Ricarda Faber

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Ricarda Faber

MA (Public Policy)
BA (Political Science)

Researcher

Team
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Ricarda Faber is a Researcher at Ecologic Institute. Her research focuses on the design and implementation of European and German energy and climate mitigation policy. In particular, she analyzes regulatory frameworks that accelerate a just scaling up of renewable energies and system transformation. Further research interests include sustainable finance. Ricarda Faber is a native German speaker and fluent in English.

At Ecologic Institute, Ricarda Faber is part of the EU Horizon 2020 research project "Transformative Policies for a Climate-Neutral European Union (4I-TRACTION)", where she is responsible for the coordination of the project. In addition, she contributes to a comparative country case study on the roll-out of smart meters in Europe. In the research project StromNachbarn, which is part of the research network Ecornet Berlin, she analyzed the socio-ecological effects of tenant electricity systems in Berlin by means of a tenant survey. In addition, she conducted an institutional and actor analysis in the field of transport and energy in the project WenaMoNi. The research uncovered opportunities and barriers for sustainable mobility in Lower Saxony (Germany). A special focus was on sector coupling and hydrogen.

Before joining Ecologic Institute, she gained experience as Project Assistant at adelphi Consult in the fields of sustainable consumption and international climate policy. There, she supported the implementation of national policies and the design of a monitoring database of UN SDG 12 and Agenda 2030 activities. In addition, Ricarda Faber conducted best practice case study research of country climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies as part of the global database initiative "Partnership for Transparency in the Paris Agreement (PATPA)" of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).

Ricarda Faber holds a master's degree in Public Policy with a focus on energy and climate from the University of Potsdam. As a scholarship holder of the Swiss-European Mobility Program, she studied one semester at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). Under the Climate Finance and Policy and Energy and Technology Policy groups at the Swiss Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zurich, Ricarda Faber wrote her master's thesis on the politics of green financial policy by analyzing the EU Taxonomy design process. She completed her bachelor's degree in Political Science from the Free University of Berlin (FUB), which she centered on climate change, global governance and climate justice. As a scholarship holder of the University Alliance for Sustainability (UAS), Ricarda Faber researched the topic of "Societal Transformation to Sustainability" in Beijing during a student exchange with Peking University.

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Selected projects by Ricarda Faber
ProjectHorizon 2020Transformative Policies for a Climate-neutral European Union (4i-TRACTION)
 

© Ecologic Institute

To achieve climate neutrality by 2050, EU policy will have to be reoriented – from incremental towards structural change. As expressed in the European Green Deal, the challenge is to initiate the necessary transformation to climate neutrality in the coming years, while... Read more

Transformative Policies for a Climate-neutral European Union (4i-TRACTION)

Duration
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Funding
ProjectThe EU Taxonomy as an Instrument to Reach Climate Neutrality
 

Bild von Gerd Altmann auf Pixabay

With the European Green Deal, the EU wants to become climate neutral by 2050. To achieve this, we must decarbonize our energy systems and economies. This effort requires investments in sustainable economic and financial activities. An important building block is the EU... Read more

The EU Taxonomy as an Instrument to Reach Climate Neutrality

Duration
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Funding
ProjectRestrictions of the EEG Regulations for the Use of PV Electricity in the Building Sector
 

Image by VoltaroEnergy from Pixabay

Roofs still offer enormous potential for solar electricity generation. In order to achieve the ambitious expansion targets of the German government, this potential must be raised. In a new project, Ecologic Institute and the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research... Read more

Restrictions of the EEG Regulations for the Use of PV Electricity in the Building Sector

Duration
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Funding
ProjectGreen Deal – Big Deal? Discussing Europe's Green Future
 
Podcast cover

Ecologic Institute

Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission) described the European Green Deal as "Europe's man-on-the-moon moment". With this plan, the European Union aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, protect and enhance nature, and sustainably transform the... Read more

Green Deal – Big Deal? Discussing Europe's Green Future

Duration
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Funding
ProjectEvidence-based Assessment for the Design of the German Energy Transition (Ariadne)
 

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels

Germany is to become climate-neutral by 2050. Achieving the climate targets will require extensive changes that will have an impact on large parts of the economy and social life. Concrete climate measures in energy generation, transport, industry and other sectors are... Read more

Evidence-based Assessment for the Design of the German Energy Transition (Ariadne)

Duration
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Funding
ProjectElectricityNeighbours – Can tenants in Berlin's apartment buildings become prosumers through solar power projects and sector coupling?
 

