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Sustainable research and consultancy on a new footing

Founded more than 40 years ago, the Oeko-Institut is one of Europe’s leading independent research and consultancy organisations working for a sustainable future. In recent years, the Institute has taken on contracts to provide policy advice and conduct application-oriented research – with growing success. Our consultancy services for policy-makers and the business sector in the fields of environmental protection, climate change mitigation and sustainable development will henceforth be clustered under our newly established subsidiary, Öko-Institut Consult GmbH.

Better soil management: Which funding approaches have a positive effect on climate mitigation?

Soils play an important role as (potential) carbon reservoirs for climate mitigation. They also play a key role in promoting biodiversity and resilience to pressures such as global warming or pollution. Worldwide, soils store two to three times more carbon than the atmosphere. They act as natural climate protectors and are therefore also a key component of the EU's agricultural policy towards a net-zero future – provided they are intact. Only then can they reduce greenhouse gas emissions and/or sequester carbon.

Statement on the withdrawal from the ICVCM expert panel

In September 2024, Oeko-Institut withdrew from the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM), of which it was a founding member.

The power of consumers

The current issue of eco@work looks at various aspects of consumer power. It explores which frameworks need to be in place for sustainable action and delves into the issue of motivation and guidance for purchasing decisions that are aligned with environmental interests. And it reveals where these decisions can have the greatest impact.

AI-supported policy guide: leveraging energy efficiency to combat energy poverty in the EU

Oeko-Institut has published an innovative policy guide to combat energy poverty in the European Union. The guide places a particular emphasis on energy efficiency as a strategic lever for reducing energy costs and improving the quality of life of low-income households. It serves as a practical guide for policymakers and provides recommendations for implementing key legislative initiatives of the EU such as the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).

New study on carbon storage: risks and recommendations for action

In view of the urgent need to limit climate change, there is growing interest in technologies that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. A new study carried out by Oeko-Institut on behalf of the German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) sheds light on the challenges of the geological storage of CO2 (carbon storage, CS). It focuses in particular on the potential for storage off the coast of countries, known as offshore storage.

The human-made pool of materials

The anthropogenic material stock in Germany alone holds an estimated 51.7 billion tonnes of material. It consists of buildings and infrastructures but also everyday goods that contain raw or processed materials, such as electrical and electronic equipment, vehicles and furniture. Urban mining aims to monitor and recover these resources. This not only eases the pressure on the environment and the climate; among other things, it also helps to reduce our import dependency. In the current issue of eco@work, we take an in-depth look at urban mining. We also cast a glance at Nigeria, where unsuitable recycling of lead-acid batteries is still causing major burdens upon people and the environment.

A good balance?

The market for carbon offsets has surged in recent years. From 2016 to 2020, the volume of allowances sold and retired in Germany alone increased more than sixfold – and a further rise is expected. But does it really make sense to compensate for emissions via mitigation projects? Which frameworks are in place? And what about the quality of the carbon credits? These issues are explored in the latest issue of eco@work. It also looks at the principle of climate responsibility, which involves appropriate pricing of greenhouse gas emissions.

2024 Projection Report: Germany falling short of its climate targets

Germany has set clear climate protection targets in the Federal Climate Change Act. Greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced by at least 65 percent by 2030 and by 88 per cent by 2040 compared to 1990 levels. Greenhouse gas neutrality is to be achieved by 2045. According to the current status of the measures adopted to reduce greenhouse gases, however, Germany is lagging behind this target. It is expected that Germany will almost achieve the targets by 2030 with a projected emission reduction of approx. 64 percent. Despite substantial progress, the 2045 target of greenhouse gas neutrality is not met. This is shown in the 2024 Projection Report, which Oeko-Institut has prepared with project partners on behalf of the German Environment Agency.

EU climate protection targets for 2040: Where are we heading?

In order for the EU to become climate-neutral by 2050, it has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 55 per cent by 2030 compared to 1990. The process of setting the EU’s energy and climate targets for 2040 has just begun. In February, the European Commission recommended that emissions should be reduced by 90 per cent by that year.

2023 Annual Report: Extreme

The past year was marked by global challenges: violent conflicts, political extremes, record-breaking temperatures and extreme weather events. In these turbulent times, level-headed, fact-based information is crucial. Oeko-Institut has contributed to this by providing sound knowledge, transparent findings and verifiable facts for an objective discourse in politics and society. In our 2023 Annual Report, you can read how Oeko-Institut has helped to relativise extreme opinions with facts and reduce the volume of extremes with research and expertise. Our scientific research helps to create an objective basis for dialogue – in 2023 and, of course, in the years to come.

