Institute for Ecological Economy Research

The literature shows that limited research has been conducted on the changes induced by digital means in public participation processes on plans whose implementation could have an impact on nature conservation and landscape development. To contribute to closing this research gap, 15 expert interviews were conducted to shed light on the use of digital tools in public participation processes in Germany. The analysis examined potential changes in the quantity and diversity of participants, timing and duration of involvement, tone and content, and the influence of participation on decision-making. The experts’ experiences vary widely, and knowledge must still be consolidated. The findings suggest that using digital instruments can increase the number of participants and the variety of social groups they represent. Other factors, such as personal interest and implications or potential for conflict, are more crucial to participating. However, digital tools allow for easier participation at various stages of participation if all necessary information is provided online. The tone of the discussion appears to be significantly influenced by the specific digital tool used for participation; for example, a plenary video session may unfold in an orderly manner, but the concurrent chat discussion can become chaotic or even insulting without strict facilitation. Digital tools might increase public interest in planning processes and lead to a higher relevance of citizens’ opinions in decision-making. However, this does not necessarily impact its outcome, as various opinions can neutralize each other. Observing this development more intensively seems necessary to take advantage of opportunities and counteract digitalization risks. Nonetheless, it can be concluded that digital formats cannot and should not replace analog forms of participation; rather, both should be combined in hybrid forms.

The topic of biochar carbon removal (BCR), which refers to the pyrolysis of biomass, is increasingly being discussed as a potential solution for the long-term removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, BCR technology assessments in Germany, which are used as the basis for strategic decision-making, are often limited to woody biomass as an input material and are based on old data. Consequently, this study focuses on BCR from forest residues, straw and sewage sludge and assesses its contribution to negative emissions under current techno-economic framework conditions. Using life cycle assessment and annuity method, as well as complementary stakeholder engagement formats, the study provides a comprehensive analysis of BCR pathways in Germany based on an empirical, up-to-date data basis. The results highlight the environmental advantages of BCR, particularly in reducing greenhouse gas emissions compared to the conventional treatment of residues. The economic feasibility of BCR is uncertain, with profitability dependent on plant scale, biomass type and the integration of energy co-products. Stakeholder insights underscore the necessity for supportive policies and investment in BCR technology to enhance scalability. This interdisciplinary approach enriches the discourse on BCR’s role in achieving carbon neutrality and offers a robust data foundation for future evaluations.

Biodiversity loss is one of the planetary boundaries that is most urgently in need of action. However, very little is known about the consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for products with higher (or lower) levels of biodiversity performance. Therefore, this research was conducted to investigate how consumers’ WTP is influenced by a product's impact on biodiversity. To address this question, we collected representative data from 524 German consumers in a survey‐based experiment. Drawing on prospect theory, we identified the shape of the WTP reaction function for a given product in relation to its biodiversity performance. We demonstrate that consumers with sufficiently high levels of education and concern about biodiversity loss are willing to pay more for products with above‐average biodiversity performance and less for products with below‐average biodiversity performance. However, the extent to which a product outperforms the industry average does not influence consumers’ increased WTP. From a sustainable development perspective, these observed patterns highlight the problematic contrast between the pressing need for substantial improvements in product biodiversity performance and the limited incentives provided by consumers. Consequently, the findings suggest that the incentives that consumers currently provide for corporate biodiversity management are insufficient to assist in staying within the planetary boundaries.

Soils have the capacity to contribute to human wellbeing through a variety of pathways. Preserving these contributions in light of human and climate-induced changes requires consideration of the numerous benefits – both in research and policy-making. Previous research has demonstrated how the benefits can be recognized through valuation, but a comprehensive understanding of how different types of valuation of soil-mediated contributions to people (SmCPs) are incorporated across various contexts is missing. Under the framework of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the current study undertook a systematic review of the literature to identify knowledge gaps and future research agendas in understanding the value of SmCPs to people. We analyse the frequency of methods, data and actors included in the studies as well as the consideration of drivers and quality of life categories linked to the valuation of SmCPs. Although the majority of studies were solely concerned with either monetary or non-monetary valuation approaches, several studies acknowledged the limitations of pure economic valuation and attempted an integrated valuation of both non-monetary and monetary approaches. Despite these efforts, there is further potential for fully integrating both monetary and non-monetary valuation methods to encompass a more comprehensive valuation approach through interdisciplinary approaches.