Photo by Istvan Hernek on Unsplash

Photovoltaic technology is a key lever for decarbonising Berlin's power consumption and for social participation in the transformation process, especially for tenants. Therefore, solar energy and projects on rental apartment blocks are key elements of the Berlin Senate... Read more

ElectricityNeighbours – Can tenants in Berlin's apartment buildings become prosumers through solar power projects and sector coupling?

Duration
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Funding
ProjectNew Approaches to Sustainable Mobility in Lower Saxony (WenaMoNi)
 
Mabel Amber | Pixabay.com
Without a thorough transformation in the transport sector, the energy transition will not succeed. On the one hand, emissions caused by mobility must be significantly reduced. On the other hand, the two sectors of transport and energy need to be linked. Lower Saxony,... Read more

New Approaches to Sustainable Mobility in Lower Saxony (WenaMoNi)

Duration
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Funding
ProjectTransitioning to Net Zero' Success Stories
 

Photo by Luciann Photography from Pexels

The EU has specified climate neutrality as a legally binding 2050 target. This transformation requires bold policy tools that can deliver concrete results – sector-by-sector. To inspire policymakers across the EU to get active, Agora Energiewende is compiling best... Read more

Transitioning to Net Zero' Success Stories

Duration
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Funding
ProjectLeapfrogging to a Resilient Europe
 

© Romolo Tavani|Fotolia.com

Like the COVID-19 pandemic, some crisis are difficult to anticipate. The climate crisis and the increasing biodiversity loss, however, are foreseeable. COVID-19 has shown that mitigating the risk of crisis is not only a moral issue but also an economic question. The... Read more

Leapfrogging to a Resilient Europe

Duration
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Funding
ProjectEvaluation, Monitoring and Adaptation of Existing Funding Programmes and Further Development of the National Climate Initiative (NKI) 2019-2023
 

Photo by Lukas on Pexels

With the National Climate Initiative (NKI), the Federal Environment Ministry has been supporting climate protection projects throughout Germany since June 2008, contributing to the achievement of Germany's climate protection goals. During this time, the NKI's guidelines... Read more

Evaluation, Monitoring and Adaptation of Existing Funding Programmes and Further Development of the National Climate Initiative (NKI) 2019-2023

Duration
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Funding
ProjectIntegrated Approaches for the Renovation and Modernisation of the Built Environment
 
©lucadp|Fotolia.com
Addressing energy consumption and related GHG emissions from buildings constitute a major challenge in the light of the climate crisis. At the same time, the interplay of building policies with other policy areas comes into focus with sector coupling, digitalization but... Read more

Integrated Approaches for the Renovation and Modernisation of the Built Environment

Duration
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Funding
Selected publications by Ricarda Faber
PublicationPodcastCLIMATE ON AIR – Discussing the Future of EU Climate Policy
 

© Ecologic Institute

Limiting global warming to well below 2 °C, whilst striving to limit it to 1.5 °C, means that many sectors of the European economy will need to be transformed over the next three decades. Our existing systems for energy, mobility, industry, food and housing... Read more

Ecologic Institute 2023: CLIMATE ON AIR – Discussing the future of EU climate policy. Podcast. Online: https://www.4i-traction.eu/outputs/4i-traction-podcast-climate-air-discussing-future-eu-climate-policy

PublicationKnowledge for Future – The Environment PodcastEU-Taxonomie: Ein guter Schritt für mehr Nachhaltigkeit?
 

Bild von Orlando auf Pixabay

Europe is to become climate-neutral by 2050. The EU Commission is striving to achieve this goal with the European Green Deal, which it published at the end of 2019. In order to achieve the climate targets, a lot of money will have to be invested – according to estimates... Read more

Ecologic Institute, detektor.fm 2022: EU-Taxonomie: Ein guter Schritt für mehr Nachhaltigkeit? Knowledge for Future – Der Umwelt-Podcast. 21 December 2022. Online: https://detektor.fm/politik/knowledge-for-future-eu-taxonomie

PublicationReportPolicy Avenues towards a Climate-Neutral Europe
 
Cover of the 4i-traction report "Policy Avenues towards a Climate-Neutral Europe"

© Ecologic Institute

The report maps out four policy avenues for how the EU could attain climate neutrality. The policy avenues consist of a mix of policy instruments sequenced over time, and the institutional arrangements to deliver them. Each policy avenue embodies a different paradigm, i... Read more

Görlach, Benjamin, Leon Martini, Ricarda Faber, Aaron Best, Pol Fontanet Pérez (2022): Report on core instruments and avenues for transformative climate policies. 4i-TRACTION Deliverable 4.1. Ecologic Institute; Berlin.

