How long do people in Germany actually use their electrical and electronic devices? Although extending product lifetimes is a key strategy for advancing the circular economy and improving resource efficiency, reliable data on [...] More

In the Lusatia region (Saxony), fiber crops such as hemp and flax, as well as agricultural and municipal waste materials like straw and leaves, offer potential for bio-based value added that has remained largely untapped to [...] More

Citizen energy communities are considered a promising organizational model for the energy transition, as they combine local value creation with democratic participation and civic engagement. Nevertheless, certain population [...] More

To protect biodiversity and ecosystem services, various policy instruments are being discussed and implemented – regulatory, informational, and economic. Economic incentive instruments influence behavior through financial [...] More

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a top priority in achieving internationally agreed climate targets. However, modeling shows that reaching greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045 will also require additional approaches that [...] More

Since 2016, the federal award “Blue Compass” has been Germany's highest state honor for projects aimed at preventing and adapting to the consequences of climate change. Since 2021, the federal award has been presented jointly [...] More

The Elbe-Elster region in the south of the state of Brandenburg is affected by the phase-out of lignite mining and the associated change processes. It is part of the structural change region of Lusatia. Based on the status [...] More

There are many alternative economy actors that primarily pursue socio-ecological or public welfare objectives. They include, for example, social enterprises, citizens' cooperatives, collective enterprises and organizations of [...] More

In order to further advance the transition from an economy based on fossil fuels to a sustainable, innovative economy based on natural material cycles, the Brandenburg state parliament has decided to develop a own bioeconomy [...] More

The green and digital transformation of the economy, the so-called twin transition, has advanced in recent years to become a central political priority for the future. The digital transformation has the potential to save [...] More

In the Berlin Energy and Climate Protection Act, the state of Berlin has set itself the binding goal of becoming climate neutral by 2045 at the latest. Whether this goal is achieved depends largely on the development of the [...] More

In the German National Bioeconomy Strategy from 2020, the federal government formulated guidelines for a sustainable and bio-based economy that relies on natural material flows. These guidelines offer the Federal State of [...] More

Corporate reporting on sustainability issues is in transition. The standards and frameworks for reporting, most of which have been voluntary to date, are being developed at EU level to become more binding and standardized. [...] More

Climate change is progressing untamed, urgently requiring us to think about adaptive measures in order to cope with its consequences. The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events like heavy rainfall, [...] More

A shift towards more sustainable production and consumption patterns is essential for a sustainable development. Due to its market power, the public sector can develop a high potential for reducing the burden on the [...] More