Shaping research policy for the future: Ecornet presents position paper
The future German government should base its research policy on a forward-looking and reliable research strategy that addresses current societal challenges and takes future developments into account. These and other recommendations were published today in a position paper by the Ecological Research Network, a network of leading sustainability and futurology institutes.
ifeu at the 13th German Energy Consultants' Day in Frankfurt/M.
On 20 March 2025, the German Energy Consultants' Day will take place for the 13th time in Frankfurt am Main. On this occasion, experts as well as committed practitioners, decision-makers and thought leaders in energy consulting will meet again this year to exchange ideas, network and provide orientation for the practical implementation of the heating transition. Ifeu Managing Director Prof Dr Martin Pehnt will speak about zero-emission buildings.
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.
Long-term scenarios for the transformation of the energy system in Germany: final report published
The project ‘Long-Term Scenarios for the Transformation of the Energy System in Germany’ (Long-Term Scenarios 3), commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, has modelled scenarios for the future development of a greenhouse gas-neutral energy system in recent years. ifeu processed the project in collaboration with Consentec GmbH, the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI and the Technical University of Berlin. The existing consortium has al-ready been commissioned to further develop the long-term scenarios and to conduct sensitivity analyses based on the findings.