Internationales Zentrum für Nachhaltige Entwicklung (IZNE)
Refine
H-BRS Bibliography
- yes (195)
Departments, institutes and facilities
- Internationales Zentrum für Nachhaltige Entwicklung (IZNE) (195)
- Fachbereich Wirtschaftswissenschaften (75)
- Institut für Technik, Ressourcenschonung und Energieeffizienz (TREE) (51)
- Fachbereich Ingenieurwissenschaften und Kommunikation (50)
- Fachbereich Sozialpolitik und Soziale Sicherung (7)
- Fachbereich Informatik (5)
- Graduierteninstitut (2)
- Institut für KI und Autonome Systeme (A2S) (1)
- Zentrum für Innovation und Entwicklung in der Lehre (ZIEL) (1)
Document Type
- Article (63)
- Conference Object (54)
- Working Paper (33)
- Part of a Book (20)
- Book (monograph, edited volume) (9)
- Report (6)
- Research Data (3)
- Doctoral Thesis (2)
- Preprint (2)
- Conference Proceedings (1)
Year of publication
Keywords
- Nachhaltigkeit (9)
- West Africa (7)
- Kenya (6)
- Corporate Social Responsibility (5)
- Ghana (4)
- Social Protection (4)
- Sustainability (4)
- biodiversity (4)
- energy meteorology (4)
- Global horizontal irradiance (3)
The clear-sky radiative effect of aerosol-radiation interactions is of relevance for our understanding of the climate system. The influence of aerosol on the surface energy budget is of high interest for the renewable energy sector. In this study, the radiative effect is investigated in particular with respect to seasonal and regional variations for the region of Germany and the year 2015 at the surface and top of atmosphere using two complementary approaches.
First, an ensemble of clear-sky models which explicitly consider aerosols is utilized to retrieve the aerosol optical depth and the surface direct radiative effect of aerosols by means of a clear sky fitting technique. For this, short-wave broadband irradiance measurements in the absence of clouds are used as a basis. A clear sky detection algorithm is used to identify cloud free observations. Considered are measurements of the shortwave broadband global and diffuse horizontal irradiance with shaded and unshaded pyranometers at 25 stations across Germany within the observational network of the German Weather Service (DWD). Clear sky models used are MMAC, MRMv6.1, METSTAT, ESRA, Heliosat-1, CEM and the simplified Solis model. The definition of aerosol and atmospheric characteristics of the models are examined in detail for their suitability for this approach.
Second, the radiative effect is estimated using explicit radiative transfer simulations with inputs on the meteorological state of the atmosphere, trace-gases and aerosol from CAMS reanalysis. The aerosol optical properties (aerosol optical depth, Ångström exponent, single scattering albedo and assymetrie parameter) are first evaluated with AERONET direct sun and inversion products. The largest inconsistency is found for the aerosol absorption, which is overestimated by about 0.03 or about 30 % by the CAMS reanalysis. Compared to the DWD observational network, the simulated global, direct and diffuse irradiances show reasonable agreement within the measurement uncertainty. The radiative kernel method is used to estimate the resulting uncertainty and bias of the simulated direct radiative effect. The uncertainty is estimated to −1.5 ± 7.7 and 0.6 ± 3.5 W m−2 at the surface and top of atmosphere, respectively, while the annual-mean biases at the surface, top of atmosphere and total atmosphere are −10.6, −6.5 and 4.1 W m−2, respectively.
The retrieval of the aerosol radiative effect with the clear sky models shows a high level of agreement with the radiative transfer simulations, with an RMSE of 5.8 W m−2 and a correlation of 0.75. The annual mean of the REari at the surface for the 25 DWD stations shows a value of −12.8 ± 5 W m−2 as average over the clear sky models, compared to −11 W m−2 from the radiative transfer simulations. Since all models assume a fixed aerosol characterisation, the annual cycle of the aerosol radiation effect cannot be reproduced. Out of this set of clear sky models, the largest level of agreement is shown by the ESRA and MRMv6.1 models.
Cultivation of Miscanthus x giganteus L. (Mis) with annual harvest of biomass could provide an additional C source for farmers. To test the potential of Mis-C for immobilizing inorganic N from slurry or manure and as a C source for soil organic matter build-up in comparison to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) straw (WS), a greenhouse experiment was performed. Pot experiments with ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) were set up to investigate the N dynamics of two organic fertilisers based on Mis at Campus Klein-Altendorf, Germany. The two fertilisers, a mixture of cattle slurry and Mis as well as cattle manure from Mis-bedding material resulted in a slightly higher N immobilisation. Especially at the 1st and 2nd harvest, they were partly significantly different compared with the WS treatments. The fertilisers based on Mis resulted in a slightly higher microbial biomass C and microbial biomass N and thus can be identified as an additional C source to prevent nitrogen losses and for the build-up of soil organic matter (SOM) in the long-term.
Intersectoral collaborations are an integral component of the prevention and control of diseases in a complex health system. On the one hand, One Health (OH) is promoting the establishment of intersectoral collaborations for prevention at the human-animal-environment interface. On the other hand, operationalising OH can only be realized through intersectoral collaborations.
This work contributes to broadening the knowledge of the process for operationalising OH by analysing the governance structures behind different initiatives that tackle health problems at the human-animal-environment interface. The cases taken as examples for the analysis are the control and response to rabies and avian influenza under “classical OH”, and the management of floods and droughts for insights into “extended OH”. Data from Ghana and India were collected and compared to identify the key elements that enable ISC for OH.
Despite the case studies being heterogeneous in terms of their geographic, economic, social, cultural, and historical contexts, strong similarities were identified on how intersectoral collaborations in OH were initiated, managed, and taken to scale.
The actions documented for rabies prevention and control were historically based on one sector being the leader and implementer of activities, while avian influenza management relied more on intersectoral collaborations with clearly defined sectoral responsibilities. The management of the impact of flood and droughts on health provided a good example of intersectoral collaborations achieved by sectoral integration; however, the human health component was only involved in the response stage in the case of Ghana, while for India, there were broader schemes of intersectoral collaborations for prevention, adaptation, and response concerning climate change and disaster.
Diversity of Insects in Nature protected Areas (DINA): an interdisciplinary German research project
(2021)
Insect declines and biodiversity loss have attracted much attention in recent years, but lack of comprehensive data, conflicting interests among stakeholders and insufficient policy guidance hinder progress in preserving biodiversity. The project DINA (Diversity of Insects in Nature protected Areas) investigates insect communities in 21 nature reserves in Germany. All selected conservation sites border arable land, with agricultural practices assumed to influence insect populations. We taught citizen scientists how to manage Malaise traps for insect collection, and subsequently used a DNA metabarcoding approach for species identification. Vegetation surveys, plant metabarcoding as well as geospatial and ecotoxicological analyses will help to unravel contributing factors for the deterioration of insect communities. As a pioneering research project in this field, DINA includes a transdisciplinary dialogue involving relevant stakeholders such as local authorities, policymakers, and farmers, which aims at a shared understanding of conservation goals and action pathways. Stakeholder engagement combined with scientific results will support the development of sound policy recommendations to improve legal frameworks, landscape planning, land use, and conservation strategies. With this transdisciplinary approach, we aim to provide the background knowledge to implement policy strategies that will halt further decline of insects in German protected areas.
The article contributes to understanding the political economy of implementation of social protection programmes at local level. Current debates are dominated by technocratic arguments, emphasizing the lack of financial resources, technology or skills as major barriers for effective implementation. Describing how chiefs, assistant-chiefs and community elders are routinely at the centre stage of core implementation processes, including targeting, enrolment, delivery, monitoring, awareness and information, data collection or grievance and redress, this study on Kenya argues for the need to look more closely into the local political economy as an important mediating arena for implementing social policies. Implementation is heavily contingent upon the local social, political and institutional context that influences and shapes its outcomes. These processes are ambivalent involving multiple forms of interactions between ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ institutional structures, which may support initial policy objectives or induce policy outcomes substantially diverging from intended policy objectives.
Photovoltaic (PV) power data are a valuable but as yet under-utilised resource that could be used to characterise global irradiance with unprecedented spatio-temporal resolution. The resulting knowledge of atmospheric conditions can then be fed back into weather models and will ultimately serve to improve forecasts of PV power itself. This provides a data-driven alternative to statistical methods that use post-processing to overcome inconsistencies between ground-based irradiance measurements and the corresponding predictions of regional weather models (see for instance Frank et al., 2018). This work reports first results from an algorithm developed to infer global horizontal irradiance as well as atmospheric optical properties such as aerosol or cloud optical depth from PV power measurements.