Not without trees

In the latest issue of eco@work, we take a detailed look at natural carbon sinks, their potentialities, and the factors that put them at risk. And in our interview, we talk to Tom Kirschey: he heads the Centre of Competence for Nature-based Climate Action (KNK) and explains which measures are planned for this new body.

European emissions trading for buildings and transport: targeted support for vulnerable households

In 2027, a second European emissions trading system (ETS 2) will be introduced specifically for the buildings and transport sectors and small energy businesses. A new study by the Oeko-Institut and Forum Ökologisch-Soziale Marktwirtschaft (FÖS) looks at how this might affect Germany, how the revenues will be used and how vulnerable groups can best be supported. The existing national emissions trading system will transition to the new EU ETS 2.

Legal opinion on Green Claims is published

With the aim of preventing greenwashing and unclear environmental claims, the European Commission has published two proposals for new EU directives on Green Claims. In their present form, however, there are clear contradictions in the proposals – both between the proposed Green Claims directives themselves and between these proposals and the existing EU Organic Regulation. These contradictions are brought to light in a new legal opinion prepared by the law firm WBS Legal as part of a joint research project by the Oeko-Institut, the Association of Organic Food Processors (AöL) and the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL).

Improving the energy performance of non-residential buildings

To meet European and national climate targets, EU Member States must transition their building stock to zero emissions by 2050. This entails shifting heating systems to renewable energy sources and improving the building’s energy efficiency through thermal retrofits. In December 2023, the EU agreed a revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) which introduces “Minimum Energy Performance Standards” (MEPS) for non-residential buildings. Under the revised EPBD, 16% of the worst-performing non-residential buildings will need to be renovated by 2030 and 26% by 2033. Non-residential buildings include schools, hospitals, offices and shops. They account for around 30% of the total floor area in the EU and 34% of the final energy demand for heating and hot water.

Into the spotlight!

The current issue of eco@work turns the spotlight on events and explores how they can influence society’s transition towards sustainability. And we talk to Wiebke Linnemann-Schweizerhof from Special Olympics Germany about social sustainability criteria and related measures.

EU citizen assemblies call for more sufficiency in climate action plans

Raw materials for the sustainability transformation: resilient supply chains

Climate neutrality is to be achieved by 2045, yet with global demand surging, serious challenges may arise in both the extraction and the processing of seven key resources: iridium, graphite, cobalt, lithium, manganese, nickel, and light and heavy rare earths.

How can recycling of lithium-ion batteries be improved?

Lithium-ion battery manufacturing generates production-related waste which cannot be adequately recycled in Europe at present. With demand surging due to the upcoming shift in propulsion technology from combustion engines to electric motors and the development of a European cell production industry in gigafactories, the volume of this production-related waste is likely to increase significantly in the short term.

Costs and environmental impacts of hydrogen imports

Members’ Meeting elects the Oeko-Institut Committee

On Saturday, 24 June 2023, the Oeko-Institut’s Members’ Meeting, which took place in the Darmstadt office and online, held elections for several seats on the Committee. Wolfgang Renneberg and Ulrike Schell were re-elected. Professor Thomas Schomerus was elected as a new Committee member. Thomas Rahner retired from the Committee after many years of honorary service. We thank him for his good collaboration during his time on the Committee.

New tool informs about sustainability issues and chances for PTX supply countries

The interactive tool PTX Business Opportunity Analyser enables supply countries for Power-to-X (PtX) to evaluate their different products and compare with other countries.The tool was developed by the Oeko-Institut in a project funded by PtX-Hub and commissioned by Agora Energiewende and Agora Industry. PtX refers to hydrogen based on renewable electricity and other energy carriers produced from it, such as ammonia, synthetic methane, synthetic methanol and synthetic aviation and mobility fuels.

Expediting renewable energy development in Europe

Renewable energy development is essential for achieving climate targets, and high-quality solutions to many of the barriers to renewables expansion are already available. This is the conclusion drawn in a new study conducted by the Oeko-Institut, eclareon, WindEurope and SolarPower Europe on behalf of the European Commission.

