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• Auto industry incumbents use a delay strategy to thwart environmental policies. • The strategy is not temporal, as others argue, but pressure sensitive. • Our study introduces new resistance tactics deployed by incumbent actors. • Both industry and government use the EU-level to influence the other side. Most serious environmental and health problems caused by the transport sector stem from the automobile. While other sectors have reduced emissions, transport emissions have increased and the sector's sustainability transformation seems stalled. Why is that? And what role do incumbent automobile industry actors play? Relatively few scholars have focused on the behavior of these incumbents. Our study contributes towards filling this gap by analyzing two case studies of how the German automobile industry has reacted to environmental policy initiatives. Our analysis allows us to make several contributions to the literature. First, we demonstrate how industry and policy makers attempted to outmaneuver each other. Second, we illuminate several tactics employed by incumbents to resist change. And third, our analysis reveals a pattern of behavior that we argue is linked to the degree of pressure placed on incumbents. Most other attempts to identify patterns have prioritized the temporal dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is used in many contexts to compare the monetary costs and benefits of taking different actions. It has thus been advocated as a suitable method for analysing environmental policy making as well as decisions about projects and their effects on societal welfare. Despite the valuable use in principle, its actual use in policy processes seems to be limited. The paper presents an empirical case study in the city of Bremen, Germany and contributes to the literature on the use of CBA in policy making related to climate adaptation. We interviewed municipal actors involved in a participatory workshop series dedicated to supporting the use of CBA for deciding whether to implement specific climate adaptation measures. The municipal actors were asked about their perception of the usefulness of CBA, particularly in formulating policy options, and about the success factors and constraints connected to integrating cost-benefit results in policy making. The findings suggest that CBA is, above all, perceived as useful in raising awareness of environmental goods and in increasing the transparency of the policy-making process. Here, CBA was confirmed as useful for spurring a systematic discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of different adaptation measures. However, the municipal actors adopted a relatively critical stance towards using CBA as a decision criterion for prioritising measures. We conclude that, in this context, the participatory process of conducting the CBA, which takes municipal actors' knowledge seriously into account, is important for the perception of the usefulness of its results in policy making. • Policy makers were asked about their perception on the usefulness of cost-benefit analysis results. • Cost-benefit analyses are perceived as useful in raising awareness and increasing the transparency. • Use of cost-benefit analysis as a decision criterion for prioritization of measures is viewed critically. • A participatory process of conducting the cost-benefit analysis is important for improving the perception of the usefulness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Survey data suggests that Germans perceive the occurrence of micropollutants in surface waters an issue worth addressing. • Germans are worried about aquatic micropollutants mostly because of environmental rather than health concerns. • A majority of the public acknowledges shared responsibility for the entry of micropollutants. • Market-based instruments are considerably less popular than command-and-control measures among respondents. • Concern for human health and trust in political institutions correlate with support for market-based instruments. The ever-increasing consumption of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, detergents and food additives puts aquatic ecosystems under strain. Accordingly, respective regulation of micropollutants in surface waters is an issue that not only needs to include the perspective of public actors and producers but also that of the consumers. Complementing existing literature on public perception towards environmental policy instruments, this study investigates how consumers assess the risks related to micropollutants in surface waters and what their regulatory preferences are for addressing this issue. Drawing on original survey data for Germany, we show that respondents perceive the presence of micropollutants in surface waters to be an issue worth addressing, mostly due to environmental concerns. The majority of respondents is aware that they share some responsibility regarding increased levels of micropollutants in surface waters. Main responsibility is attributed to the industrial and agricultural sector, however. Regarding potential regulatory measures to mitigate the entry of micropollutants into surface waters, respondents prefer command-and-control over market-based instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing awareness of sustainability issues in industrialized countries has resulted in an unprecedented rise in the number of environmental innovations produced worldwide. However, while this is a general tendency, the amount and importance of environmental innovations is far from consistent across industrialized countries. The influence of countries' policy network styles – referring to which and how interest groups participate in making public policy choices is a dimension that has been subject to growing interest and controversy. We propose that companies from pluralistic countries will generate more environmental innovations, but the importance of environmental innovations will be higher in neo-corporatist countries. Our analysis, based on a longitudinal analysis of 84,274 environmental patents from the United States, Japan, Germany, and the UK during the period 1976–2003, indicates support for our prediction that neo-corporatist countries tend to generate more important environmental innovations than pluralistic countries. Yet, our findings do not support our hypothesis suggesting that pluralistic countries are more likely to generate a higher number of environmental innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring spatial and temporal chemical status of water bodies is crucial to assist environmental policy, identify the chemical fingerprints, and further reduce the source orientated pollutants. Elbe River is one of the major rivers affected by anthropogenic activities in vicinity countries. This study assessed the spatiotemporal changes in response to source shift of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the suspended particulate matter (SPM) at upstream, midstream, and downstream of the Elbe River reach in Saxony state, Germany. The average contents of trace metals in SPM was found in the order of Zn (676 mg/kg) » Pb (79 mg/kg) > Cu (74 mg/kg) > Ni (48 mg/kg) » Cd (3.2 mg/kg). According to the Mann-Kendall trend test, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn showed significant declines over 1998–2016. The results of source apportionment indicate industrial, urban, natural, and historical mining sources influencing the metal contents in the Elbe River of Saxony. The contributions of industrial and urban pollution decreased by 58.2% from 1998 to 2007 to 2008–2016. The contribution of the natural source was steady over the last two decades. Image 1 • Long-term in spatiotemporal changes of metals in the Elbe River had been evaluated. • Most metals showed significant declines over 1998–2016. • Primary source shift of metals was identified by PMF receptor model. • Industrial and urban pollution showed decreasing contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Spatial distribution of AEM payments in unprecedented detail across Germany • AEM expenditures inversely reflect patterns of agricultural production intensity • High AEM expenditures in regions of low agricultural productivity • Intensive agriculture regions make low demand of AEM • Poor targeting of NH 4 deposition, peatland protection and N 2 O emissions Abstract The European Union has introduced agri-environmental