In diesem Paper wird ein Modell eines Photovoltaik(PV)-Diesel-Hybrid-Systems aufgebaut. Dieses System besitzt neben einer PV-Anlage einen Batteriespeicher und ist an das öffentliche Stromnetz angeschlossen. Bei einem Ausfall aller drei Energiequellen stellt ein Dieselgenerator die Stromversorgung sicher. Mit Hilfe des erstellten Modells wird der Einfluss der unterschiedlichen Jahreszeiten und Wetterbedingungen auf den PV-Ertrag und das gesamte System im Zeitraum von Februar 2016 bis Februar 2017 untersucht. Die Messdaten dafür stammen von einem Krankenhaus in Akwatia, Ghana. Das Krankenhaus besitzt bereits eine PV-Anlage und einen Dieselgenerator als Backup.
Ein weiterer Aspekt der Untersuchung ist der Einfluss der Stromausfälle, die in dieser Region häufig vorkommen, auf den Einsatz des Generators.
Resultat der Untersuchung ist die Relevanz saisonaler und infrastruktureller Einflüsse auf die Betriebsweise des Systems. Mit Hilfe des erstellten Modells wurde analysiert, dass besonders während der Regenzeit im August die PV-Leistung sinkt und folglich viel Energie durch das öffentliche Stromnetz und den Generator bereitgestellt werden muss. Ein weiterer signifikanter Einbruch im PV-Ertrag ist zur Zeit des Harmattans im Januar zu verzeichnen.
Die vorliegende Forschungsarbeit behandelt die Filtrierung von sozialen Medien durch die Content Moderatoren. Die Content Moderatoren sind Menschen, die unter schlechten Arbeitsbedingungen und hoher psychischer Belastung Plattformen wie Facebook tagtäglich von strafbaren Inhalten filtern. Durch dieses Löschregime werden zwar gewaltzeigende Inhalte gelöscht, aber auch aufklärende oder künstlerische Inhalte zensiert.
Mithilfe von durchgeführten Fokusgruppendiskussionen wurde der Einfluss der Gruppenzusammensetzung und Darbietung positiver und negativer Informationen auf die individuelle und eindimensionale Wahrnehmung der Teilnehmer bezüglich sozialer Medien, Content Moderatoren und Löschrichtlinien erforscht.
Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Darbietung der Informationen keinen Einfluss auf die mehrdimensionale Wahrnehmung der Probanden hatte und sie unabhängig von der Gruppenzusammensetzung nonkonforme Meinungen vertraten. Trotz des erweiterten Wissenstandes und der entwickelten Alternativlösungen äußerten die meisten Probanden nicht die Absicht, ihr Nutzungsverhalten künftig zu ändern. Trotz der Annahme, dass die meisten Probanden eine eindimensionale Wahrnehmung sozialer Medien haben, zeigten die Ergebnisse, dass viele Probanden eine ähnlich positive und kritische Haltung gegenüber den Plattformen hatten. Darüber hinaus wird deutlich, dass es einen starken Forschungsbedarf in Bezug auf die Langzeitfolgen der Arbeit als Content Moderator und Auswirkungen von Zensur und Filtrierung auf die Nutzer sozialer Medien gibt.
Ziel der vorliegenden Forschungsarbeit ist es, den Einfluss von Persönlichkeit auf nachhaltige Maßnahmen anhand des Streamingkonsums zu eruieren. Der allgemein steigende Streamingkonsum und die damit einhergehenden Umweltschäden einerseits und ein wachsendes gesellschaftliches Umweltbewusstsein andererseits stellen einen Widerspruch dar. An einer Online-Umfrage zu diesen und weiterführenden Aspekten nahmen 204 Probanden teil. Während sich die Eigenschaften Verträglichkeit und Offenheit in hoher Ausprägung positiv auf die Umwelteinstellung, das Umweltverhalten und die Umweltbesorgnis auswirkten, wurden die umweltfreundlichen Maßnahmen in einer Clusteranalyse hingegen stärker von der Gruppe bevorzugt, deren Verträglichkeit und Offenheit verhältnismäßig schwach ausgeprägt waren. Ein geringes Wissen über die streamingbedingten Umweltfolgen lag grundsätzlich vor und dient als möglicher Erklärungsansatz des genannten Widerspruchs. Die Probanden forderten, ein Bewusstsein für diese Thematik zu schaffen. Um Streamingkonsum umweltfreundlicher zu gestalten empfiehlt es sich, alle am Prozess beteiligten Akteure einzubeziehen. Die befragten Konsumenten bevorzugten dabei vor allem die Verwendung von Ökostrom und lehnten eine Umstellung der Bezahlstruktur vorwiegend ab.
Ghana suffers from frequent power outages, which can be compensated by off-grid energy solutions. Photovoltaic-hybrid systems become more and more important for rural electrification due to their potential to offer a clean and cost-effective energy supply. However, uncertainties related to the prediction of electrical loads and solar irradiance result in inefficient system control and can lead to an unstable electricity supply, which is vital for the high reliability required for applications within the health sector. Model predictive control (MPC) algorithms present a viable option to tackle those uncertainties compared to rule-based methods, but strongly rely on the quality of the forecasts. This study tests and evaluates (a) a seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) algorithm, (b) an incremental linear regression (ILR) algorithm, (c) a long short-term memory (LSTM) model, and (d) a customized statistical approach for electrical load forecasting on real load data of a Ghanaian health facility, considering initially limited knowledge of load and pattern changes through the implementation of incremental learning. The correlation of the electrical load with exogenous variables was determined to map out possible enhancements within the algorithms. Results show that all algorithms show high accuracies with a median normalized root mean square error (nRMSE) <0.1 and differing robustness towards load-shifting events, gradients, and noise. While the SARIMA algorithm and the linear regression model show extreme error outliers of nRMSE >1, methods via the LSTM model and the customized statistical approaches perform better with a median nRMSE of 0.061 and stable error distribution with a maximum nRMSE of <0.255. The conclusion of this study is a favoring towards the LSTM model and the statistical approach, with regard to MPC applications within photovoltaic-hybrid system solutions in the Ghanaian health sector.
Im Projekt wurden die Nachhaltigkeitspotentiale partizipativer landwirtschaftlicher Produktionskonzepte exemplarisch untersucht und der Versuch gemacht, deren Zufriedenheitspotential für Erzeuger und Bürger zu erfassen. Die landwirtschaftlichen Betriebe konnten dabei auf der Grundlage der Leitlinien der Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture (SAFA) in den Dimensionen gute Unternehmensführung, ökologische Integrität, ökonomische Resilienz und soziales Wohlergehen bewertet werden. Die einzelnen Ergebnisse sind nach Dimensionen und korrespondierenden Indikatoren in diesem Working Paper beschrieben. Zudem konnten Handlungsempfehlungen auch dazu erarbeitet werden, wie Untersuchungen anhand der SAFA-Leitlinien erfolgreich durchgeführt werden können.
For a sustainable development the electricity sector needs to be decarbonized. In 2017 only 54% of the West African households had access to the electrical grid. Thus, renewable sources should play a major role for the development of the power sector in West Africa. Above all, solar power shows highest potential of renewable energy sources. However, it is highly variable, depending on the atmospheric conditions. This study addresses the challenges for a solar based power system in West Africa by analyzing the atmospheric variability of solar power. For this purpose, two aspects are investigated. In the first part, the daily power reduction due to atmospheric aerosols is quantified for different solar power technologies. Meteorological data at six ground-based stations is used to model photovoltaic and parabolic trough power during all mostly clear-sky days in 2006. A radiative transfer model is combined with solar power model. The results show, that the reduction due to aerosols can be up to 79% for photovoltaic and up to 100% for parabolic trough power plants during a major dust outbreak. Frequent dust outbreaks occurring in West Africa would cause frequent blackouts if sufficient storage capacities are not available. On average, aerosols reduce the daily power yields by 13% to 22% for photovoltaic and by 22% to 37% for parabolic troughs. For the second part, long-term atmospheric variability and trends of solar irradiance are analyzed and their impact on photovoltaic yields is examined for West Africa. Based on a 35-year satellite data record (1983 - 2017) the temporal and spatial variability and general trend are depicted for global and direct horizontal irradiances. Furthermore, photovoltaic yields are calculated on a daily basis. They show a strong meridional gradient with highest values of 5 kWh/kWp in the Sahara and Sahel zone and lowest values in southern West Africa (around 4 kWh/kWp). Thereby, the temporal variability is highest in southern West Africa (up to around 18%) and lowest in the Sahara (around 4.5%). This implies the need of a North-South grid development, to feed the increasing demand on the highly populated coast by solar power from the northern parts of West Africa. Additionally, global irradiances show a long-term positive trend (up to +5 W/m²/decade) in the Sahara and a negative trend (up to -5 W/m²/decade) in southern West Africa. If this trend is continuing, the spatial differences in solar power potential will increase in the future. This thesis provides a better understanding of the impact of atmospheric variability on solar power in a challenging environment like West Africa, characterized by the strong influence of the African monsoon. Thereby, the importance of aerosols is pointed out. Furthermore, long-term changes of irradiance are characterized concerning their implications for photovoltaic power.
