standards based on the specific country context and the implementation of real-time data monitoring.

Description: Este documento sirve de pauta orientativa para quienes deseen colaborar con las Organizaciones Regionales de Ordenación Pesquera (OROP) y explica cómo lograr medidas de conservación en una OROP, mediante el establecimiento de decisiones jurídicamente vinculantes. Se trata de una destilación de experiencias personales que incluye éxitos, fracasos y reflexiones sobre algunos de los aspectos más arcanos o complejos de las OROP. El propósito de este documento es el imperativo del proyecto STRONG High Seas: explorar el fracturado régimen de gobernanza de los océanos y, más explícitamente, ofrecer orientación práctica para apoyar la implementación de la conservación espacial en alta mar. Por lo tanto, este trabajo se enmarca en el contexto de la obtención de medidas de conservación espacial, usando ejemplos de otros esfuerzos de conservación de la biodiversidad a la vez que ofrece orientación para lograr medidas vinculantes para cualquier asunto, en cualquier OROP.

Description: Ce rapport a été préparé dans le cadre du projet STRONG High Seas, à partir d’une série d’enquêtes menées auprès des parties prenantes et de l’expérience tirée de divers ateliers organisés dans la région de l’Atlantique du Sud-Est, ainsi que d’études documentaires et d’avis d’experts. Le rapport a été revu par plusieurs experts dans le but de valider les résultats et de garantir la rigueur du contenu. Ce document s’inscrit dans une série de rapports couvrant les questions de gouvernance des océans en mettant l’accent sur les ZAJN du Pacifique du Sud-Est et de l’Atlantique du SudEst et s’appuie sur les rapports précédents publiés par le projet STRONG High Seas. Les autres rapports du projet portent sur le cadre juridique et institutionnel applicable aux ZAJN, l’état écologique et l’importance socio-économique des ZAJN dans les régions du projet, les options de gestion et les mesures de conservation de la biodiversité marine dans les ZAJN, et les considérations relatives à la gestion intégrée des océans. Ces rapports sont disponibles sur le site web du projet STRONG High Seas.

Description: Ce document est un guide pragmatique à destination de ceux qui souhaitent coopérer avec les organisations régionales de gestion des pêches (ORGP). Il explique comment mettre en œuvre des mesures de conservation dans une ORGP, en adoptant des décisions juridiquement contraignantes. Il s’agit d’une synthèse d’expériences personnelles, composées de réussites et d’échecs, et d’un aperçu de certains des aspects les plus obscurs des ORGP. L’objectif de ce document est celui du projet STRONG High Seas – explorer le régime de gouvernance fracture des océans, et plus précisément pour ce travail, formuler des conseils pour soutenir la mise en œuvre de la conservation spatiale en haute mer. Ce travail s’inscrit donc dans le contexte de la mise en place de mesures de conservation spatiale, mais s’inspire d’exemples tirés d’autres efforts de préservation de la biodiversité et propose des orientations pour la mise en place de mesures contraignantes pour tout type de sujet, dans n’importe quelle ORGP.

Description: Local cooperation between civil society and the public sector is becoming increasingly important – in local transformation projects, in science, and occasionally in politics and administration. Commons-Public Partnerships (CPPs) provide a way to frame, promote and extend this collaboration. In civil society, CPPs are typically defined by the practice of commoning, where local communities exercise self-regulation based on the principles of community welfare and the common good. This discussion paper examines the theory and practice of commoning and other forms of cooperation. While focusing on the challenges of social-ecological transformation, the paper also identifies areas where CPPs can be implemented and highlights fields of tension exposed by the concept.

Description: Les mesures visant à soutenir les efforts de conservation doivent faire de la protection de la biodiversité et/ou de l’intégrité écologique leur principal objectif et prendre en compte les pressions cumulatives sur l’environnement marin. Cela implique également d’inclure la connectivité écologique (par ex. les voies de migration des espèces marines ou les impacts transfrontaliers des activités humaines) et les impacts du changement climatique dans leur conception et leur mise en œuvre. En outre, la complexité et la nature dynamique de l’océan, notamment dans les zones situées au-delà de la juridiction nationale (ZAJN), exigent que les efforts de conservation reconnaissent l’incertitude, incluent des options pour y faire face ou s’adapter rapidement aux nouvelles informations scientifiques, et tiennent compte de l’espace tridimensionnel de l’océan. Cela nécessite également que la conception et la mise en œuvre de ces mesures s’appuient sur les meilleures connaissances interdisciplinaires scientifiques et autochtones disponibles. Il sera essentiel que les mesures visant à soutenir les efforts de conservation appliquent des mécanismes de consultation, de cooperation et de collaboration intersectorielles, et qu’elles tiennent compte des échelles spatio-temporelles appropriées pour leur mise en œuvre. Elles doivent refléter des grands objectifs sociétaux et tenir compte de la répartition inégale des retombées socio-économiques découlant des activités d’exploitation dans les ZAJN. Les actions de gouvernance et de gestion doivent reconnaître les systèmes socio-écologiques associés et diversifiés, ainsi que l’articulation entre la santé des océans et le bien-être humain, en intégrant les préoccupations des différentes parties prenantes dans la définition et la mise en œuvre de la mesure ou de l’approche. Il est essentiel que la conception et la mise en œuvre des mesures visant à soutenir les efforts de conservation comprennent des moyens appropriés pour assurer le suivi, le contrôle et la surveillance réguliers des activités humaines, ainsi que le respect et l’application des lois et règlements en vigueur. Les États connaissent bien les instruments juridiques, tels que ceux de la Convention des Nations unies sur le droit de la mer (CNDUM), de l’Organisation des Nations unies pour l’Alimentation et l’Agriculture (FAO, par son acronyme en anglais), des conventions de l’Organisation maritime internationale (OMI), de l’Autorité internationale des fonds marins (ISA, par son acronyme en anglais), ainsi que les mesures de gestion adoptées par les organisations régionales de gestion de la pêche (ORGP). Ils ont développé des structures et des capacités de gouvernance pour soutenir leur mise en œuvre. Dans ce contexte, il est recommandé aux États de soutenir la consolidation et le développement des mesures visant à soutenir les efforts de conservation, afin de s’assurer qu’elles inscrivent leur approche dans le cadre de considérations relatives à la connectivité écologique, à la protection de la biodiversité, à la gestion intégrée des océans fondée sur les écosystèmes et aux implications du changement climatique pour la conservation et la gestion de la biodiversité dans les ZAJN. Pour être efficace, toute mesure visant à soutenir les efforts de conservation proposés pour les ZAJN dans la région de l’Atlantique du Sud-Est doit tenir compte des réalités socio-économiques et politiques des pays dont les zones économiques exclusives bordent ces espaces. En ce sens, il est important de noter le rôle considérable que le secteur de la pêche a historiquement joué et continue de jouer pour la plupart des économies de cette région. La proposition d’instrument relatif à la biodiversité marine des zones situées au-delà de la juridiction nationale (BZAJN), en cours de négociation aux Nations unies, sera fondamentale pour établir la base juridique du développement et de la mise en œuvre de mesures intersectorielles visant à soutenir les efforts de conservation dans les ZAJN. L’efficacité des mesures envisageables pour soutenir les efforts de conservation actuels et futurs dépendra du mode d’intégration de l’instrument BZAJN proposé et de son articulation avec les mesures de conservation et d’utilisation durable établies dans le cadre des organisations de gestion existantes. À cet égard, il est particulièrement important pour la région de l’Atlantique du Sud-Est de savoir comment les ORGP existantes pourront interagir avec l’instrument BZAJN proposé. Compte tenu des difficultés en termes de capacité (technologique, expérience, financière, logistique) de nombreux pays de l’Atlantique du Sud-Est, il est important que les mesures visant à soutenir les efforts de conservation dans le cadre des traités internationaux ou des mécanismes juridiques existants soient intégrées, pratiques et rentables. Le statut juridique différent de la colonne d’eau et des grands fonds marins au-delà de la juridiction nationale et les différentes dispositions juridiques en place représentent un défi pour le développement d’une approche cohérente, complète et intégrée de la conservation et de l’utilisation durable de la biodiversité dans les ZAJN. Le manque d’uniformité dans le respect des règles entre les États du pavillon et l’absence de mécanismes de surveillance et d’application dans les ZAJN compromettent la réalisation d’une approche intégrée pour la conservation et l’utilisation durable de la biodiversité marine dans ces vastes zones océaniques. La grande variété d’instruments existants peut être utilisée pour améliorer la conservation de la biodiversité dans les ZAJN grâce à une meilleure surveillance et une application plus stricte des règles. Cette responsabilité reste celle de chaque État du pavillon, mais à l’heure actuelle, cela se limite au signalement des navires et à une action de suivi minimale de la part des États du pavillon ou du port.

