Less - different - communal: strategies for a fulfilling, resource-conserving life
Whether socially, materially or ecologically, the earth's resources are limited. Accordingly, in recent years there has been a growing awareness in Germany and other European countries of the need to use our planet's social, material and ecological resources sparingly.1 The desire to consume ‘less’ and ‘differently’ is increasing, but how we move from wanting to act and firmly integrate planet-friendly behaviour into our everyday lives is usually difficult. This is precisely where the two-part joint project ‘SuPraStadt - Quality of life, participation and resource conservation through the social diffusion of sufficiency practices in urban neighbourhoods’ comes in. At the end of the overall project (SuPraStadt I + II), the results have now been published in up-to-date, tried-and-tested instructions for reading, listening and trying out.
Study on the evaluation of measures in municipal climate action is available
In the project “Instruments for municipal climate action work (IkKa)”, ifeu has developed a methodology for evaluating climate action measures that supports municipal climate action managers in selecting and prioritizing measures. The results have now been implemented in the online-based software “Maßnahmen-Planer” and are thus available to this target group. All background information on the methodology can be found on the project website.
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NUTS2-Report published
Anyone who places biofuels on the market and wants them to count towards the statutory quota obligations must state the greenhouse gas balance for each individual delivery. Part of the balance relates to cultivation, e.g. for rapeseed or maize, if biofuels are produced from them. This balancing is quite complex, which is why the EU member states can provide the obligated parties with region-specific standard values. On behalf of the German government, ifeu calculated these values - the so-called NUTS2 values - back in 2010. The data has since had to be updated. This was carried out by ifeu on behalf of the Federal Environment Agency. The figures are now available to economic operators and have also been officially published by the EU Commission in the form of an implementing regulation.
New packaging for sensitive food: biobased and recyclable
Consumers are familiar with transparent packaging with a protective atmosphere from the retail trade, mostly as packaging for meat, sausage and cheese products. These are now also used for vegetarian and vegan products. The advantage: the gas mixture contained inside provides a germ-inhibiting barrier so that food stays fresh and retains its shape and colour. However, their disadvantage is that they are only recyclable to a limited extent due to their multi-layer structure made of fossil raw materials. This means that they are lost to the material cycle after a single use. In packaging development, the aim is therefore to increasingly only bring recyclable packaging onto the market. Another development trend is towards plastic packaging with the highest possible bio-based content. However, bio-based packaging does not yet have a gas barrier that is sufficient for packaging sensitive food. Against this background, it is therefore necessary to develop a new type of packaging that is both virtually completely bio-based and recyclable.
Heat summit in Baden-Württemberg: evaluation of the municipal heating plans of 126 municipalities in Baden-Württemberg published
From 2021 to 2023, urban districts, large district towns and municipalities in Baden-Württemberg drew up heating plans as part of a municipal heating planning process. These plans were scientifically evaluated by ifeu in 2024 together with KEA-BW. This evaluation has now been published as a study and provides interesting insights into the locally developed solution strategies for implementing the heating transition.
Together for democracy, social justice and human rights – statement by the Ecological Research Network (Ecornet)
The rise of right-wing extremist forces and the misanthropic aspirations they represent pose a serious danger to democracy in Germany and a concrete threat to many people in our country. We therefore expressly emphasise: liberal democracy, the rule of law and human rights are the central foundations of our society. They are also the essential prerequisite for independent, effective science, which is needed more than ever to develop solutions for the major social challenges of our time. Only through a multitude of ideas and innovative approaches, an open culture of debate and the cooperation of all social groups can the problems of today and tomorrow be adequately solved. We in the Ecological Research Network (Ecornet), the network of independent sustainability research institutes in Germany, want to contribute to these solutions together and in solidarity. With this in mind, we support the alliance ‘Hand in Hand - We are the firewall’ and the demonstration it has initiated, ‘Courageous. Human. Together.’ on 16 February 2025 at 2 p.m. in Berlin (Unter den Linden).
School project ‘Your.Climate’ continues
ifeu and KliBA are supporting 23 schools in the Rhine-Neckar district over a period of three and a half years – and now the ‘Dein.Klima’ (Your.Climate) project is to be continued. By the end of 2023, most of the municipalities of the participating schools had already expressed their desire to continue the climate protection project and to continue their support. The project has been made possible so far by federal funding as part of the National Climate Initiative (NKI) and by the municipalities themselves. In the future, the Rhine-Neckar district will provide financial support for the project. The project is set to continue for the next three years.
Using reusable containers to combat to-go waste: what politicians and the catering industry can do
- Reusable containers still a niche product despite catering businesses' duty to offer them, environmental benefits and potential savings - Practical test of BMEL-funded REPAID project shows: Direct customer contact by staff, highly visible placement and price advantages of reusables are effective - What politicians should do: introduce a standard nationwide levy for single-use packaging, expand the obligation to offer reusable packaging and develop improved return structures
Sustainable conversion of public vehicle fleets – instruments to support procurement practices presented
Ifeu has developed instruments to support the sustainable conversion of public fleets. These tools aim to reduce emissions and the consumption of resources by fleets. The closing event took place on 12 December 2024, when the instruments were presented to a broad audience of around 100 participants from 12 federal states. The complete final report is available on the website of the online tool.