The textile sector is responsible for a number of environmental impacts, e.g., climate change, and is not pursuing sustainable production and consumption patterns. Due to the increasing quantities of textiles, their share is rising, and a trend reversal from a linear to a circular and sustainable textile chain is needed. This article presents the background, methodological approach and results of a participatory textile development model. In the commercial B2B sector, three textile prototypes were developed together with users and trialled over several months in three application areas. Textile development took into account the requirements of fibre regeneration in the product design and focused on innovative more sustainable chemical recycling solutions. The three sustainably aligned textiles were subjected to spectroscopic and textile–technological tests. The sustainability tool screening life cycle assessments analysed their environmental profile and compared it with reference textiles that are used as the standard. Overall, it is clear that the three textiles can match conventional reference textiles in terms of quality and have considerable environmental benefits compared to the reference textiles. The user survey did identify concerns about a high artificial fibre content, although a general rejection of recycled fibres was not observed. The results show that a sustainable transformation is possible but must start with the fibre composition; recycling, on the other hand, is of minor importance.

Background The liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2 (LEAP2) plays a pivotal role in the host’s immune response against pathogenic microorganisms. Numerous such antimicrobial peptides have recently been shown to mitigate infection risk in fish, and studying those harboured by the economically important fish Acrossocheilus fasciatus is imperative for enhancing its immune responses against pathogenic microorganisms. In this study, we cloned and sequenced LEAP2 cDNA from A. fasciatus to examine its expression in immune tissues and investigate the structure–activity relationships of its intramolecular disulphide bonds. Results The predicted amino acid sequence of A. fasciatus LEAP2 was found to include a signal peptide, pro-domain, and mature peptide. Sequence analysis indicated that A. fasciatus LEAP2 is a member of the fish LEAP2A cluster and is closely related to Cyprinus carpio LEAP2A. A. fasciatus LEAP2 transcripts were expressed in various tissues, with the head kidney exhibiting the highest mRNA levels. Upon exposure to Aeromonas hydrophila infection, LEAP2 expression was significantly upregulated in the liver, head kidney, and spleen. A mature peptide of A. fasciatus LEAP2, consisting of two disulphide bonds (Af-LEAP2-cys), and a linear form of the LEAP2 mature peptide (Af-LEAP2) were chemically synthesised. The circular dichroism spectroscopy result shows differences between the secondary structures of Af-LEAP2 and Af-LEAP2-cys, with a lower proportion of alpha helix and a higher proportion of random coil in Af-LEAP2. Af-LEAP2 exhibited potent antimicrobial activity against most tested bacteria, including Acinetobacter guillouiae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, and Staphylococcus warneri. In contrast, Af-LEAP2-cys demonstrated weak or no antibacterial activity against the tested bacteria. Af-LEAP2 had a disruptive effect on bacterial cell membrane integrity, whereas Af-LEAP2-cys did not exhibit this effect. Additionally, neither Af-LEAP2 nor Af-LEAP2-cys displayed any observable ability to hydrolyse the genomic DNA of P. aeruginosa. Conclusions Our study provides clear evidence that linear LEAP2 exhibits better antibacterial activity than oxidised LEAP2, thereby confirming, for the first time, this phenomenon in fish.

Climate change represents a fundamental threat to species adapted to cold alpine environments. We studied the thermal ecology of the endangered Greek meadow viper ( Vipera graeca ), an endemic venomous snake of fragmented alpine-subalpine meadows above 1600 m of the Pindos mountain range in Greece and Albania. We measured preferred body temperature in artificial thermal gradient, field body temperatures and the availability of environmental temperatures in five populations encompassing the entire geographic range of the species. We found that the preferred body temperature ( T p ) differed between the northernmost and the southernmost populations and increased with female body size but did not depend on sex or the gravidity status of females T p increased with latitude but was unaffected by the phylogenetic position of the populations. We also found high accuracy of thermoregulation in V. graeca populations and variation in the thermal quality of habitats throughout the range. The overall effectiveness of thermoregulation was high, indicating that V. graeca successfully achieves its target temperatures and exploits the thermal landscape. Current climatic conditions limit the activity period by an estimated 1278 hours per year, which is expected to increase considerably under future climate change. Restricted time available for thermoregulation, foraging and reproduction will represent a serious threat to the fitness of individuals and the persistence of populations in addition to habitat loss due to mining, tourism or skiing and habitat degradation due to overgrazing in the shrinking mountaintop habitats of V. graeca .

The main result of this study is that Lusatia, as an energy transition and structural change region, still has high expansion potential for photovoltaic and wind energy systems. In 2040, electricity production from wind turbines could reach four times the current level. In the case of photovoltaic systems, around seven to eight times the current level is possible. Only in the area of biomass has the expansion potential already been largely exhausted. The building sector can also contribute to achieving climate neutrality. If the renovation rate is significantly increased to 3.3% per year by 2040, the required heating energy can be reduced by around 60%. At the same time, these energy transition scenarios are evaluated with regard to their regional economic opportunities for Lusatia. In an ambitious climate neutrality scenario, around 450 million euros in regional added value can be generated in 2040 and around 3560 full-time jobs can be filled. In order for this to succeed, however, the citizens and municipalities must first be given more opportunities for financial participation through appropriate framework conditions at federal and state level. We see financial benefits for the population and the municipalities as a critical success factor in order to be able to provide the necessary space, initiate investments and ultimately contribute to local acceptance.