Description: Carbon capture and utilization (CCU) or CO2 utilization technologies attract researchers, policy makers, and industry actors in search of sustainable solutions for industrial processes. This increasing interest can be explained by the fact that these processes comprise the capturing of CO2 – the most relevant greenhouse gas (GHG) – from the air or industrial point sources, and promote its use as a feedstock for the production of goods. CCU processes are expected to contribute to the greenhouse gas neutrality targets of several industrial sectors and the development of a circular economy. Therefore, understanding the environmental impacts and economics of CO2 utilization routes is essential for decision makers from relevant fields, such as technology developers, entrepreneurs, funding agencies, policy makers, administrators and more. A deep understanding of the specific implications of CO2 utilization technologies is needed to make decisions in line with sustainability strategies, and to discard inappropriate solutions. The ‘Techno-Economic Assessment & Life Cycle Assessment Guidelines for CO2 Utilization’1 (henceforth TEA and LCA Guidelines) published by the Global CO2 Initiative (GCI) in October 2018, represent a milestone in the harmonization of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Techno-Economic Assessment (TEA) for evaluating CCU technologies. Henceforth, we refer to this document as TEA and LCA Guidelines. The TEA and LCA Guidelines provide a guide to overcoming methodological discrepancies that lead to confusion among practitioners, concerning how to conduct assessments, and which often lead to contradictory results.2 3 Documents with a similar focus have also been published by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).4 The success of the GCI publication and the demand for such guidelines is evidenced by the strong response that the authors registered in the months following its publication: more than 2,000 copies of the TEA and LCA Guidelines have been distributed in digital form or hard copy, and a growing community of practitioners, and decision makers from science, industry, and public administration are learning how to generate robust and comparable assessments when evaluating CCU technologies. In addition to the guidelines and the present report, the same research group has recently released five illustrative worked examples5 to support the application of the TEA and LCA Guidelines, and three accompanying peer-reviewed articles.6 At the same time, policy officers at national and international levels have frequently signaled the urgency of further developing these tools, to enable evaluation of innovative technologies as a basis for decision making in funding and policy design (e.g., the EU Innovation Fund). Despite the urgent need to address planetary climate change, the development and diffusion of new technologies often takes considerable time. Consequently, leveraging the current momentum amongst all involved actors that CCU has achieved to date is paramount and is an opportunity that must not be missed. Despite demands for aligned assessment methods from the industrial and policy spheres,7 there are evident challenges in dealing with the practical application of such methods in commissioning, reading, and interpreting LCA and TEA studies. There is also a risk of insufficient transfer into policy or other decision-making processes, in cases where the involved actors do not possess disciplinary expertise in the relevant methodology.

Description: This report - Study on Measures to Support Conservation Efforts in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction in the Southeast Pacific Region - aims to provide recommendations for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) in the Southeast Pacific region. These recommendations include considerations for establishing new conservation and management measures and expanding or improving existing measures in the region, as well as the use of tools to support the development of conservation measures. This report has been prepared by STRONG High Seas project researchers based on a literature review of cademic articles, data analysis, stakeholder insights, and experiences gathered at expert workshops held in the project’s focus regions in 2021. The information presented here is intended to support decision-makers, including government officials, the private sector and other stakeholders working on ocean governance in ABNJ who are involved or have an interest in the ongoing development of the Intergovernmental Conference on an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ). This report is part of a series of reports published by the STRONG High Seas project [Strengthening Regional Ocean Governance for the High Seas (June 2017 - May 2022)], covering aspects of ocean governance with a geographic focus on the Southeast Pacific (and Southeast Atlantic) region.

Description: Als Teil der kollaborativen Aktionsforschung des Deutsch-Französischen Zukunftswerkes beleuchtet diese Studie die aktuellen Entwicklungen der Universitätsstadt Marburg in ihren Bestrebungen, bis 2030 klimaneutral zu werden. Die Analyse skizziert die Chancen und Herausforderungen lokaler Klimapolitik. Sie zeigt auf, wie trotz einer hohen Motivation seitens der lokalen politischen Führung und der Zivilgesellschaft, die Klimaneutralität zu erreichen, strukturelle Hemmnisse – wie zum Beispiel eine versäulte Verwaltung, Mangel an Kapazitäten und Ressourcen für die Messung des Fortschritts und für strukturierte Beteiligungs- und Kollaborationsmöglichkeiten – die Umsetzung des lokalen Klima-Aktionsplans ausbremsen können. Anhand der Daten über einen Beobachtungszeitraum von einem Jahr erläutert die Analyse ebenso, wie transformative Forschungsansätze, in Form von regelmäßigen Reflektionen mit Akteur:innen vor Ort, lokale Bestrebungen der Klimapolitik unterstützen und vorantreiben können.

Description: This paper reflects on how, and under what conditions local transformative change towards climate neutrality can flourish, based on the case of the German city of Marburg, which has committed to become a climate neutral city by 2030. The research findings are drawn from the work of the Franco-German Forum for the Future established in 2020. The Forum seeks to accelerate social and ecological transformation through collaborative action research with pioneering municipalities in France and Germany, through the fostering of dialogue among these initiatives and through the development of political recommendations for the respective national governments. We show how despite a strong political will in Marburg among both political leadership and civil society to act decisively for the achievement of climate neutrality, institutional constraints, such as a lack of flexibility within the local administration, shortage of capacity and resources for the monitoring of progress and the absence of institutionalised mechanisms for citizen participation and collaboration can hamper progress towards achieving the ambitious goals.

Description: W ostatnich latach coraz większą uwagę zyskują wyzwania stojące przed europejskimi regionami związane ze zmianami strukturalnymi w kierunku zrównoważonego rozwoju. Łużyce, leżące na granicy Niemiec i Polski, doświadczają znacznej presji związanej z transformacją. Krajowe i europejskie programy finansowania, m.in. w ramach Europejskiego Zielonego Ładu, mają na celu łagodzenie skutków odchodzenia od wydobycia i konsumpcji węgla. Niedawno przyjęty unijny Mechanizm Sprawiedliwej Transformacji ma za zadanie wspieranie zrównoważonych zmian strukturalnych poprzez pomoc pracownikom i przyczynianie się do dywersyfikacji gospodarki w najbardziej dotkniętych obszarach. Niniejszy Policy Brief przedstawia trzy rekomendacje związane z wykorzystaniem funduszy UE w polsko-niemieckim obszarze granicznym w celu wspierania sprawiedliwej transformacji. Po pierwsze, fundusze udostępnione w ramach Mechanizmu powinny być wykorzystywane w porozumieniu z regionalnymi interesariuszami w Łużycach w celu uzupełnienia krajowych środków wsparcia. Dalsze programy finansowania ukierunkowane na różne obszary polityki publicznej powinny być wykorzystane w celu wzmocnienia spójności w całym regionie. W tym kontekście szczególnie interesujące są programy zarządzane centralnie przez Komisję Europejską (tzn. nie podlegające zarządzaniu dzielonemu z rządami krajowymi). Ściślejsza współpraca polityczna i gospodarcza, w połączeniu z głębszą wymianą doświadczeń, może przyspieszyć integrację regionalną i ukierunkować procesy przekształceń strukturalnych na osiągnięcie trwałych rezultatów. Użycie tych programów w obszarze granicznym obarczone jest jednak praktycznymi przeszkodami, które należy pokonać. Ponadto powyżej wymienione działania powinny być realizowane zgodne z celami zrównoważonego rozwoju (SDGs), przyczyniać się do osiągnięcia celu, jakim jest neutralność klimatyczna, a także do złagodzenia społecznych skutków transformacji strukturalnej na wszystkich poziomach.

