Das Projekt "Fuel-Switch Project in the North-West of Russia" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von GFA Envest GmbH durchgeführt. The objective of the JI project was to replace the outdated and inefficient municipal heating installations running on coal by modern wood-fired boilers. Replacement has been done for the 43 MW capacity required for the heat supply to a town. As the wood fuel comes from sustainably managed forests GHG emissions from coal firing are avoided. Additionally, methane emissions from landfills are prevented. GFA ENVEST developed the Joint Implementation Project according to the UNFCCC modalities, covering the renewable energy component and the methane emission reduction component.The Onega JI project was the second Russian JI project that passed the JI validation process. Services provided: Identification of Project Location. Biomass Supply Assessment: Location analysis/forest resource analysis; Standing forest stock; Review of available waste wood stocks in the region; Economic and Financial Feasibility: Analysis of carbon and biomass benefits; Analysis of switching fuel systems in the identified location. Baseline Study Package for the Fuel-Switch Project: Environmental Assessment; Social Assessment; Review of the legislation to facilitate the switching of fuel source for heating purposes; Review current legislation and regulation of the energy, forestry, and environmental sectors as well as all regulations and laws affecting budgetary process and use by government of additional revenues; Intergrated stakeholder consultations. Baseline Study (BLS): Monitoring plan; Emission Reduction and Sequestration Study (ERSS); projections of the ERs that can reasonably be expected to be generated by the Project; Support for permissions, approvals and registration of the Joint Implementation project by relevant national and international authorities; Support to the project investor on monitoring and verification of emission reductions; accompanying Designated Operational Entity during the verification process; Marketing of Emission Reduction Units and Voluntary Emission Reductions on behalf of project investor; Assistance to the project investor during Emission Reduction Purchase Agreement negotiations.
Das Projekt "Mt. Cameroon - REDD+ Feasibility Study" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von GFA Envest GmbH durchgeführt. The aim of the study was to assess the feasibility a REDD+ project aiming at a reduction / avoidance of the currently ongoing deforestation in the Mt. Cameroon area. The ecologically valuable region is under serious threat of deforestation, caused by local villagers through the establishment of cash crops, mainly for cocoa-plantations. Deforestation shall be avoided by the development and implementation of a REDD+ project. This project shall be inherently conected to the newly established Mt. Cameroon National Park. The REDD+ project shall finance both the administration of the National Park as well as compensation measures in the surrounding villages. This compensation measures shall not only ensure the interest of local population in the participation in the REDD+ project, it shall also cover the REDD+ projects need for leakage management activities ensuring that the project impact (in terms of carbon conservation) is not compensated by deforestation activities outside the park area. This shall ensure the REDD+ projects overall success. The study evaluated the threat of permanent deforestation in the Mt. Cameroon region, identified drivers of deforesation, screened appropriate mitigation strategies and developed a baseline scenario. In May 2009, GFA ENVEST visited the project site, investigated the legal project structure and discussed project setup with the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife and the Ministry for Environment and Nature Protection. As the national park was established in spring 2010, the REDD+ project development is envisaged to start in autumn 2010. Services provided: GFA ENVEST provides the following services: Assessment of carbon stocks of intact forests for the main forest strata; Assessment of carbon stocks of degraded forests sites (i.e. cocoa plantations) for the main forest strata; Evaluation of forest protection measures and related abatement costs; Assessment of leakage management and leakage monitoring options and related costs; Design of a monitoring system based on remote sensing. This system shall allow for the verification of the overall success of forest protection measures. Calculation of the projects emission reductions under the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS) considering VCS security buffer approach for non-permanence; Assessment of carbon revenues and the overall financial feasibility of REDD+ measures; Evaluation of carbon rights ownership and an appropriate REDD+ project structure managing carbon funds and project costs.
Das Projekt "EURopean network of excellence for OCean Ecosystems ANalysiS (EUR-OCEANS)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Stiftung Alfred-Wegener-Institut für Polar- und Meeresforschung e.V. in der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft (AWI) durchgeführt. EUR-OCEANS aims to achieve lasting integration of European research organisations on global change and pelagic marine ecosystems, and to develop models for assessing and forecasting the impacts of climate and anthropogenic forcing on food-web dynamics (structure, functioning, diversity and stability) of pelagic ecosystems in the open ocean. The NOE will favour the progressive integration of research programmes and facilities of major research Institutes all over Europe. The long-term goal of the NOE is to create a multi-site Institute for European Research on Ocean Ecosystems under Anthropogenic and Natural forcings. The international context is provided by Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics (GLOBEC), and the forthcoming Integrated Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research (IMBER) of the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme (IGBP).EUR-OCEANS' Joint Programme of Activities (JPA) comprises: (1) Integrating activities on: networking (data and model integration); (2) Jointly executed research, organised around four broad modelling tasks (together with observations and experiments) on: pelagic ecosystems end-to-end, biogeochemistry, ecosystem approach to marine resources and within-system integration; (3) Activities to spread excellence, including training of researchers, and spreading excellence to socio-economic users and to the European public (through the Association of Aquaria for EUR-OCEANS public outreach); (4) Management Activities. Administrative and Financial Coordinator: Institut Oceanographique. Governing bodies: General Assembly (Member Organisations); Executive Committee (incl. Scientific Director and the Deputy); Steering Committee (incl. Work Packages Leaders). Councils: Scientific, Intellectual, Gender Equality, and EUR-OCEANS Institute. Composition: 69 Member Organisations, from 25 states (incl. 7 Third countries); 160 PIs selected for their capacity and excellence. Close cooperation with the USA, Australia, Canada, Namibia and Japan. Prime Contractor: France Innovation Scientifique et Transfert; Paris; France.