PublicationReportStromNachbarn: Reformoptionen für einen beschleunigten Ausbau von Photovoltaikanlagen auf Mehrfamilienhäusern in Berlin
 
Cover of the publication "StromNachbarn: Reformoptionen für einen beschleunigten Ausbau von Photovoltaikanlagen auf Mehrfamilienhäusern in Berlin" with a view over Berlin

© Ecologic Institute

The state of Berlin and the federal German government have set themselves ambitious goals for the expansion of photovoltaics (PV) by 2030. These goals can only be achieved if all market segments quickly start to grow and keep on growing, including the segment of PV... Read more

Umpfenbach, Katharina et al. 2022: StromNachbarn: Reformoptionen für einen beschleunigten Ausbau von Photovoltaikanlagen auf Mehrfamilienhäusern in Berlin. Wissen. Wandel. Berlin. | Report Nr. 24. Berlin: Ecologic Institut.

PublicationReportStromNachbarn: Evaluation der sozialen und ökologischen Wirkungen von Mieterstromanlagen in Berlin
 
stromnachbarn

Ecornet

Tenant electricity systems generate solar power on apartment buildings and deliver it directly to the households in the building. In a new study, Katharina Umpfenbach and Ricarda Faber evaluate the effects of the existing tenant electricity systems in Berlin. The bottom... Read more

Umpfenbach, K., Faber, R. (2021). StromNachbarn: Evaluation der sozialen und ökologischen Wirkungen von Mieterstromanlagen in Berlin, Berlin: Ecornet Berlin.

PublicationReportWhy the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility Must Prioritise Investments in Building Renovation
 
recovery-buildings

Ecologic Institute

Modernising the EU's building stock is essential to meet the twin goals of climate action and green recovery. The building sector is responsible for 27 % of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and for 36 % of energy-related GHG emissions when considering direct and... Read more

Velten, Eike Karola and Ricarda Faber 2020: Why the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility must prioritise investments in building renovation. A short think piece. Berlin: Ecologic Institute.

Selected events by Ricarda Faber
EventDigital EventModels for the Generation and Use of PV Electricity for Multi-party Buildings
 

Image by VoltaroEnergy from Pixabay

What models currently exist to promote photovoltaic systems on multi-unit buildings, and how can the regulatory framework be improved to further accelerate expansion? On 25 April 2023, a three-hour expert workshop in a hybrid format was held as part of the project ... Read more

Digital Event:Models for the Generation and Use of PV Electricity for Multi-party Buildings

Date
Location
Berlin, Germany
EventDigital EventFinancing Europe's Green Transition – The EU Taxonomy Regulation
 
GDBD

Ecologic Institute

Investments made in the coming years will be decisive in shaping the future of today’s young Europeans. These investments will help determine not only the environmental impacts of economic activities, but the leading industries and kinds of job opportunities that exist.... Read more

Digital Event:Financing Europe's Green Transition – The EU Taxonomy Regulation

Date
Location
online
EventDinner DialogueWhat's Next for the EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance?
 

Photo by Paul Skorupskas on Unsplash

The EU taxonomy regulation for sustainable finance has received much attention. Some see it as an essential part to help shift the vast amounts of capital that is needed for the transformation of our economies. Others claim it to be yet another classification system... Read more

Dinner Dialogue:What's Next for the EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance?

Date
Location
Berlin, Germany
EventDigital EventWhat Role do Tenants Play in the Energy Transition in Berlin?
 

© Ecologic Institute

On 30 April 2021 at the online Berliner ENERGIETAGE, the research network Ecornet Berlin presented how tenants can benefit from the energy transition. Members of the research network provided three expert inputs on: "Energy poverty in Berlin" (IÖW) "The impacts... Read more

Digital Event:What Role do Tenants Play in the Energy Transition in Berlin?