Description: Die Arktis erwärmt sich substanziell schneller als der globale Durchschnitt. Der rasche Temperatur-anstieg verändert die Arktis bereits tiefgreifend - und wird dies auch weiterhin tun - mit noch unbekannten Folgen für die Region und die ganze Welt. Gleichzeitig mit dem Rückgang des Meereises und der sich verändernden Verteilung der lebenden Meeresressourcen hat eine Zunahme des wirtschaftlichen Interesses an der Region zu Bedenken hinsichtlich der Nachhaltigkeit der wirtschaftlichen Aktivitäten in der Arktis geführt. Um Wege zu finden, wie der Schutz und die nachhaltige Nutzung der arktischen Meeresumwelt gewährleistet werden können, ist ein umfassendes Verständnis der Meeresumwelt, der sie beeinflussen-den Belastungen und der relevanten Regulierungen und Managementmaßnahmen erforderlich. DasEcologic Institut und das Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies haben sich zum Ziel gesetzt, durch eine Reihe von Berichten zum Meeresschutz in der Arktis einen Überblick über die relevantenInformationen zu geben. Die Berichte konzentrieren sich auf die fünf arktischen Anrainerstaaten: Ka-nada, Dänemark (durch Grönland), Norwegen, die Russische Föderation und die Vereinigten Staaten.Darüber hinaus gibt ein regionaler Bericht einen umfassenden Überblick und fasst die einschlägigen internationalen und regionalen Vorschriften zusammen. Der vorliegende Bericht behandelt die für den Meeresschutz in der norwegischen Arktis relevantenInformationen. Der Bericht deckt vier Hauptthemen ab: Er beginnt mit der Beschreibung der wichtigsten Merkmale der Meeresumwelt der norwegischen Arktis. Anschließend werden wesentlichenBelastungen untersucht, die sich auf die marine Biodiversität in der Region auswirken, gefolgt von einer Untersuchung der soziokulturellen und wirtschaftlichen Rolle sowie der Umweltauswirkungen der wichtigsten meeresbezogenen menschlichen Aktivitäten in der norwegischen Arktis. Der letzteTeil des Berichts gibt einen Überblick über die relevanten nationalen Institutionen sowie über Regulierungen, Vorschriften und Instrumente, die zum Schutz der norwegischen arktischen Meeresbiodiversität und zur Gewährleistung ihrer nachhaltigen Nutzung eingesetzt werden oder eingesetzt wer-den könnten. Hinweis: Die in diesem Bericht präsentierten Informationen wurden hauptsächlich während der weltweiten Covid-19-Pandemie und vor dem russischen Einmarsch in die Ukraine im Jahr 2022 zusammengetragen. Die (weiteren) politischen und wirtschaftlichen Auswirkungen dieser Ereignisse und dies ich daraus ergebenden Veränderungen in der Arktis-Governance sind zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt nichtabsehbar, und es ist zu erwarten, dass sich einige der in diesem Bericht dargestellten Entwicklungen und Trends erheblich ändern werden. Die Kernbotschaften des Berichts finden sich unter der folgenden englischen Zusammenfassung.

Description: The Arctic is warming three times faster than the global average. These rapidly increasing temperatures are already profoundly changing the Arctic, and will continue to do so, with yet unknown con-sequences for the region as well as worldwide. The diminishing sea ice extent and the changing distribution of marine living resources have led to an increase in economic interest in the region as well as concerns about the sustainability of economic activities in the Arctic. In order to identify ways in which conservation and sustainable use of the Arctic marine environment can be ensured, a broad understanding of the marine environment, the pressures affecting it, and the relevant regulations is needed. Ecologic Institute and the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies aim to provide an overview of relevant information through a series of reports on marine conservation in the Arctic. The reports focus on the five Arctic coastal states: Canada, Denmark (by virtue of Green-land), Norway, the Russian Federation, and the United States. In addition, a regional report is providing a broader overview and summarises relevant international and regional regulations. This current report presents an overview of information relevant to marine conservation in the Norwegian Arctic. The report covers four main issues: it starts with the description of the key characteristics of the Norwegian Arctic marine environment. Then it examines significant pressures impacting marine biodiversity in the region, followed by exploring the socio-cultural and economic role as well as the environmental impact of the main sea-based human activities in the Norwegian Arctic. The last part of the report describes the Norwegian ocean governance system and provides an overview of relevant national institutions as well as rules, regulations and tools which are, or could be, employed to protect Norwegian Arctic marine biodiversity and ensure its sustainable use. NB: The information presented in this report was mainly collated during the global Covid-19 pandemic and prior to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The (further) political and economic impacts of these events and resulting changes in Arctic governance cannot be foreseen at this point in time and it can be expected that some of the developments and trends presented in this report may change substantially.

Description: Die Arktis erwärmt sich substanziell schneller als der globale Durchschnitt. Der rasche Temperatur-anstieg verändert die Arktis bereits tiefgreifend - und wird dies auch weiterhin tun - mit noch unbekannten Folgen für die Region und die ganze Welt. Gleichzeitig mit dem Rückgang des Meereises und der sich verändernden Verteilung der lebenden Meeresressourcen hat eine Zunahme des wirtschaftlichen Interesses an der Region zu Bedenken hinsichtlich der Nachhaltigkeit der wirtschaftlichen Aktivitäten in der Arktis geführt. Um Wege zu finden, wie der Schutz und die nachhaltige Nutzung der arktischen Meeresumwelt gewährleistet werden können, ist ein umfassendes Verständnis der Meeresumwelt, der sie beeinflussen-den Belastungen und der relevanten Regulierungen und Managementmaßnahmen erforderlich. DasEcologic Institut und das Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies haben sich zum Ziel gesetzt, durch eine Reihe von Berichten zum Meeresschutz in der Arktis einen Überblick über die relevantenInformationen zu geben. Die Berichte konzentrieren sich auf die fünf arktischen Anrainerstaaten: Ka-nada, Dänemark (durch Grönland), Norwegen, die Russische Föderation und die Vereinigten Staaten.Darüber hinaus gibt ein regionaler Bericht einen umfassenden Überblick und fasst die einschlägigen internationalen und regionalen Vorschriften zusammen. Der vorliegende Bericht behandelt die für den Meeresschutz in der russischen Arktis relevanten Informationen. Der Bericht deckt vier Hauptthemen ab: Er beginnt mit der Beschreibung der wichtigstenMerkmale der Meeresumwelt der russischen Arktis. Anschließend werden wesentlichen Belastungen untersucht, die sich auf die marine Biodiversität in der Region auswirken, gefolgt von einer Untersuchung der soziokulturellen und wirtschaftlichen Rolle sowie der Umweltauswirkungen der wichtigsten meeresbezogenen menschlichen Aktivitäten in der russischen Arktis. Der letzte Teil des Berichts gibt einen Überblick über die relevanten nationalen Institutionen sowie über Regulierungen, Vorschriften und Instrumente, die zum Schutz der russischen arktischen Meeresbiodiversität und zur Gewährleistung ihrer nachhaltigen Nutzung eingesetzt werden oder eingesetzt werden könnten. Hinweis: Die in diesem Bericht präsentierten Informationen wurden hauptsächlich während der weltweiten Covid-19-Pandemie und vor dem russischen Einmarsch in die Ukraine im Jahr 2022 zusammengetragen. Die (weiteren) politischen und wirtschaftlichen Auswirkungen dieser Ereignisse und dies ich daraus ergebenden Veränderungen in der Arktis-Governance sind zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt nichtabsehbar, und es ist zu erwarten, dass sich einige der in diesem Bericht dargestellten Entwicklungen und Trends erheblich ändern werden. Die Kernbotschaften des Berichts finden sich unter der folgenden englischen Zusammenfassung.

Description: Global interest and activity in the Arctic have increased greatly in recent decades. The Arctic is warming three times faster than the global average. These rapidly increasing temperatures are already profoundly changing – and will continue to change – the Arctic, with yet unknown consequences for the people, environment, and economy in the region as well as worldwide (SDWG, 2021). The diminishing sea ice extent and the changing distribution of marine living resources have led to an increase in economic interest in the region as well as concerns about the sustainability of economic activities in the Arctic (Raspotnik et al., 2021). The challenge now is to identify development pathways that can ensure the sustainable use and conservation of the Arctic marine environment (SDWG, 2021). In order to identify ways in which conservation and sustainable use of the Arctic marine environment can be ensured, a broad understanding of the marine environment, the pressures affecting it, and the relevant regulations is needed. Ecologic Institute and the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies aim to provide an overview of relevant information through a series of reports on marine conservation in the Arctic. The reports focus on the five Arctic coastal states: Canada, Denmark (by virtue of Greenland), Norway, the Russian Federation, and the United States. In addition, a regional report is providing a broader overview and summarises relevant international and regional regulations. The reports were published in 2022 and are available for download on the websites of the Ecologic Institute and the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies. This current report presents an overview of information relevant to marine conservation in the Russian Arctic. The report covers four main issues: it starts with the description of the key characteristics of the Russian Arctic marine environment. Then it examines significant pressures impacting marine biodiversity in the region, followed by exploring the socio-cultural and economic role as well as the environmental impact of the main sea-based human activities in the Russian Arctic. The last part of the report describes the Russian ocean governance system and provides an overview of relevant national institutions as well as rules, regulations and tools which are, or could be, employed to protect marine biodiversity in this region and ensure its sustainable use. NB: The information presented in this report was mainly collated during the global Covid-19 pandemic and prior to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The (further) political and economic impacts of these events and resulting changes in Arctic governance cannot be foreseen at this point in time and it can be expected that some of the developments and trends presented in this report may change substantially.