Das Projekt "Geothermal Energy Supply in Chile, Phase 1: General Framework and Environmental Impact Assessment" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Hochschule Bochum, Bochum University of Applied Sciences, Zentrum für Geothermie und Zukunftsenergien durchgeführt. Climate protection aspects, commitments to the Kyoto-protocol and a guarantee of the national energy supply are the main drivers for this project of the Government of Chile. In the first phase of the consultation GZB will be the technical partner of a workgroup which is going to establish a government-guideline for the implementation of geothermal energy projects in Chile. The guideline will emphasize legal, financial and environmental aspects.
Das Projekt "The Influence of Corporate Responsibility on the Cost of Capital" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Schlange & Co. GmbH durchgeführt. Corporate responsibility (CR) issues have gained importance within the financial community due to the exponential growth of specialized institutes, expansion of academic and research departments, increased launching of mutual funds allocated according to sustainability criteria, proliferation of online resources and other publications, and specialized corporate responsibility reports. A closer look at the literature concerning the relationship between CR issues and financial measures indicated three major fields for improvement in this area: (1) the development of a common understanding of CR issues; (2) the measurement of CR performance; and (3) the question of how CR issues affect the risk profile of a company. Since a common understanding of CR cannot be constructed theoretically, we based our research on the frequently used triple bottom line approach, in which CR incorporates economic, ecological and social responsibility issues. When it comes to the field of measuring CR performance, there are already plenty of methods and frameworks. In this research we developed a unique CR rating scheme based on existing frameworks and using weighting factors from analysts and investors. The question of how CR affects the risk profile of a company led to the projects objective: to analyze the impact of CR on capital market financing with a specific focus on electric utilities, assuming that the lower the company risk, the lower the cost of capital. We hypothesized that there is a relationship between CR and financial performance (H1) and that good CR performance reduces the risk to a company (H2). A clear relationship between CR and financial performance was not found, but CR and financial performance were indirectly linked throughout company risk. This research delivers evidence that CR performance is strongly linked to financial risk measures. There is also support for the assumption that CR issues are likely to be regulation-driven. Regulation seems to be a driver for CR engagement in the utility industry. It seems that a complete lack of CR engagement exposes a company to unnecessary high risk.
Das Projekt "Study about the potential of straw for energy generation in Ukraine" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von GFA Envest GmbH durchgeführt. Since January 2009 the German Agency for Renewable resources (FNR) is implementing a cooperation project with Ukraine and Russia with the aim to improve the use of renewable resources for energy generation in these two countries. Ukraine possesses a significant potential for renewable resource, especially in the agricultural sector where the agricultural waste such as straw with high energetic value is not used. The study has the aim to estimate the potential for the use of straw for energy generation in Ukraine. Furthermore, technical and economical aspects for applying different technologies for energy generation from straw are compared. The financial feasibility of different technologies is compared taking into account the possibilities of investments co-financing via the sale of emission reductions (via JI or GIS mechanisms). The goal of the study is to evaluate and rank technical alternatives for the energy generation from straw in Ukraine and provide recommendations for further development of renewable energy generation in agricultural sector in Ukraine. The study is divided into four sections: Assessment of the general conditions for the use of straw as energy generation in Ukraine: Analysis of the energy sector in Ukraine; Generation potential in Ukraine regarding quantity and transportability etc.; Analysis of the legal and political framework. Evaluation of the technical possibilities: Pyrolysis of straw for energy; Combustion or co-firing; Biogas generation; Pellets production and combustion in small units. Analysis of the economical feasibility: Economic feasibility of the technical solutions; Possibilities for co-financing via emission reduction mechanisms (JI or GIS). Identification and short description of potential project scenarios.
