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Sustainable Germany (9): 69 German enterprises call for an implementation programme for climate neutrality
Ulrich Graute • 11 October 2021
Businesses declare themselves prepared to fulfil a central role in climate action
As a perfect fit to my blog post series 'Sustainable Germany' the German Stiftung 2° – German Businesses for Climate Protection 69 German enterprises call for an implementation programme for climate neutrality. The call could support the building of an Ampelkoalition of the socialdemocratic party SDP, the Greens
and
the Liberals
because the call may demonstrate a path to link the Greens' call for climate neutrality with economic interests supported mainly by the Liberals. The following English version of the declaration has been published on 11 October 2011 on the website of the foundation.
"Climate change has become tangible for all of us. The latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) makes it unmistakably clear that there is no more time to lose in taking decisive action to counter global warming. To do so, we immediately require ambitious climate policy across all sectors that meets the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and sets out a clear, reliable, and plannable path to climate neutrality for businesses and society.
Many businesses in Germany understand that now is the time to act and have begun to do so. They are reducing their emissions, are making concrete goals a binding part of their strategies for the future, are realising innovative projects, and investing in climate-friendly technologies. The private sector is ready to make climate action its business model and to make climate-neutrality an internationally recognised and export-ready trademark of German industry.
However, businesses require a policy framework for the transformation of Germany into a climate-neutral industrial country by 2045 to succeed, while reaching the goal of a 65% cut in emissions by 2030 relative to 1990. This policy framework will have to make climate-friendly technologies economical while supporting sustainable business models and offering long-term planning security.
The new German government must therefore set the course for this from the first day of the new legislative period. Now is the time for bold and decisive action!
We as companies from all sectors of the German economy therefore call upon the new federal government to:
1. Launch an implementation programme for climate neutrality in the first 100 days.
Many businesses in Germany understand that now is the time to act and have begun to do so. They are reducing their emissions, are making concrete goals a binding part of their strategies for the future, are realising innovative projects, and investing in climate-friendly technologies. The private sector is ready to make climate action its business model and to make climate-neutrality an internationally recognised and export-ready trademark of German industry.
However, businesses require a policy framework for the transformation of Germany into a climate-neutral industrial country by 2045 to succeed, while reaching the goal of a 65% cut in emissions by 2030 relative to 1990. This policy framework will have to make climate-friendly technologies economical while supporting sustainable business models and offering long-term planning security.
The new German government must therefore set the course for this from the first day of the new legislative period. Now is the time for bold and decisive action!
We as companies from all sectors of the German economy therefore call upon the new federal government to:
1. Launch an implementation programme for climate neutrality in the first 100 days.
Following the completed revisions to the Climate Protection Act and the strengthening of the climate targets, businesses urgently require a comprehensive and concrete climate policy action programme – for all sectors and industries. To reliably achieve the climate goals for 2030 in the remaining eight years, it is necessary for the federal government to put forward a “Implementation Programme for Climate Neutrality” in the first 100 days of the new legislative period, building on the comprehensive approach of the European Commission’s Green Deal. The measures contained within it should be rolled out during the first year to provide a strong foundation for future action. The implementation programme must ensure that decisive steps needed to reach climate neutrality by 2045 are finally taken. The programme measures must be outfitted with the financing levels necessary to enable and accelerate the expansion of important technologies and infrastructures and the investments needed in the energy, industry, building, and mobility sectors. On the European level, the federal government should take a clear stance in favour of a “Fit for 55” programme that supports businesses in achieving the climate goals and encourages investment.
2. Increase the competitiveness of climate technologies.
The technologies needed to achieve the climate goals in all sectors are largely familiar. What is required now is a policy framework that makes these technologies market ready and competitive in an efficient way. As a part of its implementation programme, the new German government must enact climate-friendly reforms of the tax, levies, and allocation systems that solve existing disfunction. The CO2 price must be further developed and strengthened as a leading climate policy instrument in reliable steps agreed upon at the European and international levels. Its steering effect should thus be considerably increased and directed toward the goal of Germany achieving climate neutrality by 2045. The CO2 price should additionally be buttressed by an effective mix of measures for individual sectors so that climate-friendly technologies can quickly become competitive. In return, targeted measures are needed to ensure a fair social balance, to effectively counter carbon and investment leakage, and to preserve and unleash resources for future projects. This includes providing significant relief to businesses and consumers on electricity costs. It is also necessary to considerably expand and sustainably establish incentives for investment in climate-friendly technologies – especially in terms of scaling – and sector-specific instruments to support businesses actively working to enact the transformation needed. Commitment is needed to drive forward the creation of lead markets for sustainable and products suited for a circular economy.