Unsachgemäß entsorgte Zigarettenkippen stellen aufgrund der in ihnen enthaltenen Giftstoffe ein relevantes, ökologisches Problem dar. Diese Forschungsarbeit untersucht den Einsatz von Nudging zur Bekämpfung der Problematik. In einer quantiativen Online-Befragung wurden zunächst die Gründe für das umweltschädliche Verhalten untersucht (N = 96). Hierbei konnte die Gegenwartstendenz von Personen als statistisch signifikanter Hauptgrund ermittelt werden. Viele Personen gaben an, die langfristigen ökologischen Kosten einer unsachgemäßen Entsorgung aufgrund des kurzfristigen persönlichen Nutzens zu ignorieren. Dieser entsteht durch die Gemütlichkeit des „Wegschnipsens“ einer Zigarettenkippe. Im Anschluss wurde ein auf die Gegenwartstendenz von Personen fokussierter Nudge entwickelt und in einem Feldexperiment auf seine Wirksamkeit überprüft, indem die Relation von unsachgemäß zu sachgemäß entsorgten Zigarettenkippen vor und nach dem Einsatz des Nudges dokumentiert wurde. Ohne Einsatz des Nudges (N = 92) wurden am Erhebungsort 64.1 Prozent und mit Einsatz des Nudges (N = 142) lediglich 38.0 Prozent der Zigarettenkippen unsachgemäß entsorgt. In dem Feldexperiment konnte der Nudge effektiv zur Förderung von nachhaltigem Verhalten eingesetzt werden.
This paper addresses long-term historical changes in solar irradiance in West Africa (3 to 20° N and 20° W to 16° E) and the implications for photovoltaic systems. Here, we use satellite irradiance (Surface Solar Radiation Data Set – Heliosat, Edition 2.1 – SARAH-2.1) and temperature data from a reanalysis (ERA5) to derive photovoltaic yields. Based on 35 years of data (1983–2017), the temporal and regional variability as well as long-term trends in global and direct horizontal irradiance are analyzed. Furthermore, a detailed time series analysis is undertaken at four locations. According to the high spatial resolution SARAH-2.1 data record (0.05°×0.05°), solar irradiance is largest (up to a 300 W m−2 daily average) in the Sahara and the Sahel zone with a positive trend (up to 5 W m−2 per decade) and a lower temporal variability (<75 W m−2 between 1983 and 2017 for daily averages). In contrast, the solar irradiance is lower in southern West Africa (between 200 W m−2 and 250 W m−2) with a negative trend (up to −5 W m−2 per decade) and a higher temporal variability (up to 150 W m−2). The positive trend in the north is mostly connected to the dry season, whereas the negative trend in the south occurs during the wet season. Both trends show 95 % significance. Photovoltaic (PV) yields show a strong meridional gradient with the lowest values of around 4 kWh kWp−1 in southern West Africa and values of more than 5.5 kWh kWp−1 in the Sahara and Sahel zone.
The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic threatens global health thereby causing unprecedented social, economic, and political disruptions. One way to prevent such a pandemic is through interventions at the human-animal-environment interface by using an integrated One Health (OH) approach. This systematic literature review documented the three coronavirus outbreaks, i.e. SARS, MERS, COVID-19, to evaluate the evolution of the OH approach, including the identification of key OH actions taken for prevention, response, and control.
The OH understandings identified were categorized into three distinct patterns: institutional coordination and collaboration, OH in action/implementation, and extended OH (i.e. a clear involvement of the environmental domain). Across all studies, OH was most often framed as OH in action/implementation and least often in its extended meaning. Utilizing OH as institutional coordination and collaboration and the extended OH both increased over time. OH actions were classified into twelve sub-groups and further categorized as classical OH actions (i.e. at the human-animal interface), classical OH actions with outcomes to the environment, and extended OH actions.
The majority of studies focused on human-animal interaction, giving less attention to the natural and built environment. Different understandings of the OH approach in practice and several practical limitations might hinder current efforts to achieve the operationalization of OH by combining institutional coordination and collaboration with specific OH actions. The actions identified here are a valuable starting point for evaluating the stage of OH development in different settings. This study showed that by moving beyond the classical OH approach and its actions towards a more extended understanding, OH can unfold its entire capacity thereby improving preparedness and mitigating the impacts of the next outbreak.
Green infrastructure improves environmental health in cities, benefits human health, and provides habitat for wildlife. Increasing urbanization has demanded the expansion of urban areas and transformation of existing cities. The adoption of compact design in urban planning is a recommended strategy to minimize environmental impacts; however, it may undermine green infrastructure networks within cities as it sets a battleground for urban space. Under this scenario, multifunctionality of green spaces is highly desirable but reconciling human needs and biodiversity conservation in a limited space is still a challenge. Through a systematic review, we first compiled urban green space's characteristics that affect mental health and urban wildlife support, and then identified potential synergies and trade-offs between these dimensions. A framework based on the One Health approach is proposed, synthesizing the interlinkages between green space quality, mental health, and wildlife support; providing a new holistic perspective on the topic. Looking at the human-wildlife-environment relationships simultaneously may contribute to practical guidance on more effective green space design and management that benefit all dimensions.
The temperature of photovoltaic modules is modelled as a dynamic function of ambient temperature, shortwave and longwave irradiance and wind speed, in order to allow for a more accurate characterisation of their efficiency. A simple dynamic thermal model is developed by extending an existing parametric steady-state model using an exponential smoothing kernel to include the effect of the heat capacity of the system. The four parameters of the model are fitted to measured data from three photovoltaic systems in the Allgäu region in Germany using non-linear optimisation. The dynamic model reduces the root-mean-square error between measured and modelled module temperature to 1.58 K on average, compared to 3.03 K for the steady-state model, whereas the maximum instantaneous error is reduced from 20.02 to 6.58 K.
Long-term variability of solar irradiance and its implications for photovoltaic power in West Africa
(2020)
West Africa is one of the least developed regions in the world regarding the energy availability and energy security. Located close to the equator West Africa receives high amounts of global horizontal irradiance (GHI). Thus, solar power and especially photovoltaic (PV) systems seem to be a promising solution to provide electricity with low environmental impact. To plan and to dimension a PV power system climatological data for global horizontal irradiance (GHI) and its variability need to be taken into account. However, ground based measurements of irradiances are not available continuously and cover only a few discrete locations.
Incoming solar radiation is an important driver of our climate and weather. Several studies (see for instance Frank et al. 2018) have revealed discrepancies between ground-based irradiance measurements and the predictions of regional weather models. In the realm of electricity generation, accurate forecasts of solar photovoltaic (PV)energy yield are becoming indispensable for cost-effective grid operation: in Germany there are 1.6 million PVsystems installed, with a nominal power of 46 GW (Bundesverband Solarwirtschaft 2019). The proliferation of PV systems provides a unique opportunity to characterise global irradiance with unprecedented spatiotemporalresolution, which in turn will allow for highly resolved PV power forecasts.
Renewable energies play an increasingly important role for energy production in Europe. Unlike coal or gas powerplants, solar energy production is highly variable in space and time. This is due to the strong variability of cloudsand their influence on the surface solar irradiance. Especially in regions with large contribution from photovoltaicpower production, the intermittent energy feed-in to the power grid can be a risk for grid stability. Therefore goodforecasts of temporal and spatial variability of surface irradiance are necessary to be able to properly regulate thepower supply.
Due to the policy goals for sustainable energy production, renewable energy plants such as photovoltaics are increasingly in use. The energy production from solar radiation depends strongly on atmospheric conditions. As the weather mostly changes, electrical power generation fluctuates, making technical planning and control of power grids to a complex problem.
Ein Prüf- und Zertifizierungsstandard zur gesellschaftlichen Verantwortung von Organisationen
(2019)
Nach einem breiten Konsens in Gesellschaft, Politik und Wissenschaft lässt sich die gegenwärtige Art zu wirtschaften so nicht fortsetzen. Ein weltweit gültiger Zertifizierungsstandard, der einen einheitlichen und politisch neutralen Ordnungsrahmen zur gesellschaftlichen Verantwortung von Organisationen gegenüber Mensch und Natur zum Ziel hat, kann helfen, die sich dynamisch verändernden und jeweils notwendigen Anforderungen zu messen, deren Einhaltung (auch komparativ) nachzuweisen und ggf. notwendige Korrekturen zu definieren. Die internationale Norm DIN EN ISO/IEC 26000:2010 bietet einen grundsätzlich geeigneten Orientierungsrahmen zu gesellschaftlich verantwortlichem Handeln für Organisationen.