Das Projekt "Abgaben, Steuern und Transfers (3Ts) im europäischen Wassersektor" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Ecologic Institut gemeinnützige GmbH durchgeführt. Ecologic Institut unterstützt EUREAU in seinem Beitrag über finanziell nachhaltige Lösungen für die Wasserwirtschaft im Rahmen des 2012 World Water Forum (http://www.worldwaterforum6.org/) in Marseille. Ein zentraler Aspekt dieser Lösungen ist die Förderung des '3T'-Ansatzes, der von der Organisation für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (OECD) entwickelt wurde. Die Studie entwickelt eine praktische methodische Anleitung (Handbuch) um eine konsistente, auf den Endnutzer zugeschnittene Vorgehensweise zu etablieren, die finanzielle Daten auf Basis der 3Ts Methodik der OECD strukturiert. Um konkrete Beispiele und Illustrationen zu schaffen, wendet die Studie die erarbeitete 3Ts Methodik innerhalb einer quantitativen Analyse von ausgewählten europäischen Wasserversorgungsbetrieben auf unterschiedlichen geografischen und administrativen Ebenen (Gemeinde / Region / Land) an. Das letztendliche Ziel des Handbuchs ist die Entwicklung und Förderung der 3Ts als Schlüssel zur Entscheidungshilfe in der Finanzplanung der Wasserdienstleistungen - ein Hilfsmittel, dass in verschiedenen Publikationen, vor allem in EUREAU Publikation, verwendet werden kann.
Das Projekt "Integration of routine Aircraft measurements into a Global Observing System (IAGOS)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institut für Chemie und Dynamik der Geosphäre durchgeführt. IAGOS is a design study pursuing the preparation of a resilient distributed infrastructure for routine observations of atmospheric composition, aerosols, clouds and contrails on the global scale from commercial in-service aircraft. Observations in the Up per Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere (UTLS) are critical for improving the scientific understanding of chemistry-climate interactions, particularly those associated with the roles of clouds, aerosols and chemical composition. This information is essen tial for improving the scientific basis related to predictions of global climate change and for the assessment of surface air pollution, including the influence of aviation impacts and of emissions from other parts of the world on Europe. In IAGOS, new instrument packages will be developed which include state of the art developments based on the former MOZAIC instrumentation for O3, H2O, CO and NOy/NOx with significant reductions in size and weight. A central element is the certification of the packa ges for installation and deployment on Airbus longrange aircraft and for maintenance in compliance with aeronautical regulations. New instrumentation will be designed for aerosol, cloud particles and for stratospheric water vapour. Another important elem ent is the design of realtime data provision from the new instruments to meteorological services. Finally, IAGOS will establish the logistic and financial boundary conditions for the operation of the new infrastructure and will initiate the dialog betwe en scientific partners, users and airlines interested in supporting the new infrastructure. IAGOS is epected to make a significant step forward in the development of a globally operated in situ ob-servation network for the climate system.
Das Projekt "Sustainable semi-, decentralized sewage treatment - wastewater reuse, nutrient recovery and biogas production in the Delhi metropolitan area, India" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Institut für Wasser und Gewässerentwicklung, Bereich Siedlungswasserwirtschaft und Wassergütewirtschaft (IWG-SWW) durchgeführt. Suburbs and peripheral areas of large cities, such as the capital Delhi in India, have major infrastructural problems, especially in the field of sanitation and wastewater treatment. This is one the one hand due to logistical and on the other hand due to financial problems. Thats mainly why the City Council in Delhi today is no longer automatically connecting new housing estates to the main central collector. One way to solve these problems are semi- and decentralized technical solutions. The proposed demonstration plant partly already exists (a Rotating Biological Contactor unit (RBC) with a capacity of 340 PE) and was formerly studied in the framework of the BMBF project Analysis, Modeling and Demonstration of the Capability and Flexibility of Rotating Biological Contactors . It was formerly bought and now assigned and transferred to the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). Up to today there was no utilization concept from the Indian side, and thus, after consulting the DJB, the plant will be involved in the proposed project. The demonstration plant will be reinstalled at the sewage treatment plant Okhla, Delhi and supplemented by additional elements. Thus the project shows research, development and demonstration purposes. Following a sustainable, modular approach, the main targets of the project are aimed at wastewater treatment (micro sieve, RBC) and disinfection (membrane technology) and reuse of the treated and disinfected wastewater (washing the buses of the Delhi Transport Cooperation (DTC)), as well as nutrient recovery (phosphorus and nitrogen as fertilizer) and energy production (biogas). The plant shows a modular structure, reduced development costs, little transport route for recycled water and low energy and maintenance requirements which makes this technology suitable for future semi-central wastewater treatment.
Über ein Drittel (35 %) der überschuldeten Personen, die im Jahr 2019 die Hilfe einer Schuldnerberatungsstelle in Anspruch nahmen, lebten mit mindestens einem unterhaltspflichtigen Kind im eigenen Haushalt. Dies teilt das Statistische Bundesamt (Destatis) auf Basis der Ergebnisse der Überschuldungsstatistik 2019 anlässlich der Aktionswoche Schuldnerberatung vom 25. bis 29. Mai 2020 unter dem diesjährigen Motto „Chancenlose Kinder? Gutes Aufwachsen trotz Überschuldung!“ mit. Weitere knapp 10 % dieser Überschuldeten hatten mindestens ein Kind, das außerhalb des eigenen Haushalts wohnte. Insgesamt haben 2019 über 580 000 Personen aufgrund von finanziellen Problemen die Hilfe von Schuldner- und Insolvenzberatungsstellen in Anspruch genommen.