Description: Traceability and reliable results are the two pillars of analytical methods; certified reference materials (CRMs) meet this requirement. ISO 17034:2016 credentials provide brief information on general requirements for the competence of Reference Material Producers (RMPs). The different types of CRMs have been produced in recent years for chemical analysis in food, water, soil, and sediment matrices in recent years. This review provides a detailed overview of the development of CRMs in the field of marine environment, as matrix CRMs play an important role in the field of environmental monitoring. COMAR database, EVISA database: materials, LGC standards, and JRC catalogs are very helpful online resources to find various types of CRMs according to the application requirements. Highlights - The classification of certified reference materials (CRMs) in the field of marine environment is presented; - General information about the production and characteristics of CRMs is discussed; - Examples of use of existing marine CRMs are described in detail; - Importance of CRMs for QA/QC and CRMs development for chemical analysis is presented; - The parameters that characterize the CRMs: representativeness, homogeneity, stability, and certified value are provided.

Description: Sea ice conditions and navigability along four typical routes of the Northeast Passage (NEP) are analysed using remote-sensing data from 1979 to 2019. The influence of air temperature (Tair) and surface wind on the sea ice concentration (SIC) and the navigability of routes is determined. It is found that the annually averaged SICs of the different routes have decreased over the past 41 years. The fastest rate of decrease occurred in the Kara Sea (∼−1% per year), while the slowest rates of decrease occurred in the Laptev/East Siberian Sea (∼−0.42% per year). The number of navigable days for the Kara Sea has become ∼1–2 months longer than the Laptev/East Siberian Sea route as a result. The effect of Tair on SIC, quantified by ΔSIC/ΔTair in the routes through the eastern Kara Sea and Laptev/East Siberian Sea in 2010s was ∼−0.04/°C, two to three times that seen during the 1980s. Air temperature is becoming a significant driving force of melting ice in these routes. Surface winds are also a crucial factor for the navigability of the Vilkitsky Strait and Long Strait, as they drive ice drift, and affect the navigability of the Kara Strait by introducing warm air.

Description: Negative emissions technologies (NETs) are an essential part of most scenarios for achieving the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to below 2°C and for all scenarios that limit warming to 1.5 °C. The deployment of these technologies requires carbon accounting methods for a range of different purposes, such as determining the effectiveness of specific technologies or incentivising NETs. Although the need for carbon accounting methods is discussed within the literature on NETs, there does not appear to be a clear understanding of the range of different accounting challenges. Based on a systematic literature review this study identifies five distinct accounting issues related to NETs: 1. estimating total system-wide change in emissions/removals; 2. non-permanence; 3. non-equivalence of ‘no overshoot’ and ‘overshoot and removal’; 4. accounting for incentives for NETs; and 5. the temporal distribution of emissions/removals. Solutions to these accounting challenges are proposed, or alternatively, areas for further research and the development of solutions are highlighted. One key recommendation is that carbon accounting methods should follow a ‘reality principle’ to report emissions and removals when and where they actually occur, and an important overall conclusion is that it is essential to use the correct accounting method for its appropriate purpose. For example, consequential methods that take account of total system-wide changes in emissions/removals should be used if the purpose is to inform decisions on the deployment or incentivisation of NETs. Attributional methods, however, should be used if the purpose is to construct static descriptions of possible net zero worlds.

Description: Touch interaction has established a dominating role in the realisation of Human–Machine Interfaces. However, to be able to use touch effectively and efficiently, users have to comply with particular prerequisites. Due to age-related changes, such as the decline of tactile accuracy and speed, especially elderly users often struggle with the touch modality. Interfaces that adapt to specific user characteristics could be a promising solution to overcome this problem. Notwithstanding the advantages of adaptive systems, perceived changes in the user interface can reduce the system's predictability and transparency. The present study compares three approaches concerning the adaptation of touch button sizes: no adaptation and adaptation with visible and invisible feedback. Results show that especially elderly users substantially benefit from an adaptive approach. Furthermore, data shows that the type of adaptation supports different usage goals. While adaption with visual feedback enables a higher interaction speed, invisible adaptation leads to a higher degree of accuracy.

Description: Pyroxene crystals from recent Central Plateau tephras are used to deduce their formation conditions through two-pyroxene thermobarometry. Crystals return pseudo-pressures and pseudo-temperatures that are artefacts of uptake of antecrysts formed at a range of crustal levels by isobaric cooling of previously intruded magmas. MELTS modelling of tephra glass compositions shows that pseudo-PT conditions are reproduced at oxygen fugacities above the nickel-nickel oxide buffer (NNO+1, NNO+2), mid- to upper crustal pressures (100–400 MPa), and temperatures between c. 900°C and 〉1100°C. Modelled crystals from the deep crust (800 MPa) are restricted to clinopyroxenes. However, these display chemical equilibrium with shallow orthopyroxenes at higher pseudo-PT conditions than observed in Central Plateau pyroxenes. The data indicate uptake of high-temperature pyroxenes at mid- to shallow crustal levels into ascending andesitic melts and thus preclude the presence of long-lived crustal mush zones (〈1000°C) as a source for the crystal cargo of the Central Plateau tephras studied here. Further, the apparent absence of deep crustal pyroxene antecrysts does not preclude models of arc andesite genesis without a ‘deep crustal hot zone’ beneath the Central Plateau. Generation and ascent of primary andesites from a heterogeneous mantle wedge is therefore a possible scenario at the southern Hikurangi margin.

Description: Whakaari/White Island is a partially submerged, offshore andesite island volcano, located at the northern end of the Taupō Volcanic Zone. Since the late 1960s, volcanic activity has alternated between quiescence, unrest, and eruption on short timescales. For this review we compiled extensive observational records, examined the rich scientific literature, and use newly acquired data, to understand the broad volcanic history and system dynamics. Based on recent bathymetry data, we propose a distinction exists between the Whakaari edifice and Te Paepae o Aotea/Volkner Rocks, which were previously considered to be part of the same edifice. Geochemical analyses of scoria samples from the island have been used to build a magma system model where dominantly andesitic-dacitic magma is periodically intruded by basalt. More dynamic processes are recorded in the hydrothermal system, where the location and activity of fumarolic features have been ephemeral and the crater lake has varied in scale over short time intervals. Eruptions of the dominantly andesitic magma have historically been small and range from phreatomagmatic through to magmatic, largely depositing ash and scoria to a restricted distance that is confined to the main crater floor. Phreatic eruptions are the most common eruption style, based on recently observed and monitored activity.

Description: Recently, the aeromagnetic survey with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for mineral exploration has become ubiquitous. They can fly at a lower speed, lower altitude, need fewer crew members, and are cost-effective compared to traditional manned aeromagnetic. With the development of drones, magnetometers were also developed, which reduced the cost, weight, size, and energy consumption of these sensors. One of these sensors is the magneto-inductive magnetometer. This study investigates the integration of the UAV with a magneto-inductive sensor. We have performed an aeromagnetic survey along with six profiles and compared them with the terrestrial magnetic survey using a proton precision magnetometer. We show that the magneto-inductive sensor can sense Earth’s magnetic field’s change up to less than 60 nT. These results show the promising potential of using the UAV equipped with the magneto-inductive sensor to prospect the magnetic ore deposits.