Atmospheric aerosols affect the power production of solar energy systems. Their impact depends on both the atmospheric conditions and the solar technology employed. By being a region with a lack in power production and prone to high solar insolation, West Africa shows high potential for the application of solar power systems. However, dust outbreaks, containing high aerosol loads, occur especially in the Sahel, located between the Saharan desert in the north and the Sudanian Savanna in the south. They might affect the whole region for several days with significant effects on power generation. This study investigates the impact of atmospheric aerosols on solar energy production for the example year 2006 making use of six well instrumented sites in West Africa. Two different solar power technologies, a photovoltaic (PV) and a parabolic through (PT) power plant, are considered. The daily reduction of solar power due to aerosols is determined over mostly clear-sky days in 2006 with a model chain combining radiative transfer and technology specific power generation. For mostly clear days the local daily reduction of PV power (at alternating current) (PVAC) and PT power (PTP) due to the presence of aerosols lies between 13 % and 22 % and between 22 % and 37 %, respectively. In March 2006 a major dust outbreak occurred, which serves as an example to investigate the impact of an aerosol extreme event on solar power. During the dust outbreak, daily reduction of PVAC and PTP of up to 79 % and 100 % occur with a mean reduction of 20 % to 40 % for PVAC and of 32 % to 71 % for PTP during the 12 days of the event.
Social Assistance
(2018)
If the first Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) to “End poverty in all its forms everywhere” is to be taken seriously, most low- and middle-income countries face a huge challenge. An estimated 1 billion people have indeed escaped extreme poverty since the early 1990s, and the global poverty rate fell from 35% in 1990 to 10.7% in 2013, but the absolute number of people living below the international poverty line of $1.90 at purchasing power parity has hardly changed. Countries in Asia contributed greatly to the overall decline in poverty rates: from 2012 to 2013, over 100 million people in Asia left extreme poverty behind, notably in India, Indonesia, and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) (World Bank 2016). Yet the living standards of those still below that line have hardly improved (Ravallion 2016). The achievement of the first SDG requires additional efforts at global and national levels, particularly on policies that address chronic poverty traps and that improve the outcomes of poor and vulnerable populations.
Social Insurance
(2018)
Extending coverage through contributory social insurance or other contributory programs is tempting for governments as a potential avenue for mobilizing new resources and creating new fiscal space. Such extension has clear limits, however: it applies only to those in the labor market who have employment status with high degree of formality and whose incomes are significantly above subsistence level and received regularly. It also requires administrative structures with capacity to regularly register incomes of those covered, and to collect contributions.
This chapter analyzes the potential of social insurance (also called contributory social protection) in the 16 Asian countries reviewed in this publication to fill the protection and coverage gaps in income security. It focuses on pensions, but also reviews other benefits temporarily replacing lost labor income due to events such as sickness, maternity, and unemployment. As current labor market structures largely determine the chances of extending coverage through these means, this chapter also examines their characteristics and analyzes coverage by the different forms of social insurance and assesses the potential for extension.
Emerytalne fakty i mity
(2018)
W każdym systemie emerytalnym tkwi wewnętrzna sprzeczność. Z jednej strony system emerytalny powinien być stabilny, bo to jedyny sposób na to, by zbudować zaufanie do instytucji nim zarządzających, zaufanie niezbędne, by skłonić uczestników systemu (pracowników i pracodawców) do regularnego płacenia przez kilkadziesiąt lat składek i podatków przeznaczonych na finansowanie systemu emerytalnego.
New approaches in securing more sustainable urban food futures: case from Cologne-Bonn region
(2018)
In January 2015, German retail and industry jointly started a sector-wide initiative ("Initiative Tierwohl" - ITW) to improve animal welfare standards. The principle of the ITW is communicated mostly via the websites of ITW and its participating companies. However, uncertainty remained whether or not these websites provide the necessary information consumers need on the ITW products. Based on Schwartz's basic human values, different types of consumers were identified by a cluster analysis (ward-method, k-means). The results showed that depending on expressed meta‐values (Self-Transcendence/Openness to Change Self-Enhancement or Conservation), respondents had different specific information sources and needs. Online sources were rarely mentioned, the majority of consumers referred to brochures, flyers and interpersonal contacts.
Das Forschungsprojekt beruht auf zwei Elementen: Die erste Untersuchung, ein Verhaltensexperiment mit 35 Studierenden der Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, erforschte den Einfluss von Gruppengröße (Zuschauereffekt) und dargebotenen Informationen zu Verantwortungsdiffusion (Priming) auf nachhaltiges Verhalten. Mithilfe eines zweiten Online-Experiments folgte eine Erhebung zum Einfluss von wahrgenommener persönlicher Bedrohung auf die Bereitschaft zu nachhaltigem Verhalten (N = 72). Die Ergebnisse des ersten Experimentes zeigen einen schwachen, statistisch nicht signifikanten Einfluss der Gruppengröße sowie einen, z.T. statistisch signifikanten, Einfluss der dargebotenen Informationen zu Verantwortungsdiffusion auf das gemessene nachhaltige Verhalten. Bequemlichkeit sowie monetärer Aufwand stellen mit Abstand die größten Hindernisse für nachhaltiges Verhalten dar, während die Beeinflussung durch andere und das Ziel des Umweltschutzes als positive Argumente für nachhaltiges Verhalten genannt wurden. In der Folgestudie konnte ein statistisch signifikanter kausaler Zusammenhang zwischen der wahrgenommenen persönlichen Bedrohung durch die aktuelle Umwelt- und Klimasituation und der Bereitschaft zu nachhaltigem Verhalten nachgewiesen werden. Alle Resultate zu Verhaltensintentionen zeigten insgesamt eine hohe Bereitschaft der Probanden zu nachhaltigem Verhalten.
Zur Milderung des Klimawandels sind Maßnahmen zur Förderung von Energieeinsparungen notwendig. Energiespartipps informieren über energiesparende Verhaltensweisen und Produkte. Zur Formulierung wirkungsvoller Energiespartipps untersucht die Arbeit, welchen Einfluss Ergänzungen von CO2-Angaben und Formulierungen der Konsequenzen auf die wahrgenommene Informationsqualität, Nützlichkeit und Verhaltensabsicht haben. Außerdem wird untersucht, ob es diesbezüglich Unterschiede zwischen verhaltens- und investitionsorientierten Tipps gibt. Dazu wurde ein Onlineexperiment (N = 352) im 4 x 4 x 2 Design mit den vierstufigen Zwischensubjektfaktoren Framing der Währung (alleinige CO2-Angabe, Jahresvergleichswert, äquivalente Fahrstrecke, äquivalente Laptopnutzung) und Framing der Konsequenz (erreichte Einsparung, vermiedener Ausstoß, entgangene Einsparung, verursachter Ausstoß) sowie der Art des Energiespartipps (verhaltens- vs. investitionsorientiert) als zweistufigen Innersubjektfaktor konzipiert. Varianzanalysen ergaben, dass der verhaltensorientierte Tipp positiver als der investitionsorientierte Tipp bewertet wurde und verhaltensnahe Ergänzungen die Nützlichkeit von CO2-Angaben sowie die Verhaltensintention erhöhen. Das Framing der Konsequenz hatte keinen Effekt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen die Relevanz, zwischen verhaltens- und investitionsorientierten Energiespartipps zu differenzieren und verhaltensnahe Ergänzungen von CO2-Angaben in Kilogramm zu berücksichtigen.
Solar energy plants are one of the key options to serve the rising global energy need with low environmental impact. Aerosols reduce global solar radiation due to absorption and scattering and therewith solar energy yields. Depending on the aerosol composition and size distribution they reduce the direct component of the solar radiation and modify the direction of the diffuse component compared to standard atmospheric conditions without aerosols.
Solar energy is one option to serve the rising global energy demand with low environmental impact. Building an energy system with a considerable share of solar power requires long-term investment and a careful investigation of potential sites. Therefore, understanding the impacts from varying regionally and locally determined meteorological conditions on solar energy production will influence energy yield projections.
Reliable and regional differentiated power forecasts are required to guarantee an efficient and economic energy transition towards renewable energies. Amongst other renewable energy technologies, e.g. wind mills, photovoltaic (PV) systems are an essential component of this transition being cost-efficient and simply to install. Reliable power forecasts are however required for a grid integration of photovoltaic systems, which among other data requires high-resolution spatio-temporal global irradiance data.
Argentina substantially contributes to the global organic agriculture and food sector due to its large areas of organically managed agricultural land. However, most of the organic production is intended for export. Overall, food supply for the domestic organic market is hardly tapped. Based on this, we investigate the current importance of organic agriculture and food production as well as consumption attitudes and behavior within the country. The novelty of the study also lies in the observation, documentation and analysis of latest stakeholder‐driven developments towards organic agriculture and food. Furthermore, the publication allows the Argentinean organic market to be significantly more visible for the international audience.