3. Accelerate the expansion of renewable energies and increase energy efficiency.
Renewable energies in combination with measures to increase energy efficiency are the backbone of the transformation to climate neutrality in nearly all sectors. They are increasingly becoming an elementary facet of Germany as a location for industry. It is therefore necessary to massively accelerate the expansion of renewable energies and the energy grids they require. By 2030, at least 70% of the rising demand for electricity in Germany must be covered by renewable energies. The installed capacity both of wind energy on land and sea and of solar energy must therefore nearly triple. For this to succeed, sufficient surface area for the expansion of renewable energies must be made dependably available and existing installations must be upgraded. This ambitious expansion of renewable energies must be combined with further measures to create the conditions necessary to achieve the exit from coal-fired power clearly before 2038. These include, above all, consistent measures for a significant increase in energy efficiency in the building sector, especially by increasing the renovation rate, which requires adequate support for the necessary investments. Companies can act as a catalyst for the creation of a renewable energy system. To do so, they require a more attractive and simpler framework for implementing important technological solutions. These include, among others, the self-generation and use of renewable electricity, the efficient generation and use of heating and cooling based on renewable energies and industrial waste heat, the generation and use of hydrogen from renewable energies, and the conversion of corporate fleets.
4. Simplify the approval of climate-friendly infrastructure.
Lengthy and cumbersome planning and approval procedures must not be allowed to slow down the expansion of key technologies and infrastructures for achieving climate neutrality. In addition to generation capacities for renewable energies, this applies to power grids, the industrial plants necessary for the transformation (including for hydrogen production based on renewable energies and for CO2 capture, use and storage), climate-friendly transport infrastructure, and energy-efficient building refurbishment. In addition, the expansion of broadband must be accelerated to enable, for example, digital solutions for optimising sustainable, decentralised energy production. The implementation programme should therefore include a “kick-start initiative” for a fundamental reorganisation and simplification of future and current planning and approval procedures. This requires courage and pragmatism: the duration of approval procedures should be limited to less than one year, if possible. Appeals channels and legal action procedures should be accelerated, and the competent administrative units and courts should be enabled to act quickly.
5. Lead by example.
The state is the largest contracting body in Germany. Around 500 billion Euro are invested in public procurement every year. This gives the public sector a powerful climate policy lever that must be used much more than before to create lead markets for sustainable and circular products. The German government should launch a concerted action by the federal government, the states, municipalities, and the private sector and systematically orient public sector investments, projects, and award criteria towards climate action, the circular economy, and sustainability. Public funding must be used more intensively to mobilise private capital for investments in the climate-neutral technologies of the future. The financial sector plays a central role in financing the transformation. To do justice to this task, a goal-oriented and practicable regulatory framework for the German and European financial sector is needed.
6. Strengthen international partnerships.
The COP26 summit in Glasgow and the German G7 presidency in 2022 must be used to strengthen the transatlantic partnership and to lay the foundations for a club of climate leaders within the context of the G20. It should set international standards for a Paris compatible financial system and climate-neutral products. The Climate Club should work to strengthen climate action and the international competitiveness of German businesses while preventing carbon leakage. The German government should work through strategic partnerships on key technologies to achieve climate neutrality and to secure the competitive advantage of tomorrow.
As businesses, we are prepared to fulfil our central role in climate action. We call upon the new German government to make the transformation to climate neutrality the central economic project of the coming legislative period. We are pleased to offer the coming government our support in doing so."
https://www.stiftung2grad.de/en/implementation-programme-climate-neutrality-7249
Policies and Governance for Resilient and Sustainable Cities and Regions
Click to see the map in the full scale or download map in pdf format here https://anatomyof.ai/img/ai-anatomy-map.pdf.
About the challenge of providing advice on governance and development in times of disruption and transition (English with German captatio ns) Deutsch: Ulrich spricht darüber, wie es ist, in Zeiten von Umbruch, Wandel und vielfachen Krisen als erfahrener Berater zu arbeiten. Obwohl die Situation nicht einfach ist, kann man daraus auch Chancen für effizientere Institutionen und Unternehmen sehen. Erfahrung und Flexibilität sind dabei wichtig, um neue Wege zu finden. English: Ulrich talks about working as an experienced consultant in times of upheaval, change, and multiple crises. Although the situation is not easy, we can also see opportunities for more efficient institutions and companies. Experience and flexibility are important to find new pathways.