Description: Tephra deposits in Aotearoa New Zealand (ANZ) have been studied for 〉180 years. The now-global discipline of tephrochronology, which has some developmental roots in ANZ, forms the basis of a powerful chronostratigraphic correlational tool and age-equivalent dating method for geological, volcanological, palaeoenvironmental, and archaeological research in ANZ. Its utility is founded on the key principle that tephras or cryptotephras provide widespread isochrons in many different environments. In the first part of this article, we summarise the history of tephra studies in ANZ and then describe how tephras have been mapped, characterised, and correlated using field and laboratory-based methods. We document advances in geochemical fingerprinting of glass; tephra/cryptotephra detection and correlation by sediment-core scanning methods (e.g. X-radiography, CT imaging, XRF elemental analysis, magnetic susceptibility); statistical correlation methods; and dating of tephras/cryptotephras. We discuss the advent of ANZ cryptotephra studies (from mid-1970s) and their more-recent growth. The second part comprises examples of applications of tephrochronology in ANZ: climate-event stratigraphy (NZ-INTIMATE project); eruptive-event stratigraphy in the Auckland Volcanic Field; developments in the marine tephra record; advances in identifying, correlating, and dating old (pre-50 ka) tephras and weathered-tephra deposits; forming soils/paleosols on tephras; tephras and archaeology; Kopouatai bog tephrostratigraphy and palaeoenvironments; and volcanic-hazard assessments.

Description: There is a significant interest in the usage of algae in everyday diet because of their positive influence on the gastrointestinal system due to the presence of high amounts of dietary fibres, while the presence of ω-3 fatty acids contributes to the protection of cardiovascular system. Algal derived polysaccharides are found in the food products as stabilisers, thickening agents and emulsifiers. In the cosmetic industry, algae are used in sunscreen, anti-age, anti-cellulite, moisturising and skin whitening products. These products can be used for the development of cosmeceuticals which contain algal derived bioactive compounds and they can exert a pharmaceutical therapeutic benefit. However, these compounds also have potential for being isolated and used for development of novel drugs against diseases, such as cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and diabetes. Present review provides information about algal compounds incorporated into various food, cosmetic or medicinal products, as well as their potential for health improvement was evaluated.

Description: During World War I, an enormous amount of chemical and conventional munitions was fired. Many of these munitions did not explode and are still recovered in the soil of the regions where the war raged for several years. After the war, many of the remaining munitions were dumped in the sea as an easy way of removal. These unexploded and dumped munitions are still present so many years after the end of the war. The explosive material inside the munitions is more than 100 years old now. Samples were collected from some of these old munitions. These samples have been analyzed to determine their composition. The explosives typically used in World War I (TNT, DNT, DNB and picric acid) have been identified. It has been shown that the aged samples still contain their energy. They have not become more sensitive to friction or impact. For one the samples, it has been shown that it is still cap-sensitive and detonates normally. These results are important for any risk assessment involving old munitions.

Description: A recent analysis of observed oxygen changes shows a 2% decline in marine oxygen during the 50 years since 1960. However, these oxygen changes vary on time scales related to climate modes and by regions, including areas of increasing oxygen. Hence, any local oxygen change is related to various subsets of these drivers for the different regions and time scales. Here we provide an overview of drivers presently known for the different regions in the upper and deep ocean and the regional influence of climate modes, focussing on decadal and longer time scales for open ocean regions. We identify and compile regions where changes in solubility, stratification, decadal to multidecadal variability, source waters (either increases or decreases), overturning circulation or circulation-driven changes, and biological or nutrient stimulation have been shown to play a role in oxygen changes. The superposition and interaction of drivers and processes makes the decomposition of the impact on oxygen distribution difficult. Nevertheless, the description of the different drivers identified will help in better understanding the oxygen changes observed and lead to better verification of numerical models of future ocean oxygen levels.

Description: Despite the diversity and oftentimes large biomass of jellyfish in marine systems, their ecological role remains poorly understood. We here provide the first systematic review of studies on jellyfish trophic ecology in the Baltic Sea (a regional marine system under strong multiple global and regional anthropogenic pressures). In total, we identified 57 peer-reviewed publications, with notable taxonomic bias towards two species (Aurelia aurita; non-indigenous Mnemiopsis leidyi) and spatial bias towards five areas (Bornholm Basin, Kiel Bight, Kertinge Nor, Lim- and Gullmarsfjord). The studies provide evidence for diverse trophic roles of jellyfish as predators and as competitors of other jellyfish, zooplankton and fish species. In combination, the studies also highlight potentially large impacts via top-down (grazing) and bottom-up (nutrient excretion) effects, but also, strong spatio-temporal variability in the magnitude of these effects, depending on the occurrence of jellyfish blooms. Studies on the role of jellyfish as prey for fish, seabirds or marine mammals, and for benthic systems via food-falls, were limited or lacking for the Baltic Sea, despite increasing focus on these topics globally. Improved understanding of the temporal (seasonal, inter-annual, long-term) and spatial variability of blooms and corresponding trophic effects, would provide more systematic understanding of the ecological role of jellyfish in the spatio-temporally variable Baltic Sea. A broader spatial coverage, inclusion of more jellyfish taxa and under-studied early life history stages, as well as the implementation and continuation of long-term data series would represent important steps towards this goal.

Description: This article presents the results of a marine geophysical and sedimentological study carried out around Lesvos Island (NE Aegean) to investigate the potential of exploitable marine aggregate (MA) deposits that could be used for beach replenishment purposes. Sub-bottom profiler data showed a good prospect for potential coarse-grained deposits in two of the three surveyed areas around Lesvos. Grain size and mineralogical analysis of the surficial sediments revealed sands that could properly feed nourishment schemes for eroded beaches or artificial beach development. Observed MA volumes are considered adequate for renourishment operations, when the threat of projected sea-level rise is introduced. Environmental constraints, as well as human activities, are considered for the suggestion and prioritization of specific areas for detailed surveying before future exploitation.

Description: Modelling the drift of marine debris in quasi-real time can be of societal relevance. One pertinent example is Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. The aircraft is assumed to have crashed in the Indian Ocean, leaving floating wreckage to drift on the surface. Some of these items were recovered around the western Indian Ocean. We use ocean currents simulated by an operational ocean model in conjunction with surface Stokes drift to determine the possible paths taken by the debris. We consider: (1) How important is the influence of surface waves on the drift? (2) What are the relative benefits of forward- and backward-tracking in time? (3) Does including information from more items refine the most probable crash-site region? Our results highlight a critical contribution of Stokes drift and emphasise the need to know precisely the buoyancy characteristics of the items. The differences between the tracking approaches provide a measure of uncertainty which can be minimised by simulating a sufficiently large number of virtual debris. Given the uncertainties associated with the timings of the debris sightings, we show that at least 5 items are required to achieve an optimal most probable crash-site region. The results have implications for other drift simulation applications.

Description: Chirp sub-bottom profilers (SBP) provide centi-to-decimetre resolution, seismic data with applications for various geophysical and geological purposes. To verify the field application of imaging of a buried target with a cost-effective and easy-to-apply pseudo-3D Chirp SBP survey, we explored the buried site of an ancient wooden shipwreck off the west coast of Korea before underwater excavations. The survey was conducted using a commercial 2D Chirp SBP system with a newly devised recording system that preserved the true polarity of the chirp signal. To produce high-resolution 3D Chirp SBP data from 2D Chirp SBP datasets recorded by the novel system, an optimal data processing sequence, consisting of a first phase of 2D data processing and a second phase of 3D data processing was designed. The first, 2D phase, included the estimation of a source sweep signature, cross-correlation, and deconvolution using an inverse filter. The resulting resolution of the 2D Chirp SBP data was better than that of the enveloped data provided by the commercial acquisition system. The second phase of 3D data processing included gathering 3D datasets, redistributing of ping positions, and static correction. To improve the consistency of the seismic events and reduce the repetitive corrections (swell, tidal, tie, and residual corrections), a static correction was based on multi-beam echo sounder data. The amplitude variation near the shipwreck was clearly apparent in the time slice from the final pseudo-3D Chirp SBP dataset with a bin size of 2.0 m (crossline) × 0.6 m (inline). Through 3D rendering, the buried ancient shipwreck with dimensions of 5 m (width) × 12 m (length) × 2 m (depth) was imaged successfully.