Urban food systems consist of many stakeholders with different perspectives, different interests and different governance tools. This study aimed at developing potential future scenarios for the food system of Cologne by analysing the system with a Delphi approach. In our research-design, the suitability of the Delphi-method was evaluated not only as a tool for future modelling and scenario design, but also as a communication tool among the group of participants on a multi-stakeholder-platform. As a case study, the Food Policy Council of Cologne, Germany was used. Cologne can be seen as a forerunner among German cities in the development of a new urban food policy. Some of the successful steps to re-envisioning food as an urban system include joining the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, the decision of the City Council to become an edible city and the establishment of a Food Policy Council. For the study it was important to capture participants’ visions of a common goal regarding the governance of the urban food system and also to identify mental ‘silos’. It was obvious that the municipality of Cologne together with the Food Policy Council made great efforts towards participatory processes to build a vision for a sustainable and regional food supply. However, many stakeholder-groups in the process still work exclusively among themselves and do not actively practice the confrontation with the viewpoints of other relevant groups. This supports the maintenance of ‘silos’ and leaves little room for face-to-face discussions. Therefore, the primary aim of this study is to explore key components of food provisioning in the future for Cologne while confronting all stakeholders (municipal administration and politicians, farmers and food activists) with the perspectives of all group members. We used a multi-stakeholder Delphi approach with 19 panellists to find out essential components of the municipal regional food provisioning system in Cologne. Unique in this Delphi study is the bringing together of municipal administration, regional urban farmers and food activists. The research is still on-going, but preliminary results show that more communication among all relevant actors, especially horizontally among different city departments, in the urban food system is needed.
The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach is the most important tool in the evaluation of environmental (sustainability) impacts of products and processes. We used the method to conduct an impact analysis with regard to raw material inputs (pulp) for the German paper production industry. In our analysis, we compare the environmental effects of primary sulphate pulp, scrap paper pulp and grass-based pulp and estimate their impacts in the impact categories "greenhouse gas emissions", "eutrophication" as well as "energy and water consumption". Furthermore, we discuss the opportunities of the methodical approach and some general problems and limits of the application of a LCA. In conclusion, we found environmental advantages for the use of grass as an alternative resource in the German paper production industry, especially in the fields of transport and water consumption.
Adoption of Modern Maize Varieties in India: Insights Based on Expert Elicitation Methodology
(2018)
This paper analyzes the complex effects and risks of social protection programmes in Ghana and Kenya on poor people’s human wellbeing, voice and empowerment and interactions with the social protection regulatory framework and policy instruments. For this purpose, it adopts a comprehensive Inclusive Development framework to systematically explore the complex effects of cash transfers and health insurance at the individual, household and community level. The findings highlight the positive provisionary and preventive effects of social protection, but also illustrate that the poorest are still excluded and that promotive effects, in the form of enhanced productivity, manifest themselves mainly for the people who are less resource poor. They can build more effectively upon an existing asset base, capabilities, power and social relations to counter the exclusionary mechanisms of the system, address inequity concerns and offset the transaction costs of accessing and benefitting from social protection. The inclusive development framework enables to lay these complex effects and interactions bear, and points to areas that require more longitudinal and mixed methodology research.
The paper contributes to the debate on the political economy of implementation of propoor social policy. It argues for a broadening of the debate, which is dominated by technocratic arguments, emphasizing the lack of financial resources, technology or skills as the major barriers for effective implementation. Describing the dynamic interplay of ‘formal’ operational programme structures and ‘informal’ traditional institutions in delivering the CT-OVC – the largest and oldest cash transfer programme in Kenya – it argues for the need to look more closely into the local political economy as an important mediating arena for implementing social policies. Implementation is heavily contingent upon the local social, political and institutional context that influences and shapes its outcomes. These processes are highly dynamic and ambivalent evolving between ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ structures and institutions. They may change over time and place, challenging the implicit assumption that programmes are evenly implemented across geographic and political entities.
Der zunehmende Wunsch der Verbraucher nach einem natürlichen Lebensstil führt unter anderem zu einem erhöhten Konsum von Rohmilch und Milchprodukten aus unpasteurisierter Milch (Hudopisk et al., 2013). Rohmilchkonsumenten bevorzugen Rohmilch zum Einen wegen des subjektiven Eindrucks eines besseren Geschmacks und zum Anderen versprechen sie sich gesundheitliche Vorteile, wie eine reduzierte Empfindlichkeit gegen Allergien und eine bessere Qualität der enthaltenen Nährstoffe, durch den Verzehr unbehandelter Milch (Claeys et al., 2014). Mit dem Konsum von Rohmilch gehen allerdings mikrobiologische Risiken einher, da Rohmilch aufgrund ihres neutralen pH-Wertes, dem hohen Nährstoffgehalt und der hohen Wasseraktivität einen guten Nährboden für mikrobielles Wachstum darstellt. Das Wachstum von verschiedenen Mikroorganismen wird dabei größtenteils durch die Temperatur, die kompetitive Begleitflora und die Anwesenheit von Hemmstoffen beeinflusst (Claeys et al., 2013).Mögliche Kontaminationen der Rohmilch resultieren entweder aus einer direkten Abgabe von Mikroorganismen durch das Euter, als Konsequenz von Entzündungen oder durch eine indirekte Kontamination während des Melkvorgangs oder der späteren Handhabung (EFSA, 2015).
Der vorliegende Fachbericht ist der Abschlussbericht eines im Auftrag des Ministeriums für Umwelt, Landwirtschaft, Natur- und Verbraucherschutz durchgeführten Kooperationsprojekts des LANUV mit dem Internationalen Zentrum für Nachhaltige Entwicklung (Hochschule-Bonn-Rhein-Sieg) zur Untersuchung von Mengen und Gründen für die Entstehung von Lebensmittelverlusten bei Obst, Gemüse und Kartoffeln sowie zur Entwicklung von Vermeidungsstrategien im Winter 2016/2017.
Die vorliegende Forschungsarbeit setzt sich mit nachhaltigem Verhalten in Bezug auf die Nutzung von Kaffeebehältern an der HBRS auseinander. Anlass dafür ist, dass Pappbecher aufgrund einer Plastikbeschichtung nur schwer recycelbar sind und somit die Umwelt erheblich beeinträchtigen. In diesem Zusammenhang nahmen 204 Studierende an einer Online-Befragung teil. Den Ergebnissen zufolge kommen derzeit vor allem Einweg-Pappbecher zum Einsatz. Zur Modifizierung dieses umweltschädlichen Verhaltens bedarf es an geeigneten Interventionsstrategien. Basierend auf den Ergebnissen sind Maßnahmen zu implementieren, die dem Defizit an Handlungswissen und dem hohen Aufwand entgegenwirken, welcher mit der Verwendung eigens mitgebrachter Becher und den vorhandenen Porzellantassen assoziiert wird. Nach Sicherstellung der ökologischen Vorteile und finanziellen Umsetzbarkeit sollte das bestehende Pfandsystem um praktischere Becher sowie flexible Rückgabemöglichkeiten erweitert werden. Unterstützend ist eine Belohnung in Form von Freigetränken oder einem geringen finanziellen Rabatt sinnvoll, um den automatischen Verbrauch von Pappbechern zu unterbinden.
Over the past two decades social protection has gained importance at the international and the national level of many low and middle income countries. Despite reforms in this sector being a global phenomenon, they differ from country to country. Traditional efforts to explain these dif- ferences focus on domestic factors. Yet it remains unclear how international influences and interdependencies contrib- ute to policy change. The study ‘International Policy Learn- ing and Policy Change’ aims at providing an answer to this question, by focusing on ‘soft governance’ via horizontal processes, meaning processes between equal actors. The studie was carried out in two parts. While in Part I the cur- rent state of the art in relevant research fields was assessed, in Part II the findings from Part I were used to conduct a survey which analyses the role of policy networks.
Im Projekt wurde anhand medienanalytischer Verfahren, Befragungen und Experimenten untersucht, wie sich Verbrauchergruppen über das Thema Tierwohl informieren und welche Argumente die Diskussion bestimmen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen: Insgesamt herrscht eine positive Einstellung zu Tierwohl-Initiativen; finanzielle Aspekte sind ein zentrales Thema. Mehr Transparenz bei den Kosten wäre wünschenswert. Das Internet kann dies unterstützen. Aber nicht alle Zielgruppen werden damit erreicht.
Smallholder farmers as a backbone for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals
(2018)
Current global challenges such as climate change, lack of resources, desertification, land degradation as well as loss of biodiversity can ultimately be due to human actions. Reasons are excessive production and consumption of goods and services, along with using and consuming natural resources, causing emissions and waste products. Demand in the form of consumption and supply in the form of production are closely intertwined.