"The development of highly capable AI is likely to be the biggest event in human history. The world must act decisively to ensure it is not the last event in human history. This conference, and the cooperative spirit of the AI Summit series, give me hope; but we must turn hope into action, soon, if there is to be a future we would want our children to live in." Professor Stuart Russell, IASEAI President and Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley Please join me on 13 February 2025 at ARCS 9.0 for my keynote on 'Urban politics, planning, and economy in the Global South in times of fast developing AI' The two weeks before my conference presentation were full of dynamics in the field of AI, its politics, and development. First came the launch of the 500 billion US$ Stargate Project in the USA, followed by the launch of the Chinese open-source large language model (LLM) DeepSeek. On 6 February the International Association for Safe & Ethical AI held its inaugural conference in Paris, France. Prominent AI scientists including Stuart Russel and the 2024 Physics Nobel Laureate Geoffrey Hinton called for international cooperation to ensure safe and ethical artificial intelligence. On 10 and 11 February 2025, France co-chaired by India hosted the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit in Paris. The speeches by Heads of State and Government including the President of France, the Prime Minister of India, the President of the EU Commission, and the US Vice President gave the impression of how different countries of the world try to position themselves in a race for AI leadership. Urban politics, planning, and economy, not only in the Global South, need longer-term frameworks. How should digital transformation and urban planning be approached in cities facing multiple crises and the new wave of AI technological innovation? The latter is according to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others unprecedented in scale and speed but it is expected to affect all spheres of life. ARCS 9.0 schedule and Zoom link for Inaugural, plenaries and Valedictory. Date - 13th Feb to 15th Feb 2025 Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/95336599575?pwd=NExxgf8gBoubEfKRhhtbalM1ZYjQph.1 Meeting ID: 953 3659 9575
Source of the picture OpenAI: https://openai.com/index/announcing-the-stargate-project/
It was a tremendous privilege in my life to meet Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter for the first time in 1984 (picture) and then again in the summer of 1985 during my internship at Koinonia Farm near Americus, Georgia (USA). Jimmy Carter, who served as the 39th president of the U.S. from 1977 to 1981, died on December 29, 2024, at his home in Plains, Ga. Jimmy Carter was a lifelong farmer who worked with his hands building houses for the poor well into his 90s. I didn't agree with him on all issues (the early 1980s were the time of a new US missile deployment in Germany ordered by Jimmy Carter and a large peace movement against it) but he took the time to discuss it with me and others at Koinonia Farm. That alone was amazing. Even more mind-blowing was that he continued hands-on work on peacebuilding and house renovation for the poor around the world with Habitat for Humanity International well into his 90s. If in my career providing hands-on support became more important than climbing my own career path, this was also due to the example Jimmy Carter gave in the decades after his Presidency. I learned a lot from him about working for peace with humbleness, love, and perseverance. Read more in the New York Times about why Jimmy Carter was known as much for his charity and diplomatic work later in life as he was for his single presidential term, which ended in 1981. https://lnkd.in/d9qxSmTM *. *. *. *. * Note: This post was first published on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/posts/graute_learning-to-work-hands-on-for-peace-from-activity-7279396908270309376-BBjV?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
In 2024, for the first time since 2000, the Parties to the United Nations Rio Conventions on biodiversity, climate change, and desertification faced a very busy 3 months, moving from large Conferences of Parties (COP) in Cali (Colombia) for biodiversity in October to Baku (Azerbaijan) for climate in November to Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) for desertification in December. On top of this Triple-COP, there was the UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and the UN Summit of the Future in September in New York (USA) while UN-Habitat held its World Urban Forum in Cairo (Egypt), and let’s not forget the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5) which ended last weekend in Busan, South Korea. No real breakthroughs were reported but I noticed many promises to double future efforts. There is a lot that can be critically reviewed about the events, eg what’s the purpose of moving approximately 100.000+ delegates, UN staffers, and other participants worldwide if the necessary political will to agree and resources available are insufficient and the outcomes are limited accordingly? But such a critique would be a bit unfair since I don’t know how many new ideas and initiatives were born during those official meetings, side events, and informal chats that might bloom up in upcoming years despite of the multicrises we’re living in. What needs to be criticized is that the UN System is not progressing on its task to implement its many mandates more “synergistically” by targeting policies, programs, and initiatives to jointly address the goals of the Rio Conventions, SDGs, etc. Instead, the conferences referred to each other but worked mainly within their silos. This is not appropriate in a world full of interrelations and interdepensies. Well, no individual or group can follow up on every aspect, and swarm intelligence of conferences with thousands of participants each seems to be no functioning alternative. But what else could be done? To give an example: How about building an AI-based Large Language Model (LLM) trained with the UN Charter, all UN declarations, national and subnational resolutions, regulations, and programmes? AI Agents for the different conventions and agendas should then be asked to coordinate and propose “synergistic” proposals across policy levels. Of course, the use of artificial intelligence should be wisely supervised by a team of AI experts and professionals from all affected fields. I wouldn’t expect AI applications to solve all problems but to better inform decision-makers and UN agencies on integrated scenarios. This could help to increase efficiency, avoid duplicating efforts, and increase the overall problem-solving capacity of the UN. I would be happy to support such work with my governance and development experience across all policy levels. Picture source: https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/cop-nature-climate-adaptation-mitigation