Description: Riparian zones are important for the maintenance of aquatic ecosystem functional integrity, yet are considered to be particularly vulnerable to plant invasions. The role of terrestrial riparian plant invasions in compromising aquatic ecosystem processes is, however, still poorly understood. This issue is particularly relevant for temporary rivers, which are understudied compared to permanent river systems, despite their ubiquity and largescale contributions to biogeochemical processes. Here we experimentally assessed leaf litter breakdown dynamics in situ in a temporary river in arid southeastern Botswana, Southern Africa. We contrasted aquatic leaching and microbial and invertebrate litter breakdown contributions to the native leadwood Combretum imberbe and invasive river red gum Eucalyptus camaldulensis in the Lotsane River. Fine-mesh (detritivore exclusion) and coarse-mesh (detritivore inclusion) bags were separately filled with leaf litter from each species and deployed in the river during a hydroperiod (wet phase), with decomposition measured over a 6-week period. E. camaldulensis shed significantly more leachate than the native C. imberbe. Significantly more microbial and detritivore breakdown was, however, observed in native than in invasive leaf litter. Overall, invertebrates contributed little to biological leaf litter breakdown processes compared to microbial breakdown contributions. Although significantly higher in native leaves, low invertebrate numbers were found in leaf litter in the study. This study highlights the role of microbial contributions to detrital decay in temporary arid zone rivers, whereas invertebrate contributions were relatively minor. The study further contributes to our understanding of how invasive riparian plant species alter aquatic detrital pool dynamics in invaded temporary wetland ecosystems.

Description: Gonatus fabricii (Lichtenstein, 1818) is an ecologically important squid that spends its entire life cycle within the Arctic where it is the most abundant cephalopod. Due to the rarity of mature and reproducing females, it is unknown how many eggs females spawn (actual fecundity). Among 47,000 specimens studied between 2005 and 2019 one spent, degenerated and gelatinous female with a mantle length of 230 mm was caught in West Greenland in 2019. Examination allowed the first detailed description of fecundity and spawning pattern in the species. Oocyte development shows that the most considerable maturation of mid-vitellogenic oocytes to late vitellogenic and then to ripe stages occurs immediately after the first ripe oocytes appear in the ovary. There were no ripe oocytes in the ovary or oviducts. The ovary contained an estimated 6561 oocytes and 2551 post-ovulatory follicles and hence the total fecundity was 9112. This specimen of G. fabricii realised 28.0% of its potential fecundity which is comparable to Berryteuthis magister, which also belongs to Gonatidae, and lower than in the majority of studied deep-sea squids (including other gonatids). Spent females may provide clues as to where the major spawning areas of this abundant but poorly known squid are located.

Description: Accurate and repeatable population estimates are key to establishing population trends and conservation status. Rako, or Buller’s Shearwater (Ardenna bulleri) is a seabird endemic to New Zealand that breeds only on the Poor Knights Islands, but forages throughout wider areas of the Pacific Ocean during the non-breeding season. The lack of threats on the breeding grounds and the wide foraging range of Buller’s Shearwaters makes them ideal sentinels of ocean health. Although they are commonly seen at sea and the population in the 1980s was thought to be around 2.5 million birds, other rapid land-based surveys suggested a much lower figure (~100,000 pairs on Aorangi), and no thorough population estimate has been undertaken to date. We calculated a population estimate for Buller’s Shearwater based on burrow counts and state of occupancy conducted at the Poor Knights during either the 2016–2017 or the 2017–2018 breeding seasons. We incorporated information on habitat availability and preference in population models. Our estimate of 78,645 (95% confidence interval 67,176–89,178) active burrows, broadly representing breeding pairs, is lower than some previously published assessments. This is a repeatable quantitative study of the Buller’s Shearwater breeding population, including breeding activity, and provides critical baseline data to determine population trends for this potentially important marine indicator species. © 2021 BirdLife Australia.

Description: Anthropogenic pressures on standing waterbody systems potentially result in changes to sediment and water qualities, and thus ecological community characteristics. We tested effects of drawdown on physical, water and sediment variables, as well as their effects on littoral macroinvertebrate community composition in two subtropical reservoirs. Water levels differed significantly between reservoirs and over time, with significant effects on several water chemistry parameters (e.g., pH, conductivity, Mg, Fe), whilst sediment properties were less affected. Significant effects of water level, site and macrophyte cover on macroinvertebrate community structures were not detected, however macroinvertebrate community structuring differed significantly over time. Redundancy analysis (RDA) highlighted that the first and second axes accounted for 45.6% of the total macroinvertebrate community and environmental variables relationship variance. Most of the sediment variables, such as Cu, Mg, Na and Pb and water chemistry (i.e., HCO3-), were positively associated with the first axis, while water temperature and pH were negatively associated with the first axis. The RDA variation partitioning showed that water and sediment chemistry variables accounted for 40.3% and 30.3%, respectively, of the total macroinvertebrate variation. The present study contributes to understandings of the interplays between water level, physico-chemical properties and community compositions in human-altered aquatic ecosystems.

Description: This report – Study on the socio-economic importance of areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) in the Southeast Atlantic region – aims to analyse the socio-economic importance of the ABNJ adjacent to the countries within the Abidjan Convention Area in West, Central and Southern Africa. It characterizes the socio-economic interests in ABNJ, underpinned by the ecosystem services concept, and the actual and potential social and economic outcomes (costs and benefits) associated with the conservation and use (exploitation) of marine resources, both in qualitative, and to the extent possible in quantitative terms. In this study, the term “socio-economics” is taken in a broad context to include the social aspects related to human well-being, livelihoods, impacts on communities, equity, socio-political systems, as well as economic ones. The analysis is based on an extensive literature review of scientific publications, articles, analysis of available data, stakeholder knowledge and experience, as well as expert opinion gathered through targeted interviews. It provides a narrative and forward-looking assessment of the key activities. The information presented is intend-ed to support decision-makers, including government officials, the private sector and other stakeholders to make informed decisions about ABNJ and weigh environmental, social and eco-nomic objectives, in the context of a new internationally binding treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond national jurisdiction, the BBNJ agreement. This report is part of a series of reports covering issues of ocean governance with a focus on the Southeast Atlantic (and Southeast Pacific) published under the STRONG High Seas project – Strengthening Regional Ocean Governance for the High Seas (June 2017 – May 2022).

Description: This paper focuses on barriers and drivers of personal and public engagement. The success of climate change policies in democracies depends on social consent and ownership of the actions taken. Campaigners and decision-makers therefore need to communicate their ideas in a way that speaks to and galvanises people. To do this successfully, the first step is to recognise what motivates people to act and what hinders them. This paper contributes to answering these questions by giving an overview of theories from psychological and communication science on the cognitive biases that obstruct logical decision-making. It then moves on to suggest an alternative to the widely used “fear appeal” in communication about climate change: an opportunity-oriented framing of climate mitigation that connects to people’s values with the prospect of fostering long-lasting engagement with sustainable action. Lastly, the paper explores how the co-benefits framing can be used for policymaking.

Description: This report explores the challenges of address-ing emerging activities in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) through a case study – a hy-pothetical proposal to develop commercial fish-eries in the mesopelagic zone. The case study considers how such a proposal might be ad-dressed by existing global and regional bodies and processes and the potential future role of the BBNJ Agreement.

Description: Die Klimagerechtigkeitsbewegung (KB) hat in jüngster Zeit eine erstaunliche Dynamik entwickelt und dazu beigetragen, die Klimakrise in Deutschland auf die politische Agenda zu setzen. Die sichtbarsten und mobilisierungsstärksten Bewegungsakteur*innen sind Extinction Rebellion (XR), Ende Gelände (EG) und Fridays for Future (FFF). In ihrer öffentlichen Kommunikation zur Klimakrise zeigen sich unterschiedliche thematische Schwerpunkte. Die Studie analysiert vergleichend die narrativen Strukturen von Pressemitteilungen und Blog-Artikeln von XR, EG und FFF aus dem Jahr 2019 und führt die dortigen Motive und (Mikro-)Erzählungen auf ihre jeweiligen Grundwerte zurück. Es werden Potenziale identifiziert, wie XR, EG und FFF ihre politischen Anliegen innerhalb rhetorisch überzeugenderer, (strukturell vollständigerer) Erzählungen kommunizieren können. Die Untersuchung von Klima-Frames thematisiert zudem, ob und wie ein Bezug nicht nur zu Klimaschutz, sondern zu Klimagerechtigkeit hergestellt wird.

