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Influence of Narratives of Vision and Identity on Collective Behavior Change

Profound societal transformations are needed to move society from unsustainability to greater sustainability under continually changing social and environmental conditions. A key challenge is to understand the influences on and the dynamics of collective behavior change toward sustainability. In this paper, the authors of whom Grit Martinez of Ecologic Institute is one, demonstrate how affective narrative expressions influence transitions to more sustainable collective behaviors.Read more

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Forum Fischschutz und Fischabstieg – Ergebnisse und Diskussion

Naumann, Stephan, Ulf Stein and Hannes Schritt 2019: Forum Fischschutz und Fischabstieg – Ergebnisse und Diskussion. In: WasserWirtschaft 2019, 10, 36-39....Read more

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Article

Democracy

Dr. Jekyll und Mr. Hyde?

Die Grenzen zwischen Demokratie und Autoritarismus sind keineswegs fließend. Es gibt Mittel gegen westliche Selbstzweifel.

Democracies need a compass, writes Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf in the ipg-journal. To find their way in the haze of polarised debate, the compass must offer four things. First, it must help to understand pluralism – it must help to endure and respect different opinions. Conversely, it must recognise that some positions are outside the democratic spectrum. Thirdly, it must ensure precise language. And fourth, it must identify trends in democracies. The article is available online.Read more

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Ein europäisches Klimaschutzgesetz

The new President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has promised a European climate law. What it should look like describe Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf and Katharina Umpfenbach in the Tagesspiegel. The law should close five gaps.Read more

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Let's Say It in Their Own Words

In this article, Dr. Grit Martinez ist concerned with the role of culture and history in relation to local knowledge and values, as these are displayed in the interpretations and actions of distinct groups regarding climate change. She argues that it makes sense to communicate the climate in a manner appropriate to the given cultural-historical context and imaginary and to the relevant semiotic and material views of the people in it. The article is available for download.Read more

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Spatially Differentiated Regulation: Can it save the Baltic Sea from excessive N-loads?

The Baltic Sea Action Plan and the EU Water Framework Directive both require substantial additional reductions of nutrient loads (N and P) to the marine environment. Focusing on nitrogen, we present a widely applicable concept for spatially differentiated regulation, exploiting the large spatial variations in the natural removal of nitrate in groundwater and surface water. By targeting mitigation measures towards areas where nature’s own capacity for removal is low, spatially differentiated regulation can be more cost-effective than the traditional uniform regulation. We present a methodology for upscaling local modelling results on targeted measures at field scale to Baltic Sea drainage basin scale. The paper assesses the potential gain and discusses key challenges related to implementation of spatially differentiated regulation, including the need for more scientific knowledge, handling of uncertainties, practical constraints related to agricultural practice and introduction of co-governance regimes.Read more

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Agriculture

Sustainability

NaWiKo Change Agents

Societal transformations are often initiated by individuals. This also applies to the sustainable economy issue: There are particularly committed people behind many smaller and larger developments that have been set in motion in recent years. Some of these "change agents" who were involved in projects of the "Scientific coordination of research projects on a sustainable economy" (NaWiKo) have been presented as part of the project's dissemination work.Read more

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Article

Climate

EU Reform and Climate Policies – Two Birds with One Stone

Maintaining a strong EU and implementing effective climate policies go hand in hand with one another. Indeed, they are pretty much the best of friends. A stable, prosperous and climate-resilient Europe requires effective climate action; and effective climate action needs a strong EU. When addressed from this angle, there is a lot of agreement among EU policymakers, who often speak about the importance of climate action when addressing the future of the EU. However, there is more to it than general agreement. Climate policies and the future of the EU can reinforce each other in concrete ways. This article by Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf (Ecologic Institute) and Sebastian Oberthür (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) is available for download.Read more

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Article

Climate

EU Reform and Climate Policies – Pretty Much Best Friends

On 9 May 2019, the European Council meets in Sibiu (Romania). Not long ago, this meeting was expected to be an important milestone in the Process on the Future of the EU. Now, expectations are much lower. Avoiding controversy is the first order of business. But the core questions of the Process on the Future of the EU will not go away: how to maintain and develop a strong EU? This question will stick with us, and it will keep the new Parliament and the new Commission busy. This article by Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf (Ecologic Institute) and Sebastian Oberthür (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) is available online.Read more

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How Can We Make the Energiewende Digital and Sustainable?

The Energiewende means a transition from the old, nuclear-and-coal based, to a sustainable and digitalized energy system. This is a complex endeavor: the number of actors involved increases and their functions overlap. While digital technologies bring automation and potential for relief, they are an ambivalent phenomenon: with no comprehensive laws on data protection, it is unclear what is going to happen to the tremendous amount of data collected by digital appliances. Besides, technologies like blockchain are often so energy-intensive that they eat up the amount of resources that they are trying to save. Therefore, political design must actively shape a digital and ecologically sustainable energy transition – it will not happen by itself.Read more