Als weltweit anspruchsvollstes Umweltmanagementsystem trägt EMAS auf Unternehmensebene als Baustein zur Nachhaltigen Entwicklung bei. EMAS ist ein Instrument der Europäischen Union, an dem Organisationen, unabhängig von ihrer Größe und Branche, weltweit auf freiwilliger Basis teilnehmen können. Die geplante EMAS-Validierung der UN-Klimakonferenz (COP 23) in Bonn (06. – 17.11.2017), hat das Interesse der Projektkoordination von „Sustainable Bonn – Konferenzort der Nachhaltigkeit“ geweckt, die EMAS-Einführung bei deren Projektteilnehmern untersuchen zu lassen. Daher liegt der Branchenfokus auf dem Gastgewerbe, aus denen die derzeitigen Teilnehmer des Bonner Projekts überwiegend stammen. Um Branchenspezifika bei EMAS besser zu berücksichtigen hat die Europäische Kommission im April 2016 hat ein Referenzdokument über bewährte Umweltmanagementpraktiken zur Steigerung der Öko-Effektivität mit einschlägigen Indikatoren zur Messung der Umweltleistung mit Richtwerten für die Tourismusbranche veröffentlicht, die im Rahmen einer EMAS-Einführung unter anderem von Gastgewerbebetrieben berücksichtigt werden müssen.
Political economic analyses of recent social protection reforms in Asian, African or Latin American countries have increased throughout the last few years. Yet, most contributions focus on one social protection mechanism only and do not provide a comparative approach across policy areas. In addition, most studies are empirical studies, with no or very limited theoretical linkages. The paper aims to explain multiple trajectories of social protection reform processes looking at cash transfers and social health protection policies in Kenya. It develops a taxonomy and suggest a conceptual framework to assess and explain reform dynamics across different social protection pillars. In order to allow for a more differentiated typology and enable us to understand different reform dynamics, the article uses the approach on gradual institutional change. While existing approaches to institutional change mostly focus on institutional change prompted by exogenous shocks or environmental shifts, this approach takes account of both, exogenous and endogenous sources of change.
In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the start-up scene in sub-Saharan Africa. "Silicon Savannah" is today widely used to describe the thriving IT industry in and around Nairobi. Kenya's geographical advantage, its favorable economic reforms, and mature start-up ecosystem makes it stands out positively. Since a lot of hype exists around the start-up scene many investors are drawn to it, but in reality very few start-ups are investment-ready. The increasing start-up requirements and needs force incubators to diversify their offer. In contrast, to traditional incubators, an Innovation Hub (Hub) is characterized based on the concept of open innovation and collaboration. A Hub nurtures an enabling environment where a community of entrepreneurs can grow. At the same time, it serves as a nexus point for the local start-up community, investors, academia, technology companies and the wider private sector. It aims to create a structure where people serendipitously interact with others that they would not typically meet. Considering the great interest for and the large amounts of money invested in Hubs by governments, universities, private companies and other interested parties, not only researchers have been raising the question of the actual benefit of Hubs. This research study aims to investigate to what extent the support offered by the Hubs is tackling the challenges faced by start-ups in Nairobi, Kenya. The analysis can serve as a basis for identifying strength and weaknesses in the Hub models.
Impact of atmospheric aerosols on photovoltaic energy production - Scenario for the Sahel zone
(2017)
Photovoltaic (PV) energy is one option to serve the rising global energy need with low environmental impact. PV is of particular interest for local energy solutions in developing countries prone to high solar insolation. In order to assess the PV potential of prospective sites, combining knowledge of the atmospheric state modulating solar radiation and the PV performance is necessary. The present study discusses the PV power as function of atmospheric aerosols in the Sahel zone for clear-sky-days. Daily yields for a polycrystalline silicon PV module are reduced by up to 48 % depending on the climatologically-relevant aerosol abundances.
Im Rahmen eines Forschungsaufenthaltes an der Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) wurde in Kooperation mit der Fakultät für Veterinärwissenschaften und dem Zentrum für Interdisziplinäre Wasserforschung (CETA) eine Befragung unter Studierenden und Mitarbeitenden (wissenschaftlichen und Verwaltungsmitarbeitern sowie Professoren) durchgeführt. Diese Befragung befasste sich inhaltlich mit Themen zur Einstellung argentinischer Konsumenten zu nachhaltigen und biologischen Lebensmitteln. Dabei spielte ebenfalls die Wahrnehmung dieser Lebensmittel anhand von Siegeln eine Rolle. Ferner wurden auch Fragen zum Bewusstsein für zertifizierte Produkte gestellt, das ein Präjudiz für ein spezifisches Einkaufsverhalten ist.
Wirtschaft und Entwicklung: Die Bedeutung der Privatwirtschaft in der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit
(2013)
These times are very troubled ones. Not only do wars and political unrest seem to prevail in different regions of the world, but, corruption and fraud have reached an incredible dimension, too. It seems that societies have, to a large extent, lost values in which they had formerly believed in. These issues may be the background why at the moment Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a voluntary commitment is discussed in public that intensively. However, one gets the impression that this rather often seems to be superficial. Therefore, it is time to do some in-depth research to identify whether there is real substance behind these discussions or not. Latin America is a big continent with a greater number of countries which are running through difficult times as to corruption and fraud. Consequently, the author studied the policy of the central employers association Consejo Empresarial de America Latina (CEAL) with respect to the role of CSR. On the basis of statements, news and results of studies being regularly published, conclusions were drawn to which extent social and environmental aspects, along the line of ISO 26000, are playing a relevant role.
In order to avoid a too narrow view of the issue, a holistic approach concerning the generalsituation of Latin America has been selected using parameters such as economic growth, increase of population, poverty, inequality, and the global responsibility for environment. Furthermore, apart from the central organization CEAL, regional and national institutions with a specific mission for spreading and implementing CSR and two communal projects were analyzed as well. The conclusion of the paper is that there are some CSR "lighthouses" but an urgent need exists to spread the idea of CSR more intensively across the continent. Corresponding recommendations about how to increase the relevance of CSR in Latin America are given at the end of the paper.
Aufgrund eines nahezu gleichlautenden Beschlusses des Kreistages im Rhein-Sieg-Kreis (RSK) und des Hauptausschusses der Stadt Bonn im Jahr 2011 wurden die jeweiligen Verwaltungen beauftragt, gemeinsam mit den Energieversorgern der Region ein Starthilfekonzept Elektromobilität zu entwickeln. In Folge dieses Beschlusses konstituierte sich Ende 2011 ein Arbeitskreis, der aus den Verwaltungen des Rhein-Sieg-Kreises und der Stadt Bonn, den Energieversorgern SWB Energie und Wasser, der Rhenag, den Stadtwerken Troisdorf, der Rheinenergie und den RWE besteht. Die inhaltlichen Schwerpunkte, die inzwischen in drei Arbeitskreisen behandelt werden, umfassen den Ausbau der Ladeinfrastruktur, die Öffentlichkeitsarbeit und die Bereitstellung von Strom aus regenerativen Quellen durch den Zubau entsprechender Anlagen in der Region. Während Maßnahmen zur Öffentlichkeitsarbeit und die Bereitstellung Grünen Stroms aus den Arbeitskreisen direkt bearbeitet und bewegt werden, ist dies aufgrund der Komplexität des Themas und der zahlreichen Einflussgrößen beim Ausbau der Ladeinfrastruktur nicht möglich. Daraus entstand die Überlegung einer Kooperation mit der Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg.
In January 2015, German trade and industry announced to support the national animal welfare initiative "Initiative Tierwohl" (ITW) which stands for a more sustainable and animal-friendly meat production. A web content analysis shows that the ITW initiative has been widely picked up and discussed by online media and that user comments are quite heterogeneous. The current study identifies different types of consumers through factor and cluster analysis and is based on an online survey as well as face-to-face interviews. According to our results, the identified consumer groups demonstrate a rather passive comment behaviour on the internet. In fact, the internet was hardly mentioned as an information source for meat production; consumers more frequently referred to brochures, leaflets and personal contacts with sales personnel.
Argentina substantially contributes to the global organic agriculture and food sector due to its large areas of organically managed agricultural land. However, most of the organic production is foreseen for export. Overall, food supply for the domestic organic market is hardly tapped. This study investigates the current importance of organic agriculture and food production as well as its consumption within the country. The novelty of the study also lies in the observation, documentation and analysis of latest stakeholder-driven developments towards organic agriculture and food. The publication allows to make the Argentinian organic market significantly more visible for the international audience.
Food losses occur for many reasons at all stages of supply chains for fruits, vegetables and potatoes. They cause immense economic, environmental and social costs – not only in developing countries but also in developed countries. According to the European Commission, about 90 million tonnes of food are wasted annually in Europe alone. However, particularly for the early stages of supply chains for fruits, vegetables and potatoes there is still a lack of reliable data. Thus, one objective of this study is to contribute to the quantification of food losses between field and retail, where the main focus is set on potatoes, apples, carrots, strawberries and asparagus. Furthermore, neither reasons why products are removed from the supply chains nor their alternative uses are fully examined yet. This is why, the study takes a look on those issues, too. Results are based on data from an online survey among producers of fruits, vegetables and potatoes in North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany and on interviews with producers and other supply chain experts. Findings suggest that the products’ size and form, their storage capabilities and food safety issues have big impacts on food losses. Despite a small sample size, these findings are in line with recent studies.