Description: Die Luftverschmutzung in urbanen Gebieten gefährdet die menschliche Gesundheit. Eine der größten Quellen der Luftverschmutzung in der Stadt – insbesondere durch Stickstoffdioxid (NO2) – sind Fahrzeuge mit Verbrennungsmotoren. Die Gefahren für die Gesundheit unterstreichen die Notwendigkeit, den motorisierten Individualverkehr zugunsten einer gesunden und nachhaltigen Mobilität zurückzudrängen. Dieser Paradigmenwechsel – die Verkehrs- oder Mobilitätswende –genießt zwar seit Jahrzehnten breite Unterstützung bei Bürger*innen und Entscheidungsträger*innen gleichermaßen, bleibt jedoch weitgehend unrealisiert. Berlin war das erste Bundesland in Deutschland, das ein Mobilitätsgesetz verabschiedet hat. Dieses Gesetz enthält viele Bestimmungen, wie die Verkehrsinfrastruktur nachhaltig ausgebaut werden soll, z.B. durch die Priorisierung von Radfahren, Zu-Fuß-Gehen und öffentlichem Nahverkehr. Um die Auswirkungen einer veränderten Infrastruktur auf die Luftqualität quantitativ zu bewerten, bieten sich Experimente in der realen Welt an. Die Ergebnisse eines solchen Realexperimentes am Kottbusser Damm zeigen, dass eine Fahrradspur die Konzentration von Stickstoffdioxid in der Luft, der Radfahrer*innen ausgesetzt sind, reduziert. Darüber hinaus führte die kleinräumige Umwidmung von Straßenraum durch eine temporäre Spielstraße ebenfalls zu einer reduzierten Luftverschmutzung. Solche Messungen unter realen Bedingungen können der städtischen Mobilitätspolitik wertvolle Informationen für politische Entscheidungen liefern.

Description: Um den steigenden Strombedarf zu decken und die Klimaschutzziele der Bundesregierung zu erreichen, ist ein beschleunigter Ausbau der Windenergie notwendig. In der deutschen Bevölkerung findet der geplante Aus- und Neubau von Windkraftanlagen an Land hohe generelle Zustimmung. Geht es jedoch um die Errichtung von Anlagen im eigenen Wohnumfeld, nimmt die Ablehnung unter den betroffenen Bürgerinnen und Bürgern zu. Die Gründe für Vorbehalte und Gegnerschaft sind vielfältig. Deutliche Kritik an der Umsetzung der Energiewende kommt nicht nur von Gegnern, sondern auch von Unterstützern. Unter den Menschen, die den Windausbau generell und vor Ort befürworten, hat ein beträchtlicher Anteil den Eindruck, dass ihre Bedürfnisse von den Entscheidungsträgern nicht ausreichend wahrgenommen werden. Der Wunsch nach mehr Mitsprache wird vornehmlich von Menschen geäußert, die Sorge haben, dass der Ausbau der Erneuerbaren den sozialen Zusammenhalt in den Gemeinden gefährdet, die das Gefühl haben, dass die Anliegen der Betroffenen nicht ernst genommen werden und die die Umsetzung der Energiewende allgemein als bürgerfern wahrnehmen. Damit die Energiewende als Gemeinschaftswerk besser gelingen kann, bedarf es der breiten Einbindung der Bürgerinnen und Bürger. Sind die Menschen vor Ort durch den Bau von Windkraftanlagen unmittelbar mit der Energiewende konfrontiert, ist es deshalb umso wichtiger, dass sie bei der Gestaltung ihres Lebensumfeldes mitreden können und auch die Möglichkeit haben, persönlich und als Gemeinde insgesamt zu profitieren. Durch eine Ausweitung der Beteiligungs- und Teilhabemöglichkeiten können die Menschen die Energiewende zu ihrer eigenen Sache machen. Dabei ist es wichtig, die unterschiedlich gelagerten Gründe für Ablehnung, fehlende Beteiligung und Teilhabe zu verstehen und zielgruppengerecht zu adressieren. Dieser Policy Brief gibt Empfehlungen, wie es beim Windausbau besser gelingen kann, die Identifikation mit den Zielen der Energiewende zu stärken, Kommunen bei der Öffentlichkeitsbeteiligung zu unterstützen und Teilhabemöglichkeiten sozial gerechter zu gestalten.

Description: Der Ausstieg aus der Braunkohle bis spätestens zum Jahr 2038 ist beschlossen. Die Lausitz wird dadurch eine zentrale Wirtschaftsbranche verlieren, die auch stark die Identität der Region geprägt hat. Allerdings ist die Braunkohle gerade vor dem Hintergrund der sich zuspitzenden Klimakrise politisch stark umkämpft. Zwar gibt es in der Lausitz viele Menschen, die den Kohleausstieg bis 2038 ablehnen, aber auch hier ist die Braunkohle nicht unumstritten (vgl. Bischoff et. al. 2021). Zugleich hat sich in den letzten Jahren mit der rechtspopulistischen und in Teilen rechtsradikalen Partei Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) ein Akteur formiert, der in Teilen der Lausitzer Bevölkerung große Zustimmung erfährt. Mit ihrer rechtspopulistischen Ausrichtung und vereinfachenden Freund-Feind Argumentationen verstärkt die AfD die gesellschaftliche Polarisierung. Sie wettert gegen den Kohleausstieg, zweifelt den menschengemachten Klimawandel an und sucht in jüngerer Zeit die Nähe zu Pandemieleugner*innen. Doch worauf gründet sich der Erfolg des Rechtspopulismus in der Lausitz? Warum stellen diese Erfolge eine Gefahr für das Gelingen des Strukturwandels dar? Welche Ansätze gibt es, um dem Rechtspopulismus den Nährboden zu entziehen und der gesellschaftlichen Polarisierung entgegenzuwirken? Diesen Fragen stellt sich das vorliegende Discussion Paper und entwickelt drei Ansatzpunkte, wie der gesellschaftlichen Polarisierung begegnet werden kann, um den anstehenden Strukturwandel in der Lausitz erfolgreich zu gestalten.

Description: Was bedeutet „Strukturwandel“ für Auszubildende? Diese Frage haben sich Auszubildende der LEAG in Workshops mit dem IASS (Luh et al., 2020) gestellt und die Idee für die vorliegende Studie entwickelt, die in Kooperation mit der LEAG im Mai und Juni 2021 umgesetzt wurde. Wie nehmen Auszubildende den regionalen Wandel wahr? Wie zufrieden sind sie derzeit und mit Blick auf den Strukturwandel? Welche Lebenswege und Planungen verfolgen sie – eine Zukunft in der Region oder außerhalb? Welche Faktoren sind ihnen wichtig, um zu bleiben und wie müsste eigentlich eine richtig gute Arbeitsstelle aussehen? Um das herauszufinden widmet sich diese Studie drei Themenbereichen: Regionaler Wandel, Lebensplanung und Gute Arbeit.

Description: At their core, the UN Climate Change conferences known as “COPs” are the primary international venue for negotiating how countries should act and cooperate to avoid dangerous climate change. The 2015 Paris Agreement is its most recent notable success. Although the climate negotiations are a state government-led process, the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) community has increasingly recognized the need for dialogue and engagement with non-governmental stakeholders in acknowledgement of the critical role they will play in mobilizing and implementing climate change solutions. Non-governmental stakeholders include science, civil society, the private sector, and local communities. Such non-governmental stakeholders also attend the COP in large numbers, where they aspire to influence the negotiations, make their voices heard, and generally contribute to advancing climate action. Indeed, the COP has tremendous convening power, annually bringing together tens of thousands of people working on diverse aspects of climate policy, science, and advocacy in one place at the same time. Despite this enormous collective potential, a communication culture has developed that relies heavily on conventional presentation and panel formats that are not conducive to mutual engagement and learning. We therefore see a need to reinvigorate the COPs through new formats of dialogue that can better foster collaboration and co-creation of climate change solutions. Against this backdrop we make the following three recommendations to foster reflection, dialogue, and collaboration among diverse actors at the UN Climate Change conferences, focusing on the interactions that take place outside the formal negotiations. These recommendations are intended to be actionable by different types of meeting hosts at the COP, including observers, Party delegates, the UNFCCC Secretariat and the COP presidency.

Description: People living or working in the Arctic are faced with uncertainty regarding future social, political, economic, and environmental change. This uncertainty is due not least to the ongoing transformations caused by climate change. This paper presents results from a project entitled “Yamal 2040: Scenarios for the Russian Arctic”, which employed ‘Strategic Foresight’, a specific co-design and engagement methodology, to support stakeholders of one particular region in the Arctic, the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (Yamal region) in Western Siberia, Russia. It was the project’s objective to respond to this situation of general uncertainty, to develop forward-looking scenarios to better understand the risks and opportunities associated with future transformations in the Arctic. The findings presented here may be of interest for stakeholders in other parts of the Arctic and Russia that depend on the exploitation of fossil fuels and/or are facing complex and uncertain situations.

