Ricarda Faber

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Ricarda Faber

MA (Public Policy)
BA (Political Science)

Researcher

Team
Topics

Ricarda Faber is Researcher at Ecologic Institute. Her work focuses on the design, implementation and effects of energy and climate mitigation policy, and governance systems for the just transition to climate neutrality. She is a native German speaker and fluent in English.

At Ecologic Institute, her project portfolio includes regulatory approaches that promote the green transition including renewable energies, energy efficiency, sector coupling, digitalization, and governance frameworks. Ricarda Faber supports the coordination of the EU Horizon 2020 research project "Transformative Policies for a Climate-Neutral European Union (4I-TRACTION)". As part of the project, she also conducts research on multilevel climate and energy dialogues, conceptualizes the "CLIMATE ON AIR - Discussing the future of EU climate policy" podcast series and led an ex-post study on the German smart metering rollout. Moreover, in the research project StromNachbarn, which was part of the research network Ecornet Berlin, Ricarda Faber analyzed the socio-economic effects of prosumerism in Berlin by means of a tenant survey. In the project WenaMoNi, she uncovered barriers and opportunities for sustainable mobility in Lower Saxony (Germany).

Next to her research and writing, Ricarda Faber is co-host of the podcast and webinar series "Green Deal - Big Deal?", which examines the many facets of the European Green Deal. To foster stakeholder engagement and disseminate project output, she has led the organisation of conferences in Brussels, targeted workshops, a dinner dialogue, and webinars.

Before joining Ecologic Institute, Ricarda Faber worked as Project Assistant at adelphi Consult in the fields of sustainable consumption and international climate policy. There, she gained experience in sustainability indicators, best practice case study research, and stakeholder engagement.

Ricarda Faber holds a master's degree with distinction in Public Policy with a focus on energy, climate, and governance from the University of Potsdam. As a scholarship holder of the Swiss-European Mobility Program, she studied for 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's design process. She completed her bachelor's degree in Political Science from the Free University of Berlin (FUB), which she centered on climate change. Ricarda Faber received a grant from the University Alliance for Sustainability (UAS) to study 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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Funding
Selected publications by Ricarda Faber
PublicationReportProgress on the Implementation of National Multilevel Climate and Energy Dialogues: Assessing Member States' own reporting
 
Cover of the report Progress on the implementation of national Multilievel Climate and Energy Dialogues: Assessing Member States Owen Reporting

Ecologic Institute

With the introduction of the Governance Regulation (2018/1999) in 2018, the EU solidified the integration of energy and climate policies, paving the way for enhanced planning, reporting, and progress monitoring to reach climate neutrality by 2050. Article 11 of the... Read more

Faber, R., Kocher, D., Duwe, M. (2023). Progress on the implementation of national Multilevel Climate and Energy Dialogues: Assessing Member States' own reporting. A preliminary assessment of the implementation of Article 11 of the EU's Governance Regulation. 4i-TRACTION Procedural Governance Series. Ecologic Institute, Berlin.

PublicationPodcastEurope's Race to Renewables – cheaper, vaster, faster
 

© Ecologic Institute

The latest "Green Deal – Big Deal?" podcast episode, hosted by Ricarda Faber and Aaron Best of Ecologic Institute, features interview guests Professor Johan Lilliestam of the Research Institute for Sustainability Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (RIFS) and Dr. Andrzej Ancygier... Read more

Ecologic Institute 2023: Europe's race to renewables – cheaper, vaster, faster. Online: https://www.greendealbigdeal.eu/podcast/episode-11/

PublicationPodcastThe EU's Climate Neutrality Challenge: Can Infrastructure be the Game Changer?
 

Ecologic Institute

Infrastructure is key to the transition from a society based on fossil fuels to one that is powered by renewable energy. While most of the infrastructure planning and decision-making is done at national level, the EU has a significant coordinating role, especially in... Read more

Ecologic Institute 2023: The EU’s Climate Neutrality Challenge: Can Infrastructure be the Game Changer? Podcast. Online: https://www.4i-traction.eu/outputs/podcast-series-episode-3-Can-Infrastructure-be-the-Game-Changer

PublicationPodcastWhat is the Role of Innovation in Making the EU Climate Neutral?
 