Since the first climate COP in 1995, the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency has been representing local and regional governments at the processes under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The LGMA also represents ISOCARP - International Society of City and Regional Planners and Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments. ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability acts as the Focal Point of LGMA. The 2015 Paris Agreement marked a turning point, recognizing the essential role of these governments in enhancing Nationally Determined Contributions NDSs and driving transformative climate action. The LGMA is atively present in Baku with a robust agenda, numerous partners, and an esteemed delegation of political leaders representing local and subnational governments. At the center of the presence is the Multilevel Action & Urbanization Pavilion as the global stage for the city and region climate agenda during COP29. The Pavilion brings into focus not only the challenges and needs, but also the accomplishments and commitments of local and subnational actors on climate action. The Pavilion is open from 12 to 22 November in the Blue Zone, Area E, Pavilion I15. We are looking forward to welcoming you at the High-Level Opening on 12 November at 10:00 AM. Please find the agenda of LGMA attached. Please visit also the Youtube channel of ICLEI Global for daily updates https://lnkd.in/dddDCKtA Ulrich Graute - ISOCARP Online Delegate at COP29 and Chair of the ISOCARP Scientific Committee
Report on the Urban Conversation on Ethical Use of AI in Urban Planning at the 60th World Planning Congress in Siena, Italy on 11 OCTOBER 2024
Date: 11 October 2024 Time: 10:45 - 13:15 Room: Accademie. Fisiocritici Session background and a short description of the Content Cities form the heart of human development and innovation, with 80% of global GDP generated within them and according to the United Nations approximately 56% of the world’s population now live in cities, and likely to reach nearly 70% by 2050. At the same time, the urban world is on a journey to revitalize cities, build new cities for growing populations, to dismantle inequalities, and to create a sustainable urban legacy for future generations. The growth and demands of cities are rapidly changing and looking (or exploring) for new systems and planning tools. In this situation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides a transformative potential in managing and planning cities. It can support, analyze, and predict the impact of policy changes, demographic shifts and development plans. AI facilitates a valuable foundation for productive dialogue and constructive debate between municipal authorities, and the public and private sector. AI enables the People-focused city through systems integration and collaborations. Simultaneously, the application of generative AI in the public domain brings a number of risks and pitfalls. To assure an ethical use of the new wave of innovation in planning it is necessary to strike a careful balance between risk mitigation and harnessing its capabilities for public good and resilience. The central concept of modern Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the intelligent agent. As of today, we have limitations to building one general-purpose AI program that does everything, instead AI developers build different types of agent programs for different types of problems and contexts. AI researchers agree that the new wave of innovation will impact all spheres of life and require more actors for future developments of AI. The discussion on the use of AI cannot be left alone to IT programmers and code developers. In this context, the objective of the conversation is to bring together planning practitioners and experts from city-making to discuss the use and potential impact of AI in urban planning and management and the related leadership of ISOCARP in the global dialogue on AI governance and capacity building of planners. Recent examples eg from Australia and Saudi Arabia will be presented along with panel discussions. Session Organizers Dr Ulrich Graute, Chair of the ISOCARP Scientific Committee, Berlin Dr Sunil Dubey, The UNSW Cities Institute, Sydney. 1. Introduction to the theme of the session by Ulrich Graute 2. The making of inclusive, prosperous and sustainable cities and the new challenges and opportunities provided by AI and Data 2.1 The case of Australia - Key note by Dr Sarah Hill, CEO Greater Sydney Commission and Western Parkland City Authority (New South Wales Govt, former) ‘Planning New Cities and Inclusive economic development’ - Western Sydney Aerotropolis – Australia’s 22nd Century City Making through Community, Creativity and Innovation. 2.2 The case of Saudi Arabia (10 min) Progress, Peace & Prosperity 2030 – How Saudi Cities are transforming using data and power of Ai. Dr Sunil Dubey 3. Roundtable Moderation: Ulrich Graute Guiding questions include AI in Urban Planning: Navigating the Intersection of Technology and Values – AI as a technical tool and/or as co-pilot in planning New Cities and inclusive economic development. Including AI in existing planning systems and processes and the requirement eg of a regulatory framework and capacity-building. What shape will AI have on future cities? ISOCARP and the new wave of technological innovation. Panelists: Sarah Hill, Executive Project Director (Public Investment Fund PIF, Saudi Arabia) Eric Huybrecht, Congress Director ISOCARP’s 60th WPC, Institute Paris Region Elisabeth Belpaire, ISOCARP President-Elect Ulrich Graute, Chair of ISOCARP SciCom Sunil Dubey, Smart Cities thought leader. Website of the 60th ISOCARP World Planning Congress https://isocarp.org/activities/60th-wpc-siena-2024/ Website of the Academy of Social Sciences (UK) AI in urban planning: risks and opportunities https://acss.org.uk/publications/ai-in-urban-planning-risks-and-opportunities/