Local authorities and climate action - The energy and mobility transitions in cities and municipalities

Cities and municipalities have immense greenhouse gas mitigation potential: they can put municipal enterprises such as transport providers and local utilities on a path towards climate neutrality, for example.

Annual Report 2022 now available

Jan Peter Schemmel elected as new chair of Ecornet

A common task: Getting involved in socio-ecological transformation

Energy transition feasible without deep-sea mining

Certified CO2 storage in soils? A critical review

Goodbye, nuclear power – unsustainable, uneconomical and high-risk

Initiating the heat pump boom: the fine detail

Action now to clear the way for responsible sourcing in e-mobility

Mechanical recycling is more climate-compatible than chemical recycling

COP27: Preparatory analysis for the European Parliament – Climate targets far from sufficient

The Oeko-Institut’s Committee is newly elected

A perfect circle: How does the circular economy work?

Climate Policy – A Fitness Check: Are we fit for 55?

Hydrogen: the sustainability dimensions of production and imports

Development of new coal mines and oil and gas fields not compatible with 1.5 °C limit on global warming

2021 Annual Report published

Our lifestyle and economic model must change as a matter of urgency in order to protect the environment, climate and resources. But is this taking place in a fair and equitable manner? The changes now being addressed by policy-makers have major implications for all of us.

Overhead line trucks: Route expansion with a vision

Nuclear power plants in the Ukraine war: Information on nuclear safety

A quiet climate champion: The future of e-mobility

Thinking sustainability and digitalisation together

The role of nature-based solutions in global climate action

Diversity at risk: How to preserve biodiversity?

Making the EU heat sector carbon-free

World Climate Conference: Preparatory analysis for the EU Parliament

Climate due diligence in future supply chain law

Oeko-Institut joins international governance body on voluntary carbon market

Environmentally sound, collective and fair. Considering the social aspects of transformation

Climate inaction incurs high costs

A guide to successful regulatory experiments

“Transition? Only if it’s equitable!” Invitation to the Oeko-Institut’s Annual Meeting 2021

Members’ Meeting elects Committee

Bioeconomy monitoring closes research gap

Another 30 years to go - The final storage of high-level radioactive waste

Raw material consumption of cars with combustion engines and electric vehicles in comparison

International Conference on Digitalization and Sustainability

Reforming EU emissions trading

2020 annual report published

Reforming the Market Stability Reserve of the EU Emissions Trading System needed

50 million by 2030 – the heat transition: making it work

Boilers to boost climate action

Yes, we are open: scenario data on the Open Energy Platform

Better stay on the ground? Aviation and climate action

Hydrogen: a comprehensive review

Power-to-X – Why do we need PtX?

Ariadne project launched within the Kopernikus initiative

General Assembly elects Oeko-Institut Committee

Living without plastics – but how?

Strengthening ecodesign: launch of preparatory study for the Working Plan to 2024

How sustainable are digital platforms?

2019 annual report published

Last year saw the continuation of a trend that we had already observed in previous years: German society is becoming more politicised and there is more and more controversy in the public arena. Germany is embroiled in controversy – about the best way to meet climate targets,...

Data for the energy transition: Open Energy Platform has a new design

The 2020 emissions gap: What are the next targets?

The UN Climate Change Conference in Madrid: opportunities and challenges

Bioeconomy concepts in Germany: a discourse analysis

Three reform options for successful emissions trading

#FridaysForFuture: Facts and Figures

Digitalisation – making it sustainable

Approaches to sustainable environmental policy

Emissions trading or carbon pricing? An analysis

Less emissions, more quality of life: How to make transport sustainable?

Committee elections

Science in transition – Annual Report 2018

Forests - For climate and biodiversity

Take part now: Survey on the EU Ecolabel

A new Head for the Nuclear Engineering and Facility Safety Division

The social side of the energy transition: Balancing efficiency, sufficiency and costs

Sustainability – An Export Success?

Knowledge and science: Facts about alternatives, not alternative facts

Effort sharing: High costs of insufficiently ambitious climate action

New Chinese Green Mines Standards – English Translation available

European environmental law: Improving implementation in Germany

Let’s make a wish! Annual report 2017

Exnovation - Actively managing change

Exporting environmental protection: Sustainability in South-East Asia

Implementing climate policies at the local level

How can cities and municipalities contribute to climate mitigation? What are the municipal institutions, actors and processes that matter?

Final storage - First steps