© Ecologic Institute

Innovation plays a key role in steering the EU towards climate neutrality by 2050. Both the public and private sectors need innovation to develop and adopt cutting-edge technologies, transformative climate policies and novel business practices tailored for a climate... Read more

Ecologic Institute 2023: What is the role of innovation in making the EU climate neutral? Podcast. Online: https://www.4i-traction.eu/outputs/podcast-series-episode-2-innovation

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

© Ecologic Institute

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... Read more

Ecologic Institute 2023: Nature Restoration Law: restoring Europe's ecosystems & protecting biodiversity. Online: https://www.greendealbigdeal.eu/podcast/episode-10/

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.

PublicationPodcastWhat is Transformative Climate Policy?
 

Ecologic Institute

As concern for our planet's health continues to rise, climate policy has taken center stage in political discussions worldwide. While EU member states have made strides towards implementing comprehensive climate policies, we still have a long way to go in reducing... Read more

Ecologic Institute 2023: What is transformative climate policy? Podcast. Online: https://www.4i-traction.eu/outputs/podcast-series-episode-1-what-transformative-eu-climate-policy

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

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

Event:Digital Event
 
Utility-scale solar photovoltaics and onshore wind are now the cheapest sources of new power in most countries, and according to a 2022 report by the International Energy Agency, renewables will account for over 90% of global electricity expansion over the next five years. To support the rapid change to renewables, dramatic changes in energy infrastructure such as grids are also needed.

Europe's Energy Transition – Rolling out renewables and infrastructure


online

Read more
Publication:Podcast
 
The latest "Green Deal – Big Deal?" podcast episode, hosted by Ricarda Faber and Aaron Best of Ecologic Institute, features interview guests Professor Johan Lilliestam of the Research Institute for Sustainability Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (RIFS) and Dr. Andrzej Ancygier of Climate Analytics. During the discussion, they shed light on the past, present and future of renewables in the EU, describing the major market shifts, policy events and technological developments that have made renewable energy one of the most exciting facets of achieving sustainability in Europe.

Europe's Race to Renewables – cheaper, vaster, faster

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

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Publication:Report
 
Cover of the report Progress on the implementation of national Multilievel Climate and Energy Dialogues: Assessing Member States Owen Reporting
This paper examines to what extent and how Member States have met the obligation to carry out multilevel climate and energy dialogues. It does so on the basis of national reporting on the mandatory implementation of multilevel climate and energy dialogues (MLCEDs) against the requirements set out in Article 11 of the Governance Regulation.

Progress on the Implementation of National Multilevel Climate and Energy Dialogues: Assessing Member States' own reporting

Year

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Publication:Podcast
 
The 3rd episode of the 4i-TRACTION podcast series uncovers the essential role of infrastructure in climate policy by examining the EU's role in rolling out the infrastructure for a resilient climate-neutral economy. The hosts, together with infrastructure and energy experts Bettina Kampman (CE Delft) and Katharina Umpfenbach (DENA, the German Energy Agency), discuss how recent EU policies are proving to be a good driver to speed up the energy transition and how more attention to infrastructure as a separate topic is needed.

The EU's Climate Neutrality Challenge: Can Infrastructure be the Game Changer?

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

Year

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Event:Digital Event
 
Nature Restoarion Law
On 28 June 2023, participants joined webinar hosts Ricarda Faber and Aaron Best from Ecologic Institute and their two expert guests: Humberto Delgado Rosa (Director for Biodiversity at the European Commission) and Sabien Leemans (Senior Biodiversity Policy Officer for WWF). Together, they discussed what can be done to restore ecosystems and protect biodiversity in the EU, as well as the new Nature Restoration Law proposed by the European Commission.

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


online

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Publication:Podcast
 
The 2nd episode of the 4i-TRACTION podcast uncovers the pivotal role of innovation in European climate policy. The hosts, together with climate experts Brendan Moore (Centre for Environment, Economy and Energy of the Brussels School of Governance) and Harm Rienks (Wageningen University and Research), discuss the concrete instruments which the EU uses to promote innovation.

What is the Role of Innovation in Making the EU Climate Neutral?

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

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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?"

Year

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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

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Publication:Report
 
Cover of the discussion paper titled 'Report on national case studies', below the subtitel 'Deliverable D2.6'. At the top, a modern logo consisting of intertwined loops in multiple colors, representing the brand '4i TRACTION', which stands for innovation, investment, infrastructure, and integration. At the bottom, the authors' names and the 4i TRACTION brand element at the bottom, subtly repeating the logo's color scheme.
This report is the final report on seven national case studies (NCS) performed in the 4i-TRACTION project. It presents outcomes of the analysis carried out in task 2.3 'Evaluation of 4i dimensions at the national level – case-study analysis'.

Report on National Case Studies

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