Das Thema Nachhaltigkeit hat sich in der heutigen Zeit in vielerlei Hinsicht weiterentwickelt. Auch bei der Entwicklung von Produkten ist der Aspekt der Nachhaltigkeit angekommen und wird vermehrt umgesetzt. Dies hat zur Folge, dass auch der Konsument sich mit der Nachhaltigkeit seines Produkts auseinandersetzt.
Die vorliegende Arbeit behandelt die Fragestellung, ob der Aspekt der Nachhaltigkeit auch bei der Kaufentscheidung eine Rolle spielt. Fokussiert wurden besonders die Aspekte: Nachhaltigkeit und Marketing, Wahrnehmung von nachhaltigen Aspekten der Unternehmen, sowie der Produkte, Vertrauen der Konsumenten in Siegel und die soziale Erwartungshaltung der Konsumenten.
Die Analyse resultiert auf der Basis eines durchgeführten Experiments sowie einer schriftlichen Befragung der 73 Probanden, bestehend aus Studenten der Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg.
Die Ergebnisse dieser Studie zeigen nicht nur den Handlungsbedarf der Unternehmen, sondern auch die Wahrnehmung der Konsumenten zu Produkten und Unternehmen und dass der Aspekt der Nachhaltigkeit auch bei täglichen Kaufentscheidungen eine Rolle spielen kann.
Viele Bereiche des Wirtschaftslebens werden heute durch die Digitalisierung beeinflusst. Sowohl auf Grundlage neuer technischer Möglichkeiten und der damit einhergehenden Vernetzung, als auch mit einem Wandel im Konsumverhalten hat sich die Sharing Economy entwickelt. Auf dem Gebiet der urbanen Mobilität ergibt sich für Anbieter und Nachfrager eine Vielzahl neuer Möglichkeiten im Rahmen der Sharing Economy. Die Arbeit setzt sich sowohl mit den aktuellen Mobilitätstrends, als auch mit dem Wandel im Konsumverhalten auseinander. Im Fokus steht hierbei das Ridesourcing, also die entgeltlichen Personenbeförderung von privaten Fahrern mit eigenem Fahrzeug, bei der der Fahrgast das Fahrziel bestimmt und die Vorteile die ein Markteintritt dieser Anbieter mit sich bringt.
In Zeiten deutlicher Auswirkungen des Klimawandels und gravierender sozialer Missstände in Teilen der Welt drängen sich dringender denn je für die Weltgemeinschaft die Fragen nach Handlungsoptionen zum Erreichen nachhaltiger Entwicklung auf. Dementsprechend ist auch der öffentliche Sektor gefragt seinen Beitrag zu leisten. Als ein wirkungsvoller Beitrag ist die Etablierung nachhaltiger öffentlicher Beschaffung zu nennen. Um diesen Beitrag adäquat umzusetzen, müssen unter anderem die Richtlinien und Gesetze, die die öffentliche Beschaffung regeln, ausreichend Umsetzungsmöglichkeiten dafür bieten. Mit der jüngsten europäischen Vergaberechtsreform und der daraufhin verabschiedeten deutschen Anpassung der Gesetze ist der Grundstein dafür gelegt worden. Welche erfolgsversprechenden Umsetzungsmöglichkeiten diese rechtliche Basis nun den Kommunen in Deutschland als Hauptakteuren öffentlicher Beschaffung bietet und welche weiteren Erfolgsfaktoren für die Umsetzung nachhaltiger öffentlicher Beschaffung auf kommunaler Ebene entscheidend sind, ist Thema dieses Arbeitspapiers. Ein Praxischeck der Erfolgsfaktoren wird am Beispiel der Stadt Bonn, stellvertretend für die kommunale Ebene in NRW vorgenommen.
I. Einleitung II. Soziale Sicherung als Bestandteil entwicklungspolitischer Agenden – Eine internationale Perspektive III. Internationale Politikdiffusion und nationaler Politikwandel – Konzeptionelle Grundlagen IV. Die Rolle internationaler Politikdiffusion für den Wandel sozialer Sicherungssysteme – Empirische Evidenz V. Schlussfolgerungen
Agricultural activities within city boundaries have a long history in both developed and developing countries. In this paper, a broad approach to Urban AgriCulture (UAC) is used, one that includes the production of crops in urban and peri-urban areas and ranges in developed countries from allotment gardens over community gardens to semi-entrepreneurial self-harvest farms and fully commercialized agriculture. With an empirical case study on UAC Initiatives in the Bonn/Rhein-Sieg region this work fills a gap since the lack of comprehensive and comparative studies on urban agriculture (UA) currently makes it difficult for researchers to identify the benefits of UA activities.
Large sections of the German society are able to buy and consume meat on a daily basis due to progress in the agri-food sector. However, the way meat is produced, traded and consumed increasingly has become an issue that is controversially discussed by the media, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), lobbyists, the industry itself and consumers – often with a negative connotation. The meat industry reacts to this. By creating information campaigns and animal welfare initiatives it aims to stress that it is going to take its corporate social responsibilities (CSR) for consumers and animal welfare seriously. But, the industry’s actions are still criticised as being not sufficient to improve animal welfare levels significantly. Much of this criticism can be observed in online news portals, where articles about the issue get published and commented by readers. This makes online portals a valuable source for information that is to be tapped in this study. It aims to better understand the multifaceted discussions concerning animal welfare initiatives in online portals. By applying qualitative content analysis and web mining techniques to a sample of documents taken from three major German news sites it can be shown that online discussions refer to various aspects of sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Findings also indicate that the discussions are framed by financial aspects.
Reliable and regional differentiated power forecasts are required to guarantee an efficient and economic energy transition towards renewable energies. Amongst other renewable energy technologies, e.g. wind mills, photovoltaic systems are an essential component of this transition being cost-efficient and simply to install. Reliable power forecasts are however required for a grid integration of photovoltaic systems, which among other data requires high-resolution spatio-temporal global irradiance data. Hence the generation of robust reviewed global irradiance data is an essential contribution for the energy transition.
Agricultural activities within the city boundaries have a long history in both developed and developing countries. Especially in developing countries these activities contribute to food security and the mitigation of malnutrition (food grown for home consumption). They generate additional income and contribute to recreation, environmental health as well as social interaction. In this paper, a broad approach of Urban AgriCulture is used, which includes the production of crops in urban and peri-urban areas and ranges in developed countries from allotment gardens (Schrebergarten) over community gardens (Urban Gardening) to semi-entrepreneurial self-harvest farms and fully commercialized agriculture (Urban Farming). Citizens seek to make a shift from traditional to new (sustainable) forms of food supply. From this evolves a demand for urban spaces that can be used agriculturally. The way how these citizens’ initiatives can be supported and their contribution to a resilient and sustainable urban food system increasingly attracts attention. This paper presents an empirical case study on Urban AgriCulture initiatives in the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg region (Germany). Urban AgriCulture is still a niche movement with the potential to contribute more significantly to urban development and constitute a pillar of urban quality of life.
Nachhaltige und zukunftsfähige Mobilität in Städten kann langfristig nur durch die aktive Partizipation ihrer Bürger und Institutionen erreicht werden. Betriebliches Mobilitätsmanagement (BMM) kann dabei einen positiven Beitrag im Hinblick auf Umwelt, Gesundheit und Kosten leisten. Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Wahrnehmung gesundheitlicher und finanzieller Wertschöpfungsaspekte des BMM. Im Rahmen des Forschungsprojekts Betriebe lösen Verkehrsprobleme werden Mobilitätsverhalten und Maßnahmen der Betrieblichen Gesundheitsförderung (BFG) in Bonner Betrieben untersucht. Folgenden Aspekten wird besondere Beachtung geschenkt: Bedeutung Betrieblicher Gesundheitsförderung in Bonner Betrieben, Mobilitätsverhalten von Arbeitnehmern auf dem Weg zur Dienststelle, Wahrnehmung eines unmittelbaren Zusammenhangs zwischen körperlicher Aktivität und Gesundheit bzw. krankheitsbedingter Kosten und Umsatzeinbußen durch Bewegungsmangel. Die Analyse resultiert auf der Basis einer schriftlichen Befragung von 178 Unternehmen, einer Online-Umfrage von 1.341 Mitarbeitern aus 14 Unternehmen sowie auf persönlichen Interviews mit 22 Betriebsleitern bzw. Mobilitäts- und Gesundheitsbeauftragten. Die Ergebnisse der Studie machen sowohl Handlungsbedarf als auch Optimierungspotentiale im Bereich BMM auf Betriebsseite deutlich. Kostensimulationen zeigen darüber hinaus auf, dass durch die Implementierung von BGF-Maßnahmen, explizit der Förderung von Bewegung, auf betriebs- und volkswirtschaftlicher Seite beachtliche Kosten im Gesundheitsbereich eingespart sowie höhere Gewinne im Unternehmen erzielt werden können.