measures (AEM) as one key policy tool to counteract the adverse impact of modern agriculture on the environment. Payments for AEM currently account for about 7% (i.e. nearly 20 billion EUR) of total EU funding for the Common Agricultural Policy programming period 2014-2020. It has been argued that the conditions for disbursing these payments are not rigorous enough to generate environmental benefits. A lack of spatial targeting as well as insufficient consideration of synergies and trade-offs among policy objectives has also been criticized. Here we present the first nationwide analysis on the spatial distribution of agri-environmental payments and their correlation to selected environmental pressure and land-use indicators in Germany. We focused on the AEM payments of the financial year 2014. The results revealed spatial mismatches between the distribution of AEM payments and some indicators for environmental pressures. Uptake of AEM tended to be low in regions with high ammonium deposition or high shares of utilized agricultural area on organic soils. In contrast, AEM uptake was high in regions with a high risk of soil erosion and habitat fragmentation. Moreover, agri-environmental payments varied significantly in relation to land-use attributes across Germany. More farmers received AEM payments in regions with high shares of grassland and Natura 2000 protected areas than did those in regions characterized by intensive agriculture (high numbers of livestock, high area of utilized agricultural area per farm and high natural yield potential). In general, there was a tendency towards spatial separation between highly specialized, productive agricultural areas exposed to comparatively severe environmental pressures and regions with small-scale, low-input farming exposed to lower environmental pressures that maintained a more balanced supply of regulating and cultural ecosystem services. We conclude that AEM need to be more attractive to land managers, especially in productive agricultural regions, in order to increase their effectiveness for environmental impact reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The ecosystem services (ES) concept has been increasingly considered in science and policy making. However, its consideration in agricultural management by farmers has not yet been fully investigated. This paper presents a theoretical framework based on available literature on how the concept of ES is likely established in agricultural practices and policies. We refine this framework based on a case study from Saxony, Germany. First, semi-qualitative interviews with farmers were conducted and a qualitative content analysis with a combination of a deductive and inductive category system executed. The results show that knowledge about the concept of ES is inherent in agriculture and that farmers implement various ES in agricultural management decisions even though their terminology may differ from ES definitions in research. Second, the paper evaluates existing agricultural policy instruments within the case study region related to their potential to enhance the provision of ES by asking which governance instruments are familiar with and would be accepted by the farmers for incorporating ES more prominently as a criterion in their management decisions. The paper concludes with an enriched conceptual framework about ES in farmers' decision making and on policy recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • New indicator concept developed to monitor land degradation in Germany. • Monitoring through calculation of soil values for each land use category. • Identification of necessary steps for national implementation of SDG 15.3. • German legal instruments suitable for requiring degradation to be offset. • Need for better implementation and addressing drivers of degradation. Abstract Following the adoption of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September 2015, Germany has committed to implement the SDGs with high ambition. This includes a commitment to implement SDG 15.3, which aims to achieve "Land Degradation Neutrality" (LDN) by 2030. In order to do so, it was decided that the National Sustainable Development Strategy - the key strategic framework in Germany for achieving the SDGs - should include an indicator for soil quality and land degradation in a coming revision. To explore how such an indicator can be defined and to analyse how the overall soil related SDGs can be implemented in Germany, the German Environment Agency and the German Federal Environment Ministry commissioned the research project "Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals on Soils in Germany". It ran from October 2015 to December 2017 and was carried out by Ecologic Institute. This article summarizes the key insights of this project containing two major aspects: First, it presents a conceptual framework for the implementation of LDN at national level including a proposal for necessary steps and guiding questions. Second, it develops a concept for a new indicator to monitor LDN, which uses land use categories as a possible proxy indicator to differentiate likely impacts on soil. Each land use category is assigned a certain soil value that represents the exposure to soil threats. The concept builds on and extends the hemeroby (naturalness) concept with regard to soil. We also identify key differences between the proposed indicator concept and the approach proposed by the Scientific Conceptual Framework (Science Policy Interface of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification). Finally, we discuss the current barriers hindering progress towards a more ambitious policy on soil protection and land take in Germany and the opportunities and needs to improve the current legal framework and its implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green spaces provide urban residents with numerous environmental and social benefits and are regarded as a fundamental part of sustainable urban development. However, the spatial distribution of green spaces is uneven in most cities and urban regions, which has been considered as an issue of environmental injustice. We present a study in which the spatial variation of green space equity and its relationship with socioeconomic variables were analyzed across different municipalities in the region of Munich, southern Germany. The Gini coefficient was applied as an indicator of green space equity and its relationship with socioeconomic variables was explored by using a geographically weighted regression (GWR) model. Moreover, the impacts of different urban dynamic scenarios on green space equity were comparatively assessed at both the regional and sub-regional zone levels by incorporating a multiple urban dynamic scenario modeling approach. The results indicate that the relationships between green space equity and socioeconomic variables are not always consistently significant over space and the coefficients of GWR reflect great spatial heterogeneity indicating the relationships are locality-specific. At both levels, a higher housing demand scenario tends to increase the spatial inequality of green space distribution. Polycentric urban spatial structure scenarios are found less limiting than monocentric ones in terms of green space equity at the regional scale. Among different urban growth form scenarios (“sprawl”, “compact sprawl” or “compact”), “compact” growth is most favorable at both levels in terms of green space equity. However, the other two growth form scenarios perform differently in each sub-regional zone. Therefore, the physical and socioeconomic heterogeneity across space should be considered thoroughly in the process of developing policies for urban development that effectively safeguard access to sufficient green space. This implication is not only crucial for this study region but also of great significance for other urban regions which aim to achieve successful green space planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen runoff from agricultural fertilisation causes serious environmental damage to surface waters. Environmental and consumer advocates demand government intervention to mitigate these externalities. The present study examines the effects of nudge-based regulatory strategies. Using an incentivised single-player, multi-period business management game as an experimental device, we study how nudges affect compliance with the minimum-distance-to-water rule in a sample of