Date
Location
Berlin, Germany

Recent content by Ricarda Faber

Publication:Podcast
 
Our planet is experiencing a biodiversity crisis. And the problem across the EU is also severe, with more than 80% of habitats in the EU now in a bad or poor conservation status. To reverse this alarming trend, the European Commission has proposed the Nature Restoration Law, which aims to restore at least 20% of EU land and sea by 2030, and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050.

Nature Restoration Law: Restoring Europe's ecosystems & protecting biodiversity

Tenth episode of the podcast "Green Deal – Big Deal?"

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Event:Digital Event
 
GDBD
How do we classify which investments are the right ones to power the transition to a climate and nature-friendly economy? This is a pretty big question, and one that is crucial to a successful implementation of the European Green Deal. The EU Taxonomy Regulation specifies the various criteria that investments will need to fulfil to be considered sustainable. In practice, the taxonomy is a long list of economic activities with benchmark performance standards.

Financing Europe's Green Transition – The EU Taxonomy Regulation


online

Read more
Publication:Podcast
 
In this 1st episode of the "CLIMATE ON AIR – Discussing the future of EU climate policy" podcast, hosts Aaron Best from Ecologic Institute and Bradlie Martz-Sigala from the University of Eastern Finland discuss with Anuschka Hilke, Program Director at the Institute for Climate Economics (I4CE) and Benjamin Görlach, Environmental Economist and Head of Economics and Policy Assessment at Ecologic Institute, what "transformative policy" actually means and how it differs from traditional policymaking.

What is Transformative Climate Policy?

First episode of the podcast "CLIMATE ON AIR – Discussing the future of EU climate policy"

Year

Read more
Event:Digital Event
 
What models currently exist to promote photovoltaic systems on multi-unit buildings, and how can the regulatory framework be improved to further accelerate expansion? On 25 April 2023, three different models for the generation and use of PV electricity for multi-party buildings were presented in keynote speeches and then discussed with the expert audience.

Models for the Generation and Use of PV Electricity for Multi-party Buildings

Hybrid Expert Workshop


Berlin, Germany

Read more
Publication:Report
 
Cover of the 4i-traction report "Policy Avenues towards a Climate-Neutral Europe"
The report maps out four policy avenues for how the EU could attain climate neutrality. The policy avenues consist of a mix of policy instruments sequenced over time, and the institutional arrangements to deliver them. Each policy avenue embodies a different paradigm, i.e., a different approach to (climate) policymaking. They thus sketch different paths that the EU could follow to align its climate policy with the goal of climate neutrality by 2050.

Policy Avenues towards a Climate-Neutral Europe

Year

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Project
 
With the European Green Deal, the EU wants to become climate neutral by 2050. To achieve this, we must decarbonize our energy systems and economies. An important building block is the EU Taxonomy Regulation, which aims to channel money flows into green projects, technologies, and processes. The policy does so by classifying what is environmentally sustainable and what is not, thereby providing transparency for investors. In this project, Ecologic Institute critically accompanies this design process, prepares keynotes and fosters exchange between stakeholders from politics, industry, academia, and civil society.

The EU Taxonomy as an Instrument to Reach Climate Neutrality

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Publication:Report
 
publication's cover
For Germany to reach its climate targets, new ways of thinking mobility are essential. For the federal state of Lower Saxony, the mobility transition is particular challenging due the important role cars play in the region. The report "Ways to Sustainable Mobility" (WenaMoNi) analyses in detail where Lower Saxony stands and proposes next steps. Ecologic Institute analysed the legal framework and identified key actors promoting electric and hydrogen-based mobility. Katharina Umpfenbach and Ricarda Faber compared the existing policy instruments to best practices in other countries and to recommendations from science. The analysis shows that a policy approach built on subsidies which has been favoured so far, must be supplemented by pricing instruments if climate targets are to be reached.

NeueWege – Wege zur nachhaltigen Mobilität in Niedersachsen

Expert Opinion

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Publication:Report
 
stromnachbarn
Tenant electricity systems generate solar power on apartment buildings and deliver it directly to the households in the building. In a new study, Katharina Umpfenbach and Ricarda Faber (Ecologic Institute) evaluate the effects of the existing tenant electricity systems in Berlin. The bottom line: Berlin's 74 tenant electricity projects have positive ecological and socio-economic effects, but these remain low compared to the technically available potential. Currently, only 1 % of the tenant electricity potential is used. The study is available for download.

StromNachbarn: Evaluation der sozialen und ökologischen Wirkungen von Mieterstromanlagen in Berlin

Year

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