Description: Ce rapport - Étude sur l‘importance socio-économique des zones situées au-delà de la juridiction nationale (ZAJN) dans la région de l‘Atlantique Sud-Est - vise à analyser l‘importance socio-économique des ZAJN adjacentes aux pays de la region de la Convention d‘Abidjan en Afrique occidentale, centrale et australe. Elle caractérise les intérêts socio-économiques dans les ZAJN, étayés par le concept de services écosystémiques, et les résultats sociaux et économiques réels et potentiels (coûts et bénéfices) associés à la conservation et à l‘utilisation (exploitation) des ressources marines, à la fois en termes qualitatifs et, dans la mesure du possible, en termes quantitatifs. Dans cette étude, le terme „socio-économique“ est pris dans un contexte large pour inclure les aspects sociaux liés au bien-être humain, aux moyens de subsistance, aux impacts sur les communautés, à l‘équité, aux systèmes socio-politiques, ainsi que les aspects économiques. L‘analyse se fonde sur une étude approfondie de publications et d‘articles scientifiques, sur l‘analyse des données disponibles, sur les connaissances et l‘expérience des parties prenantes, ainsi que sur l‘opinion d‘experts recueillie lors d‘entretiens ciblés. Elle fournit une évaluation narrative et prospective des activités clés. Les informations présentées ont pour but d‘aider les décideurs, y compris les responsables gouvernementaux, le secteur privé et d‘autres parties prenantes, à prendre des décisions éclairées sur les ZAJN et à peser les objectifs environnementaux, sociaux et économiques, dans le contexte d‘un nouveau traité international contraignant pour la conservation et l‘utilisation durable de la biodiversité marine audelà de la juridiction nationale, l‘accord BZAJN. Ce rapport fait partie d‘une série de rapports couvrant les questions de gouvernance des océans avec un accent sur l‘Atlantique du Sud-Est (et le Pacifique du Sud-Est) publiés dans le cadre du projet STRONG High Seas - Strengthening Regional Ocean Governance for the High Seas (juin 2017 - mai 2022).

Description: Für diese Studie konnte ein Großteil der Schüler:innen Lauchhammers im Mai und Juni 2021, während der dritten Welle der Corona-Pandemie, in Präsenz befragt werden. Zentrale Erkenntnisse der Studie sind, dass (1) etwa 60 Prozent der Schüler:innen, Angst vor dem Coronavirus haben, (2) auch nach einem Jahr Pandemie bei vielen Schüler:innen die technischen Voraussetzungen für Homeschooling nicht ausreichend gegeben sind und (3) dass sich die überwiegende Mehrheit der Schüler:innen in der Kinder- und Jugendbeteiligung engagieren wollen.

Description: For this study, a majority of school pupils in the town of Lauchhammer were interviewed in person in May / June 2021 during the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic. The central findings of the study are that (1) about 60 percent of the students are afraid of the coronavirus, (2) as the pandemic enters its second year, many school pupils still lack the technical resources required for home-schooling, and (3) the vast majority of pupils want to get involved in child and youth participation.

Description: This policy brief provides an overview of the key concepts and discussions currently underway regarding global ocean governance. It is based on the ongoing work of the STRONG High Seas project; it highlights key considerations for States and stakeholders seeking an introduction into ocean governance and makes initial suggestions for improving and enhancing the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity across global policy processes.

Description: This article reflects the partial results of my ongoing research as part of the International Climate Fellowship Program of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, which I am carrying out at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies – IASS Potsdam, Germany.

Description: Der derzeit hohe Verbrauch an Plastikverpackungen stellt ein komplexes sozial-ökologisches Risiko dar. Am Institut für transformative Nachhaltigkeitsforschung (IASS) haben Umweltpsychologinnen und -psychologen im Rahmen des vom Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung geförderten Verbundprojektes ENSURE erforscht, wie eine Reduktion des individuellen Verbrauchs von Plastikverpackungen für Lebensmittel gefördert werden kann. Laut einer im ENSURE-Projekt durchgeführten repräsentativen deutschlandweiten Online-Befragung mit 1200 Teilnehmenden erleben 92 Prozent der Befragten Plastikmüll in der Umwelt als bedrohlich im Hinblick auf den Erhalt unserer natürlichen Lebensgrundlagen. Trotz des hohen Problembewusstseins nimmt der Verbrauch an Verpackungen im Alltag weiterhin stetig zu: 2018 fielen in Deutschland über drei Millionen Tonnen Kunststoffverpackungsabfälle an, womit sich die Menge seit 1997 mehr als verdoppelt hat. Die Ergebnisse des ENSURE-Projektes zeigen, dass die Bereitschaft der Konsumentinnen und Konsumenten ihren Verbrauch an Plastikverpackungen zu reduzieren zwar gegeben ist, jedoch durch persönliche sowie strukturelle Barrieren behindert wird. Es bedarf politischen Handelns, um diese vielfältigen Barrieren abzubauen und die Konsumentinnen und Konsumenten in ihren Bemühungen zu unterstützen. Der vorliegende Policy Brief schlägt drei Strategien vor, die zur Reduktion des Verbrauchs von Verpackungen im Alltag beitragen. Auf den folgenden Seiten werden nach einer Vorstellung des Kontextes diese drei Empfehlungen ausführlicher erläutert. Im Fazit heben wir die Notwendigkeit eines systemischen Ansatzes zur Reduktion von Verpackungen hervor.

Description: Für die wirksame Umsetzung und Weiterentwicklung der Deutschen Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie müssen fortlaufend neu auftauchende Themen exploriert sowie wissenschaftlich basierte Impulse entwickelt werden, um Transformationen (weiter) anzuschieben. Die Wissenschaftsplattform Nachhaltigkeit 2030 (wpn2030) tut dies, je nach Fragestellung und Zweck, über unterschiedliche Prozesse wie etwa Arbeitsgruppen, Konsultationen, Konferenzen oder den Beirätedialog. Mit dem „DNS-Lab“ hat die wpn2030 ein weiteres Format aufgesetzt, das besonders auf Agilität setzt. Bezüglich einer spezifischen Fragestellung werden in kurzer Zeit (halber Tag) und mit wissenschaftlichen Methoden in Vorbereitung, Durchführung und Nachbereitung Perspektiven aus einem breiten transdisziplinärem Spektrum integriert, um neue Themen zu explorieren oder/und Impulse für Transformationen zu entwickeln.

Description: Der vorgelegte Impuls der Wissenschaftsplattform Nachhaltigkeit 2030 (wpn2030) zum Staatssekretärsausschuss für nachhaltige Entwicklung am 15.02.2021 gibt Empfehlungen zum Thema „Kommunen als zentrale Akteure für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung“. Er ist gemeinsam mit dem Deutschen Institute für Urbanistik (Difu) verfasst worden und geht unter anderem auf Inputs des Difu im Rahmen einer 2020 von der wpn2030 durchgeführten Online-Konsultation mit der Wissenschaft zurück. Der Impuls knüpft darüber hinaus an vorliegende Empfehlungen aus der Wissenschaft und weitere Aktivitäten der jüngeren Vergangenheit an, zum Beispiel den Interministeriellen Arbeitskreis „Nachhaltige Stadtentwicklung in nationaler und internationaler Perspektive“ (IMA Stadt).

Description: Este reporte tiene como objetivo evaluar la con-tribución al bienestar humano de las activida-des socioeconómicas, actuales y potenciales, en las áreas marinas fuera de la jurisdicción nacio-nal (ABNJ por sus siglas en inglés) del Pacífico Sudeste, destacando la dependencia humana de los servicios ecosistémicos que la biodiver-sidad marina en las áreas fuera de la jurisdic-ción nacional (o BBNJ por sus siglas en inglés) provee, así como también de aquellas activi-dades que compiten en uso o bien generan efectos negativos sobre ella como consecuen-cia de su desarrollo. El estudio se focaliza en los aspectos socioeconómicos que dependen de, e interactúan con, la BBNJ en la región FAO 87, correspondiente al área f rente a las áreas juris-diccionales de Chile, Perú, Ecuador y Colombia (países miembros de la Comisión Permanente del Pacífico Sur o CPPS1), y de manera general para el bienestar de la humanidad. Como parte de esta introducción, se presenta a continuación una primera subsección que provee de contexto en relación a la importancia de los ecosistemas marinos y la relación de la BBNJ con el bienestar humano, seguida por una segunda donde se describe la organización de este reporte.