German farmers. We investigate two different nudge treatments: a nudge with information and pictures showing environmental and health damages that are presumably caused by breaching the minimum-distance-to-water rule, and a nudge with an additional social comparison suggesting that the majority of farmers in the same region comply with the rule. Three core experimental outcomes are observed: first, nudging has a preventive effect and reduces not only the share of non-compliant participants, but also the total area that is illicitly fertilised. Second, against all expectations, the preventive effect of the nudge with an additional social comparison is not stronger than that of the nudge with information and pictures alone. Third, despite the overall positive effects of nudging, the nudge with social comparison even increased the severity of non-complying behaviour in the deviant subpopulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tackling fuel poverty has become an increasingly important issue on many European countries’ political agendas. Consequently, national governments, local authorities and NGOs have established policies and programmes to reduce the fuel poverty vulnerability of households. However, evaluations of such policies and programmes show that they barely reach those who are most in need. The reasons for this failure are diverse and include fuel poverty measurement metrics, local scale data availability and policy design. This raises the question of how fuel poor homes can be more effectively identified and targeted to ensure that limited local and national budgets are used to benefit those who most need help. Area-based approaches, which pinpoint spatial units highly affected by fuel poverty due to their specific characteristics, offer an opportunity for creating more tailored policies and programmes. In this study, the author developed a GIS-MCDA (Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis), using an AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process) and applied the approach to the German city of Oberhausen. The overall issue of fuel poverty was broken down into three vulnerability dimensions (heating burden, socio-economic and building vulnerability), the relative importance of fuel poverty criteria and the dimensions were evaluated by experts, and an overall Fuel Poverty Index was created to assess the relative fuel poverty vulnerability of 168 urban neighbourhoods. The analysis offers insights into the spatial pattern of fuel poverty within a city and thus provides an opportunity to channel efforts towards households in those neighbourhoods most in need. It also demonstrates that a trade-off between ecological and social targets should be considered in the development of future policies for tackling fuel poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high level of nitrogen emissions over the last decades and their adverse impact on the natural environment and human health are a pressing environmental issue. A nitrogen tax can be a cost-efficient and effective policy instrument to reduce nitrogen emissions. However, adverse effects on low- and middle-income households might lead to societal and political frictions that could end up in resistance. In this paper we investigate how a hypothetical nitrogen tax covering the specific external costs of nitrogen could be implemented and estimate its short-term distributional effects on household income groups in Germany. The findings show that the proposed tax would be regressive. However, if the tax rate is set equal to the true cost of nitrogen, the monetary impacts would overall be small, ranging from 1.15% of income for the first income quintile to 0.66% for the fifth. Complementary policy measures to lower the burden on low-income households, farmers and the energy sector could preempt social resistance against the tax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perception of risks associated with climate change appears to be a key factor for the support of climate policy measures. Using a generalized ordered logit approach and drawing on a unique data set originating from two surveys conducted in 2012 and 2014, each among more than 6000 German households, we analyze the determinants of individual risk perception associated with three kinds of natural hazards: heat waves, storms, and floods. Our focus is on the role of objective risk measures and experience with these natural hazards, whose frequency is likely to be affected by climate change. In line with the received literature, the results suggest that personal experience with adverse events and personal damage therefrom are strong drivers of individual risk perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Netherlands and Denmark are the two biggest pig meat exporters in Europe, both with a strong focus on the German market. The structure of pig farms is very different: an average Danish pig farm has 3500 pigs, 170 ha of agricultural land on which a major part of the feed cereals are grown, whereas a typical Dutch pig farm has 2500 pigs with only 10 ha. As a consequence, Dutch pig farmers have to purchase all feedstuff and need to dispose nearly all the manure off-farm. A literature based study revealed that the main factors for the contrasting development were a stronger competition for land, resulting in higher land prices, and stimulation of intensive animal husbandry in the Netherlands, while in Demark environmental policies more strongly coupled manure production to land area. As a result the Dutch pig farmers have focused on intensification of livestock production on small holdings using external sources of feed supply, and Danish farmers on efficient production of feed cereals on large holdings. Due to a gradual lowering of manure and fertiliser application standards, Dutch farmers increasingly have to process manure and export manure, further increasing the total costs of pig production. Manure disposal costs per kg of slaughter weight in 2011 were on average 3.5 times higher in the Netherlands than in Denmark. Manure is exported mainly to Germany and France, which also supply the feed cereals. Therefore manure export contributes to closure of nutrient cycles. Danish pig farmers are less sensitive to nutrient policies and feed prices than those in the Netherlands, but the high debt rate makes the sector vulnerable to low pig prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Target 2, Action 5 of the EU Biodiversity Strategy requests member states “to map and assess ecosystems and their services” (Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services – MAES initiative). The objective of this paper is to present and discuss the preliminary outcomes of the approach taken to define indicators for implementing MAES in Germany. The paper introduces the requirements for using indicators from a perspective of nature conservation policy, in particular the need to discern the demand and supply of ecosystem services, including their potentials, actual and future use, as well as the natural contributions and human inputs to the generation of ecosystem services. An adapted, differentiated, ecosystem services terminology is presented and a first set of indicators is introduced and explained. The paper closes with an estimate of potential benefits of information produced by implementation of a national MAES for various fields of policy (e.g. local and regional landscape planning) and proposes some recommendations for further research and practical exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainable management of phosphorus (P), an essential element for life, is currently discussed intensively in research and policy. In order to provide a data basis for national P strategies, various substance flow analyses (SFA) of P on a national level have been published in recent years. The quantification of flows and stocks helps to identify hot-spots and potentials for sustainable measures within the particular country analysed. However, the national SFAs that have been conducted so far differ with regard to their system definitions, i.e. the processes, flows and stocks identified. This makes comparisons between countries difficult, hinders the transnational transfer of lessons learnt and hampers supranational policy efforts. Therefore, we (i) develop a standardised visualisation format, i.e. a blueprint, which allows for transnational comparability and facilitates future national SFAs of P; (ii) present