An den wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Fakultäten der Technischen Hochschule Köln (TH Köln) und der Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (HBRS) sind im Verlauf des Jahres 2013 Befragungen zu nachhaltigen, zertifizierten Lebensmitteln durchgeführt worden. Ziel war es, die Bedeutung von Fairtrade und Bio auf der Basis von Konsumenteneinschätzungen zu analysieren. Dazu wurden Wahrnehmung, Bekanntheitsgrad und Vertrauen, Kaufverhalten, Zahlungsbereitschaft sowie Glaubwürdigkeit gegenüber Fairtrade- und Bio-Produkten abgefragt.
Der verantwortungsvolle Konsument – Einstellungen von Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftlern
(2015)
An den wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Fakultäten der Technischen Hochschule Köln (TH Köln) und der Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (HBRS) sind im Verlauf des Jahres 2013 Befragungen zu nachhaltigen, zertifizierten Lebensmitteln durchgeführt worden. Ziel war es, die Bedeutung von Fairtrade und Bio auf der Basis von Konsumenteneinschätzungen zu analysieren. Dazu wurden Wahrnehmung, Bekanntheitsgrad und Vertrauen, Kaufverhalten, Zahlungsbereitschaft sowie Glaubwürdigkeit in Bezug auf Fairtrade- und Bio-Produkte abgefragt. Der Kreis der Befragten umfasste die Gruppe der Studierenden, Mitarbeiter/innen und Professor(inn)en. Darüber hinaus konnten Differenzierungen nach Geschlecht, Einkommen und Alter vorgenommen werden. Die Ergebnisse sind in der Reihe „Forum NIL“ veröffentlicht worden. In der vorliegenden Studie sollte untersucht werden, ob Sozialwissenschaftler ein verantwortungsvolleres Konsumentenverhalten aufweisen als Wirtschaftswissenschaftler. Aus diesem Grunde, wurde die gleiche Befragung an der Fakultät für Sozialwissenschaften der TH Köln durchgeführt. Ein Vergleich der Befragungsergebnisse zeigte einerseits, dass Studierende, Mitarbeiter/innen und Professor(inn)en in den Sozialwissenschaften ein teilweise höheres Verantwortungsbewusstsein aufweisen. Dies gilt insbesondere in Bezug auf das bewusste Achten auf nachhaltige Produkte, die Zahlungsbereitschaft und den tatsächlichen Kauf von Fairtrade- und Bio-Produkten. Allerdings war auch bei den Befragten der Fakultät für Wirtschaftswissenschaften ein durchaus verantwortungsvolles Konsumentenverhalten erkennbar. Darüber hinaus konnte der generelle Vorwurf, dass sich eine Ökonomieausbildung negativ auf die Einstellung zu einem verantwortungsvollen Handeln auswirkt, anhand der Studienergebnisse nicht bestätigt werden. Vielmehr zeigte sich, dass nahezu keine Unterschiede zwischen den Antworten der Studienanfänger und Studierender höherer Semester an der Fakultät für Wirtschaftswissenschaften feststellbar waren.
Konsumentenbefragungen zum Thema "Fair Trade" und "Bio" an Hochschulen in Nordrhein-Westfalen
(2015)
Im Rahmen des 2013 gegründeten "Regionalen Forums für verantwortungsvolles Wirtschaften im Bereich Lebensmittel" wurde an der Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg und der Fachhochschule Köln eine Befragung zum Bekanntheitsgrad und zur Glaubwürdigkeit der Labels für "Fair Trade" und "Bio" durchgeführt. Zudem wurde die generelle Einstellung zu sowie die Kaufbereitschaft für fair gehandelte Produkte erfragt. Die Resultate konnten unter verschiedenen Aspekten (Stellung im Beruf und Einkommenshöhe, Alterskategorien, Geschlecht) differenziert analysiert werden. Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden ausgewählte Ergebnisse der Befragung vorgestellt.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away’. While it may be true that a balanced diet is a prerequisite for good health, how good is what we eat and drink every day? And is it actually possible to fulfil every customer desire with the vast array of foodstuffs on offer? BSE, dioxin in eggs, EHEC sprouts: in the light of repeated food safety crises, the issue of quality assurance as well as customer-oriented quality management has become of prime importance for the agri-food industry.
The Forum Nachhaltigkeit im Lebensmittelhandel (NIL; Sustainability in Food Retailing) is a collection of scientific papers dealing with various aspects of sustainability in the area of food retail trade.
Although much effort is made to prevent risks arising from food, food-borne diseases are an ever-present threat to the consumers’ health. The consumption of fresh food that is contaminated with pathogens like fungi, viruses or bacteria can cause food poisoning that leads to severe health damages or even death. The outbreak of Shiga Toxin-producing enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) in Germany and neighbouring countries in 2011 has shown this dramatically. Nearly 4.000 people were reported of being affected and more than 50 people died during the so called EHEC-crisis. As a result the consumers’ trust in the safety of fruits and vegetables decreased sharply.
This paper gives an overview of the development of Fair Trade in six European countries: Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. After the description of the food retail industry and its market structures in these countries, the main European Fair Trade organizations are analyzed regarding their role within the Fair Trade system. The following part deals with the development of Fair Trade sales in general and with respect to the products coffee, tea, bananas, fruit juice and sugar. An overview of the main activities of national Fair Trade organizations, e.g. public relation activities, completes the analysis. This study shows the enormous upswing of Fair Trade during the last decade and the reasons for this development. Nevertheless, it comes to the conclusion that Fair Trade is still far away from being an essential part of the food retail industry in Europe.
The phenomenon of the deviation between purchase attitudes and actual buying behaviour of responsible consumers is called the attitude-behaviour gap. It is influenced by individual, social and situational factors. The main purchasing barriers for sustainable (organic) food are price, lack of immediate availability, sensory criteria, lack or overload of information as well as the low-involvement feature of food products in conjunction with well-established consumption routines, lack of transparency and trust towards labels and certifications. The last three barriers are mainly of a psychological nature. Especially the low-involvement feature of food products due to daily purchase routines and relatively low prices tends to result in fast, automatic and subconscious decisions based on a so-called human mental system 1, derived from Daniel Kahneman’s (Nobel-Prize laureate in Behavioural Economics) model in behavioural psychology. In contrast, the human mental system 2 is especially important for the transformations of individual behaviour towards a more sustainable consumption. Decisions based on the human mental system 2 are slow, logical, rational, conscious and arduous. This so-called dual action model also influences the reliability of responses in consumer surveys. It seems that the consumer behaviour is the most unstable and unpredictable part of the entire supply chain and requires special attention. Concrete measures to influence consumer behaviour towards sustainable consumption are highly complex. Reviews of interdisciplinary research literature on behavioural psychology, behavioural economics and consumer behaviour and an empirical analysis of selected countries worldwide with a view to sustainable food are presented. The example of Denmark serves as a ‘best practice’ case study to illustrate how sustainable food consumption can be encouraged. It demonstrates that common efforts and a shared responsibility of consumers, business, interdisciplinary researchers, mass media and policy are needed. It takes pioneers of change who succeed in assembling a ‘critical mass’ willing to increase its ‘sustainable’ behaviour. Considering the strong psychological barriers of consumers and the continuing low market share of organic food, proactive policy measures would be conducive to foster the personal responsibility of the consumers and offer incentives towards a sustainable production. Also, further self-obligations of companies (Corporate Social Responsibility – CSR) as well as more transparency and simplification of reliable labels and certifications are needed to encourage the process towards a sustainable development.
Solar energy is one option to serve the rising global energy demand with low environmental impact.1 Building an energy system with a considerable share of solar power requires long-term investment and a careful investigation of potential sites. Therefore, understanding the impacts from varying regionally and locally determined meteorological conditions on solar energy production will influence energy yield projections. Clouds are moving on a short term timescale and have a high influence on the available solar radiation, as they absorb, reflect and scatter parts of the incoming light.2 However, the impact of cloudiness on photovoltaic power yields (PV) and cloud induced deviations from average yields might vary depending on the technology, location and time scale under consideration.
Solar energy is one option to serve the rising global energy demand with low environmental Impact [1]. Building an energy system with a considerable share of solar power requires long-term investment and a careful investigation of potential sites. Therefore, understanding the impacts from varying regionally and locally determined meteorological conditions on solar energy production will influence energy yield projections. Clouds are moving on a short term timescale and have a high influence on the available solar radiation, as they absorb, reflect and scatter parts of the incoming light [2]. However, modeling photovoltaic (PV) power yields with a spectral resolution and local cloud information gives new insights on the atmospheric impact on solar energy.
Der Begriff der Nachhaltigkeit ist heute weit verbreitet, und seine Nutzung erstreckt sich auf alle Gesellschaftsbereiche. Als abstraktes Leitprinzip bleibt oftmals unklar, wie der Begriff definiert und ausgelegt wird. Seine Unbestimmtheit trägt zur Verwässerung und inflationären Verwendung bei. Erschwerend wirkt zusätzlich die unzureichende Trennung des politischen vom alltagssprachlichen Begriff der Nachhaltigkeit.