a systematic comparative analysis of seven European SFAs (Austria, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom) using fluxes, indicators and cluster analysis; and (iii) to exemplarily show the added value of a linkage between material flow analysis and social system analysis. Our results show regional disparities with regard to losses and efficiencies of current national P use and to the potential of secondary P to increase national self-sufficiency. The countries analysed can be categorised in three clusters providing a first classification according to selected variables comprising key flows and indicators. By using the current discussion on the application of sewage sludge on agricultural land in Germany as an example, we show the added value of the integration of flow and governance analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beliefs about environmental justice are an important aspect in the willingness to continuously commit to pro-environmental behaviors and actions both on individual and societal levels. Since environmental policy is subject to decisions across various state institutions, the current article focuses on three principles of environmental justice beliefs, and tests their independent contributions toward pro-environmental behavior. In a representative sample of German citizens, we tested the effects of intergenerational justice, ecological justice and global justice beliefs on pro-environmental intentions. In addition, we focused on two potential processes that might explain the relation between justice beliefs and pro-environmental behavior, namely, moral anger and perceived responsibility. In line with expectations, stronger environmental justice beliefs predicted pro-environmental intentions. Path analyses further revealed that sense of responsibility and moral anger mediated the effects, with the former being a stronger predictor of pro-environmental intentions than the latter. These findings are discussed in light of current societal debate and policy recommendations are exemplified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture in many industrialized countries is subject to a wide range of policy interventions that seek to achieve ambitious climate, energy and environment-related objectives. Increasing support for the generation of climate-friendly, renewable energy in agriculture, however, may lead to potential conflicts with agri-environmental policies aimed at land use extensification and landscape preservation. These potential trade-offs and inconsistencies in terms of policy implementation are not yet well understood, since conventional tools for agricultural economic assessment work on an aggregate regional level and do not fully capture the likely farmer responses when making a choice between investments in biogas production and participation in agri-environmental policy schemes. We employed a farm-level model to analyze the reaction of a heterogeneous farming population in Southwest Germany to the incentives set by the German Renewable Energy Act (EEG), on the one hand, and the agri-environmental policy scheme MEKA, on the other. Our simulations indicate a potentially large decrease of MEKA participation due to biogas production supported under EEG. The success of the 2012 EEG revision in reducing the ‘maizification’ of agricultural landscapes will critically depend on the local demand for biogas excess heat. In any case, the EEG revision does not alleviate conflicts between the expansion of renewable energy and environmental considerations, but rather shifts priorities from the former to the later: the simulated reductions of maize areas are achieved by a considerable reduction in overall biogas production (“output effect”), and not by encouraging less maize-intensive feedstock mixes (“substitution effect”). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human interventions, i.e. settlement and construction activities, in the agricultural landscape including farmland but also natural and semi-natural habitats are a major driver of biodiversity loss. Consequently, their impacts on nature and landscape have to be compensated by no net loss policies in many countries around the world. However, their practical implementation often poses challenges with regard to the optimal spatial coordination and assessment of measures, especially in the case of eco-accounts or other habitat banking approaches. Against this backdrop, different approaches to offset biodiversity loss at regional level are analysed with due consideration of indicators of economy, ecology, landscape aesthetics and food production. We used an interdisciplinary modelling approach based on estimates for offsetting demand until 2030. In the integrated land use model, we associated a biophysical crop growth model with an economic optimisation model. The Stuttgart Region – an area with stiff competition amongst anthropogenic land use patterns in Germany – served as the study area. Our main focus was on arable land that has a high potential for nature conservation enhancement. In this context, farmers are deemed to be a major stakeholder group. We observed differing economic and ecological outcomes for the offsetting scenarios we considered. In urban areas with high population density and low biodiversity (e.g. Stuttgart city), compensation close to the site of intervention (on-site) may be more expensive than off-site compensation. However, further added value can be generated by on-site compensation in terms of visual landscape quality enhancement and habitat connectivity, provided that the measures lend themselves to establishing connectivity. Consequently, spatially unrestricted markets for eco credits may exacerbate ecological polarisation between urban and rural areas. Therefore, we concluded that offset site selection should not be driven solely by economics, as this may not optimise overall welfare from a societal perspective, resulting in the need for legal constraints. Our results show the trade-offs between the political goals of spatial planning approaches and compensation strategies. They can, therefore, thus provide valuable information that enables political decision-makers to more clearly weigh up the effects of policy measures in this area. • Biodiversity offset scenarios for development are analysed by land use modelling. • The economic and ecological impacts differ between offset scenarios. • On-site compensation can generate added values for the visual landscape quality. • Free offset site selection leads to ecological polarity among urban and rural areas. • Biodiversity offsets support ecological sustainability in agricultural landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Renewable energy is a cornerstone of German climate change policies. Germany has adopted particularly ambitious renewable energy targets, and is now implementing an Energiewende – a transition to a nuclear-free and low-carbon energy system. The transition could be eased through European cooperation. This article investigates the economic, political, environmental and technological factors that act as drivers and barriers to renewable energy cooperation between Germany and Norway. The article finds that German actors see Norwegian electricity as a means for enhancing the stability of their electricity system as Germany shifts to a greater reliance on renewables. In Norway the picture is more mixed. Norwegian state-owned electricity producers and grid operators are interested in cooperation largely out of profit motives, but expect Germany to create a favorable environment for investors. Energy-intensive industries and consumers on the other hand, are afraid that more electricity cooperation with Germany will raise electricity prices. The Norwegian environmental movement is split on the issue. Parts of the movement see renewable energy cooperation as an important step towards a European low-carbon energy future. Nature and outdoor organizations, however, argue that new renewable energy infrastructure, including pumped-storage hydropower, will result in major environmental impacts. If cooperation is to be achieved, these economic and environmental concerns will have to be taken seriously. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Based on data of more than 3700 citizens in Germany, this paper empirically examines the relevance of several groups of explanatory factors for electricity consumption. Besides controlling for individual housing and dwelling characteristics as well as socio-demographics, we analyze the effect of environmentally-related values and norms. Since behavioral economics reveals the importance of economic preferences for many individual activities, we additionally consider time and risk preferences, altruism, trust, and reciprocity in our econometric analysis. With respect to the latter factors, only patience has a significantly negative effect on electricity consumption. Instead, our estimation results suggest a high relevance of several individual housing and dwelling characteristics and socio-demographics. The most interesting result is probably that neither environmentally-related values such as ecological policy identification and environmental awareness nor environmentally-related personal and social norms have a significant effect. In contrast to the USA and to the demand for green electricity in Germany, these estimation results suggest that citizens with strong environmentally-related values and norms in Germany do not consider low electricity consumption as an important direction for environmental and climate protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The increased use of renewable energy is the declared objective of the European and German climate policies. According to the German government, renewable energies will contribute to 35 percent of electricity production by 2020. In a bid to meet these ambitious targets, the Germany government implemented the EEG 2000. This policy guaranteed a fixed tariff for 20 years to all renewable energy plant operators providing electricity to grid. Following this policy implementation, significant market growth could be verified for nearly all renewable energy sectors. Approximately 20 percent of Germany's electricity today is met be renewables. In order to ensure an efficient growth and encourage technology providers to optimize and develop new innovative technologies a constant market monitoring and periodic amendments to the feed-in tariffs are required. In order to monitor the impact of the EEG and the development of the solid biofuels within the German energy supply system a comprehensive database with about 10 000 datasets has been accumulated over the last decade. This inventory database with various types of information is continuously updated, integrated and validated for data quality. It has emerged that this represents now the most complete and relevant database in Germany. Through the analysis of this database it can be shown, that the enactment of the EEG in 2000 has resulted in a tenfold increase in the number, as well as in the installed capacity of biomass CHP plants. These biomass CHP plants now contribute approximately 9 percent of the total electricity generated from renewable energy sources. The database analysis has also identified that there is a correlation between technology options, stakeholders and biomass sources, as these have changed in line with the changes in framework conditions over the last three EEG periods. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The opportunities and limitations of electrically driven mobility are currently widely discussed in public debates on vehicles and future transport. E-mobility has by and large been communicated in the context of sustainable mobility and its central idea is an urban e-car. Questioning the hype for this technology, this paper presents the development of the hegemonic discourse of e-mobility focusing on the actors involved. The study is based on a media analysis of selected German print media. The various phases of the e-mobility discourse were reconstructed by the detailed study of thematic focuses brought about by various actors such as politicians, electric supply companies and traditional automotive industry, and by the temporal distribution of the articles dealing with e-mobility. In addition the actor configuration is clarified by reference to the statements of the actors in the articles. The phases in the e-mobility discourse can be explained by a certain constellation of actors and how they manage to enforce their claims and interests. While the government plays a prominent role in the current development of the e-mobility discourse, the change of the automobile industry''s common position towards the electric vehicle and the rising interests of the power supply industry also play an important role. Finally, the paper reveals the internal and external driving forces of the e-mobility discourse and evaluates whether it is promoted in a sustainable way. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Here, we discuss the scientific rationale behind the identification and selection of marine protected areas (MPAs) for birds in the German Exclusive Economic Zones of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, based on the European Union (EU) Birds Directive. Seabird distributions were determined using internationally standardised transect counts from ships and aircraft. Their distributions were analysed using geostatistical interpolation methods to derive concentration areas for each species. Two Special Protection Areas (SPAs) were proposed based on the distributions of all species. These were subsequently evaluated by the relevant nature conservation authorities and finally designated by the Federal Environmental Ministry. Long-term data on seabird abundance and distribution collected during and after the SPA designation process revealed the same major concentration areas as in the preceding years, indicating that the overall observed patterns were stable and reproducible, despite small-scale spatial and inter-annual variations. The designation concepts provided by the EU Birds Directive thus appear to be suitable for the appropriate designation of MPAs for birds in offshore waters. However, adequate management tools for European offshore MPAs for birds, e.g. the regulation of fisheries and shipping, still remain to be developed and implemented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We report on bi-national (Germany–Israel) research on relationships between public attitudes, behaviours and preferences related to marine aquaculture. Aquaculture''s world-wide market share accounts for over half of all aquatic products. In many places, the sector''s explosive growth has outstripped scientific knowledge and governance provisions. Small producers such as Israel and Germany seeking to expand domestic production must address environmental challenges posed by fish farming, stakeholder competition in crowded coastal zones and public/consumer receptiveness. Based on survey data obtained from both the countries, correlation analysis (Pearson''s r-statistic) was used to test four hypotheses. Of these, one (positive relationship between coastal tourism and aquaculture attitudes) was supported in both countries. The hypothesis of positive relationships between lifestyle (environment/health) behaviours and aquaculture attitudes was supported only in Germany and the hypothesis of negative relationships between concern for the environment and aquaculture attitudes was supported only in Israel. These results are significant for policy, business, NGO and other stakeholders. Moreover, they point to the importance of this type of comparative research in improving our understanding of local factors influencing attitude-formation and inter-relationships. First, the tourism–aquaculture relationship found indicates potential synergies between two sectors reliant on the coastal zone that should be taken into account by planning authorities. The divergent environment–aquaculture results were especially interesting since in both countries, the primary concern regarding aquaculture expansion was environmental impacts. Closer inspection of the survey results revealed that this relationship may have been influenced by the orientation of environmental concerns in each population. Germans focus on depletion of wildstocks and Israelis on cage effluent and marine pollution. Another significant result is the relatively low level of knowledge/understanding about the aquaculture sector among the general public. There is therefore a dual challenge for policy-makers and planners: against the background of broad support for expanding sustainable aquaculture, there is also a need for improved communication of scientific information on aquaculture–environment interactions as well as on the quality and safety of aquacultured products. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Permanent grassland combines various ecological functions in terms of nature, soil, water and climate protection. Conversion of grassland to arable land is accompanied by a diminution of these functions. Various developments have led to increased pressure on the EU grassland area. With cross compliance, the EU sets minimum standards for the protection of the ratio of permanent grassland. However, this requirement alone does not ensure the preservation of grassland on sensitive sites, such as water or nature conservation areas or land on organic soils or on steep hills. This paper deals with land use changes between grassland and arable land. For this purpose we analyse data of the EU''s Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) from four German federal states. The described methodology allows to identify gross changes of land use and to distinguish between conversion of permanent grassland and “loss” due to “deactivation” at a highly disaggregated level. Merging IACS-data with further spatially explicit data provides a picture of land use transitions in ecologically sensitive areas and enables conclusions to be drawn about the effectiveness of protection measures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As in many countries after periods of political unrest and with unstable economical conditions, urban woodland and green spaces are becoming prioritized in the last decade in Serbia. This stands in stark contrast to countries like Germany, where there is a long history of integrating urban green space in urban development. Looking through the lens of urban forestry, this paper compares the status, planning and management of urban woodland in the Serbian capital of Belgrade with the German city of Freiburg. Holding up the difficult situation in Belgrade to the good-practice case of Freiburg allows the identification of status, problems and potentials for development. Both cases of urban forestry were analysed by a series of methods, including expert interviews, on-site observations, and analysis of documents, literature and maps. Results indicate that in Belgrade institutions and policies of urban woodland management have being much less developed than in Freiburg. Furthermore, Belgrade faces various problems that need to be solved, e.g. in terms of developing the policy framework for urban forestry and the need to promote political awareness about its importance. Important lessons can be learnt from the experiences of cities like Freiburg. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Residential buildings strongly contribute to global CO2 emissions due to the high energy demand for electricity and heating, particularly in industrialised countries. Within the EU, decentralised heat generation is of particular relevance for future climate policy, as its emissions are not covered by the EU ETS. We conducted a choice experiment concerning energy retrofits for existing houses in Germany. In the experiment, the approximately 400 sampled house owners could either choose a modern heating system or an improved thermal insulation for their home. We used standard and mixed logit specifications to analyse the choice data. We found environmental benefits to have a significant impact on choices of heating systems. However, they played no role in terms of insulation choices. Based on the estimated mixed logit model, we further obtained willingness-to-pay (WTP) measures for CO2 savings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In cities there is a variety of economic and spatial forces that may influence to what extent a travel-related CO2 emission pricing can be an effective instrument to contribute to the achievement of CO2 reduction goals. Therefore, we examine the effectiveness and impact of CO2 emission charges using a spatial general equilibrium model of an urban economy, calibrated according to an average German city. Our analyses suggest that the imposition of a Pigouvian type CO2 emission charge on urban passenger travel may be able to reduce emissions by about 1%–11%, depending on the estimated social damage cost of carbon dioxide. Such a policy increases urban welfare mainly on account of a reduction of congestion costs. However, pricing congestion directly not only provides higher urban welfare but also higher emission reductions. Pricing congestion and CO2 emissions simultaneously allows to achieve a wide range of emission reduction goals. If, however, the reduction goal is very ambitious the emission charge must be raised to higher levels. Then, distortions in the urban markets and in spatial travel decisions lower labor supply and thus urban production, income of city residents, federal tax revenue, income of landowners outside the city, all together implying losses in welfare. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Road transportation is a strongly growing source of CO2, and use of biofuels represents one option to reduce end-of-pipe emissions of the existing car fleet. In this contribution, the implementation of the EU Biofuels Directive (2003/30/EC) and related voluntary measures at the local level are examined in Germany, UK, Italy and Finland and the cities of Berlin, London, Milan and Helsinki. Even though they are not directly involved in the implementation of the biofuel directive, all four cities studied have played an important role in emissions reduction by voluntarily participating in research and demonstration projects and by using biofuels in their own fleet. An analysis of the numerous causes and driving forces leading to different local level measures is provided. The environmental sensitivity, usually examined at national level, and the national level implementation of the EU Biofuels Directive (2003/30/EC) were not directly correlated with the city-level activities Instead, support from local businesses and acquisition of EU funds were considered to be valid explanatory factors for the city-level activities. In addition, through horizontal networking cities are starting to exchange know-how gained in their projects, contributing in this way to the accumulation of experience for future policies and technologies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A newly developed indicator of the pesticide risk for aquatic biocenosis in surface water bodies is applied within an economic sector model, and is used to evaluate alternative designs for an environmental policy programme. For rural districts (‘Landkreise’) across Germany, different widths of riparian buffer zones adjacent to surface water bodies are evaluated in terms of efficient cost/risk ratios. The indicator is defined as acute risk under worst-case input conditions and is based on combining a sectoral model, a national survey on pesticide use and a toxicological risk assessment model. The nation-wide survey provides data on pesticide use by agricultural crop. On this basis, crop-specific risk indices for aquatic biocenosis are calculated by means of eco-toxic criteria for indicator organisms and aggregated through crop patterns to the rural-district level. GIS is used to calculate the influences of natural site factors (e.g. soil types, land use distance to water bodies, etc.) on pesticide input in surface water and to calculate the regional risk potentials at regional level. An economic cost–impact analysis is conducted based on the new indicator. Opportunity costs of converting agricultural land to riparian buffer strips are estimated using the agricultural sector model RAUMIS, for buffer strip widths of 3, 30 and 50m, as per the European the environmental programme EC 99/1257/EEC. These costs are then compared with estimated risk reduction potentials at the regional level of administrative districts. Results show that cost–impact ratios are most efficient for 3m buffer strips and in those regions with the lowest costs from changing agricultural land use (e.g. through reduced livestock production). A major future research need in this area is a higher spatial resolution at the grid-level. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: While the share of renewables has been growing rapidly since the 1990s, at present electricity generation in Germany is still based on coal and nuclear energy, with nuclear power and lignite covering almost the whole base load electricity generation, and hard coal serving as the main energy carrier for medium-load generation. However, both coal and nuclear energy are facing major challenges. The future of coal in Germany is uncertain against the background of strong climate policy regulations and issues of public acceptance. In line with current legislation, nuclear power is being phased out. In its strategy for CO2 emissions reduction, the German government has identified the carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies as one of the options. Major government papers highlight the importance of further research and development (R&D) in the field of CCS technologies. German industry supports R&D activities on CCS by participating in the work of public–private partnerships (PPP), e.g. the COORETEC initiative, the GEOTECHNOLOGIEN programme, as well as by implementing CCS demonstration projects. In view of the difficulties coal has been facing with regard to public acceptance in Germany, the public acceptance of CCS technologies is recognised as an important precondition for their large-scale deployment. Thus, research on public acceptance of CCS is one of the priorities accompanying R&D on these technologies. Besides the strategy of fostering national R&D activities on CCS, Germany is actively participating in international networks and organisations dealing with the CCS issues. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In a carbon constrained world, at least four classes of greenhouse gas mitigation options are ava ilable: energy efficiency, switching to low or carbon-free energy sources, introduction of carbon dioxide capture and storage along with electric generating technologies, and reductions in emissions of non -CO 2 greenhouse gases. The contribution of each option to overall greenhouse gas mitigation varies by cost, scale, and timing. In particular, carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) promises to allow for low-emissions fossil -fuel based power generation. This is pa rticularly relevant for Germany, where electricity generation is largely coal -based and, at the same time, ambitious climate targets are in place. Our objective is to provide a balanced analysis of the various classes of greenhouse gas mitigation options with a particular focus on CCS for Germany. We simulate the potential role of advanced fossil fuel based electricity generating technologies with CCS (IGCC, NGCC) as well the potential for retrofit with CCS for existing and currently built fossil plants from the present through 2050. We employ a computable general equilibrium (CGE) economic model as a core model and integrating tool. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Forests can be found everywhere on our planet. But only in German (and, to a certain extent, also in Swiss) forests, a special phenomenon occurred about 30 years ago called “Waldsterben” (dying of forests). The starting point were local damages to certain tree species which scientists, journalists and politicians eagerly interpreted as a global threat to all forests. Man-made emissions were seen as the cause of the Waldsterben which was expected to thoroughly deforest the country within a few years. However, none of the apocalyptic prophecies of that time fulfilled. Seen in retrospect, Waldsterben spared the trees. It only seized the minds of the people. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper examines the impact of environmental innovations on company competitiveness of both the environment industry and related sectors in the region of Munich. The focus is on the drivers of these innovations and their respective effects on innovating companies. Not only innovations in the area of end-of-pipe technologies, but also the development of integrated products and production methods are examined. In a regional case study approach, a sample of 14 manufacturing and service companies in Munich (Southern Germany) was interviewed. Essentially, environmental innovation is driven by a mixture of factors internal and external to the firm: not only regulatory pressure, but also cost pressure, competitive advantages, technological lead and customer pressure are important drivers. Regulatory pushed innovations contribute to the competitive performance of sample companies in a similar way as environmental innovations which are carried out voluntarily. That would yield proof for the so-called Porter hypothesis which assumes that environmental legislation stimulates innovation and leads to “win–win” opportunities where simultaneously pollution is reduced and productivity increased. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper employs John Kingdon''s [1984. Agendas, Alternatives and Public Policies. Little Brown, Boston] “multiple streams” framework to analyse the sudden move from overgenerous grandfathering to tight caps and auctioning within the German emissions trading regime in the first half of 2007. By bringing together empirical evidence from interviews and official documents the following question is addressed: how completely does Kingdon''s framework explain this political turn? The opening of a “policy window” can be demonstrated and Kingdon''s theory concisely captures important aspects of this process. At the same time, however, the findings imply that a number of relevant factors are not sufficiently considered by the theory, most notably the influence of multi-level governance structures, learning processes, and networks. This demonstrates that the multiple streams approach on its own is not sufficient to fully understand the case study example. Hence, for a better understanding of policy change it is suggested that scholars need to evaluate the potential for amending and combining Kingdon''s model with other explanatory approaches. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The paper analyses a participatory approach to agri-environmental policy development and decision making at the state level in Germany. The approach comprises an interactive PC-based model and the facilitation of the corresponding communication process. Research objectives are improved communication processes and an enhanced quality of political decision making. The investigation is based on the assumption that the success of agri-environmental programmes depends largely on their acceptance by all major stakeholders. This implies an early integration of varying interests in the decision-making process. Introducing participatory approaches into a bureaucratic setting poses particular problems. The subsequent trade-offs resulting from different notions of a ministry and a research team collaborating on an action research process concern the choice of involved stakeholders, the continuity and intensity of facilitated processes, the amount of transparency, treatment of competences and power, as well as linkages to actual policy making. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Based on empirical evidence, the paper discusses the impact of a consulting and information program for the improvement of material productivity with regard to economic and environmental targets for Germany. The instrument used in the analysis is the integrated economic-environmental model PANTA RHEI, which is parameterized econometrically. The paper presents the model and shows in a baseline forecast that without policy changes, sustainability will be violated in both the economic and the environmental dimensions. This applies to the latter particularly with regard to land use and material consumption. The alternative simulation that introduces a consulting and information program for the improvement of material productivity yields a win–win result: growth rates of GDP and employment are rising, the public debt is reduced, and material consumption is much lower than in the baseline and remains at the actual level, which means that a decoupling of growth and material consumption is possible. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Naturally, before funding an environmental program on a large scale, decision makers would like to know whether or not a program will be successful in terms of, first, ecological efficacy and, second, economic efficiency. With particular focus on methodological issues regarding the evaluation of environmental programs, this paper provides an introductory and didactic survey of experimental and observational approaches to the evaluation of the ecological efficacy, as suggested by modern evaluation research. While the evaluation of environmental programs on the basis of these approaches is standard in the US, this course outlined by other applied fields, such as labor and health economics, is obviously rather unusual in Germany and other EU countries. We would like to emphasize that, whenever possible, one should consider conducting an experimental study: In an ideal experiment with a randomized assignment into treatment and control groups, the simple difference in mean outcomes across both groups would yield an unbiased estimate of the true program effect. When controlled experiments are not a viable option, observational approaches might succeed. In any case, environmental regulators and utilities have to work more closely together with researchers already at the stage of designing the interventions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Environmental policy requires increasing monitoring and reporting and Europe''s GMES initiative offers good prospects in this regard. With this in mind, the potential to use remote sensing data for tasks mandatory for the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, and its assigned agencies was analysed. The general potential of satellite data applications was studied for a total of 13 departmental issues, concentrating on nine specific remote sensing products and services important to the agencies, with the emphasis on the monitoring of land cover and land use. Product costs were estimated for an efficiency analysis and an independent product appraisal was performed by thematic experts. The evaluation showed most products to be of paramount importance for mandatory tasks in the fields of environmental observation and the Federal Environmental Specimen Bank; soil protection; water management (implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive); and air pollution control (impacts on sensitive ecosystems). Concluding recommendations discuss the harmonisation, implementation and shared funding of a stock of satellite data for federal and state agencies, the German position on further implementation of GMES, and the continuity of data provision to be secured by operational satellite missions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Survey-embedded framing experiment with 9750 respondents from China, Germany and US. • Strategic framing unlikely to alter meat consumption and fossil-fuel car usage. • Strategic framing unlikely to increase public support for demand-side policy. • More research needed to understand the role and limits of strategic framing. Strategic issue framing is widely regarded as an effective communication strategy to alter public opinion and citizens' policy support. However, it is unclear to what extent strategic framing can increase support for ambitious demand-side actions and policies that make the cost of mitigation perceptible in citizens' everyday lives. Taking an exploratory approach, we conducted qualitative interviews and a comparative framing experiment with 9,750 survey respondents from China, Germany, and the United States. We analyzed strategic issue framing effects in two areas known to be key for increasing the sustainability of consumption: meat/fish consumption, and fossil-fuel car usage. Employing both classical linear regressions and advanced Bayesian sparse estimations, we show that in all three countries widespread arguments in favor of reduced meat/fish consumption and car use are unlikely to substantially alter citizens' concern, willingness to pay, behavioral intentions and policy support for demand-side action. Our findings suggest that in the absence of a broader behavioral change campaign, strategic issue framing alone is unlikely to be effective in changing entrenched attitudes and behaviors. On its own, it is also unlikely to substantially increase public support for demand-side policies to reduce consumption. More careful research is needed to help policymakers understand the role and limits of different strategic framing techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data on agricultural pesticide use are of increasing interest since understanding farmers' pesticide use patterns is crucial for farm business, farm advisory, and agricultural and environmental policy. Member states of the European Union established different systems to estimate applied amounts of active ingredients per crop and hectare. However, the aggregation of use data at crop level lacks information of farm-specific use patterns. Former studies showed that pesticide use varies strongly between farms. Consequently, approaches are needed to obtain more farm or field-specific data of pesticide use. Glyphosate is the most applied active ingredient worldwide and widely used in Germany. Studies have been carried out in recent years to analyze glyphosate use patterns in German arable farming. For this study, data of a glyphosate-related survey conducted among German farmers were compared with field record data from on-farm studies. Using data originating from the two different sources will help to judge the comparability and adequacy of the methods. This comparison has not been done before for the case of glyphosate or any other pesticide. Questionnaire-based surveys among farmers correspond predominantly with field records, even in the highly political case of glyphosate. In view of glyphosate use patterns, the study indicates that many farmers are not fully aware of the difference between two uses currently registered: stubble and pre-sowing applications. In the on-going public debate, consistent definitions of glyphosate uses are needed to ensure clear communication between stakeholders. • A glyphosate-related survey was compared with on-farm record data. • This comparison has not been done before for any other pesticide. • Questionnaire-based surveys correspond predominantly with field records. • Farmers are not fully aware of the difference between glyphosate uses. • Consistent definitions of glyphosate uses are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on the plan of the German government to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by 40 percent below the level of emissions of 1990. The government will initiate the plan if the European Union reduces the emissions by 30 percent at the same time. The government will support comprehensive climatic protection concepts and accompanying advice. According to the Guideline on the Support of Retrofitting of Commercial Refrigerating Plants, the investigation of the energetic state of a plant, measures to retrofit the plant and measures to use the exhaust heat will be supported.

Abstract: The different approaches that other countries take to land use reflect many national variables, including planning systems, institutional structures, socio-cultural characteristics, population pressures and environmental priorities. Literature reviews of relevant land-use issues in Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Sweden provided the background material for this paper. Other European countries appear to offer models of more pro-active and indicative land-use planning, in contrast to the adversarial system in the UK, and a much stronger regional focus. This seems to have made it easier to implement other policies, for example on renewable energy. Experience with liberalisation of agricultural markets, and the promotion of environmentally sustainable farming are both relevant to an increasingly polarised agricultural sector in the UK. Cutting across all these themes is a reflection on governance of land use. Of the countries considered, Sweden''s focus on environmental sustainability, international responsibility and long-term consistency of direction appears to be most closely aligned to the coming land-use challenges. When drawing conclusions from this review it is important to bear in mind the effect of differences in bio-geographic factors, socio-economic conditions and political culture, both in other countries and within the UK. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This section presents updates on the safety and environmental legislation in Great Britain and Germany. In Great Britain, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is reaching out to all kinds of industries in the North East that use chemicals to advise them about new regulations for managing them. the HSE has also warned companies to protect employees from flammable cleaning liquids. In Germany, the law on the Design of Electrically Operated Products Considering Environmental Requiremens implements the European Guideline into German legislation.