Coal has been one of the main fuels used in Europe. Its decreasing role due to the ongoing transformation of the energy system will create significant socio-economic challenges. The switch into renewable energy systems could be an alternative to maintain jobs and economic activities within the affected regions. Biomass use and bioenergy can play an important role in the energy transition. Instead of energy crops, forest and agricultural residues should be used as biogenic energy sources in the future to avoid impacts on land use and food security. The main objective of this article is to investigate the biomass potential of a coal region and to provide scenarios for the future development of bioenergy production. Due to the changing framework conditions and, as a result, the different biomass focuses, previous bioenergy potential estimates must be reviewed. The methods for determining the potential of biomass for energy production was used for Lusatia (in German: Lausitz), the second largest coal region in Germany. These methods can also be applied in other regions. As a first step, the regional status quo assessment of cultivated areas and yields had decisive relevance for calculating biomass potential ranges. In a second step, the current bioenergy facilities in the region were identified, with a focus on power and heat production. The third step was the estimation of future regional bioenergy use. Therefore, the regional potential was gathered with the generally supra-regional framework conditions. For this purpose, national scenario studies were used, which contain the relevant target values and framework conditions. Two scenarios were developed for future bioenergy estimations: a conservative path based on the current policies and a progressive path, derived from the goal of climate neutrality by 2045. The results show a qualitative comparison among both scenarios and the previously determined potential ranges. Bioenergy can probably contribute to achieving climate neutrality with an increase in wood-fired systems, while agricultural bioenergy potential is likely to decline. In the discussion section, however, the uncertainty of these results is pointed out, as future use of bioenergy will be heavily influenced by the regulatory framework, competition with material use and the influences of climate change.

Use of wildlife as an alternative or complimentary rural livelihood option to traditional farming has become popular throughout southern Africa. In Namibia, it is considered a climate change adaptation measure since livestock productivity has declined across much of the country in the past few decades. In contrast with neighboring South Africa, Namibian landowners and custodian often avail large open areas to this purpose, such as in the communal conservancies where fences are prohibited. The SPACES II ORYCS project considered wildlife management in a multiple land-use and tenure study area in Namibia’s arid Kunene region. The aim was to investigate positive and negative impacts of the inclusion of wildlife on livelihoods and ecosystem services. Movement is recognized as an important survival strategy for wildlife in arid landscapes such as Namibia’s north-west, and this study found that movement barriers within and between the land uses could present a challenge to wildlife survival and productivity. Notwithstanding, wildlife persisted in crossing many of these barriers, including the national veterinary cordon fence to satisfy their requirements. This often led to human–wildlife conflict, especially with elephants and predators. Interviews found that despite this conflict, an understanding of the need for wildlife and general biodiversity provided complimentary livelihood opportunities and improved land productivity.

The need for faster and deeper transitions toward more sustainable development pathways is now widely recognized. How to meet that need has been at the center of a growing body of academic research and real-world policy implementation. This paper presents our perspective on some of the most powerful insights that have emerged from this ongoing work. In particular, we highlight insights on how sustainability transitions can be usefully conceptualized, how they come about and evolve, and how they can be shaped and guided through deliberate policy interventions. Throughout the paper, we also highlight some of the many how questions that remain unresolved and on which progress would be especially helpful for the pursuit of sustainable development. Our approach to these “how” questions on sustainability transitions draws on two strands of solution-driven research and policy advice: one emerging from studies of how human societies interact with nature and the other emerging from studies of how those societies interact with their technologies. Consumption-production systems have been a focus of extensive work in both strands. To help build bridges between them, we recently brought together a cross-section of relevant scholars for a PNAS Special Feature on “Sustainability transitions in consumption-production systems.” Their contributions are summarized in a companion paper we have written to introduce the Special Feature [F. W. Geels, F. Kern, W. C. Clark, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A . (2023)]. We draw on that work in the Perspective we present here as well as our reading of the relevant literatures.

Technological change is often seen as part of the solution to problems of global sustainability. A wide-ranging literature on how path dependent—often fossil fuel-based—socio-technical configurations can be overcome by more sustainable configurations has emerged over the last two decades. One potential transition pathway to transform electricity, heat and mobility systems as well as industrial production is the use of hydrogen. In recent years, hydrogen has received increasing attention as part of decarbonisation strategies in many countries as well as by international organisations such as the International Energy Agency or the International Renewable Energy Agency. Also in Germany it has become a central component of climate change policy and is seen by some actors almost as a kind of panacea, where the use of hydrogen is expected to decarbonise a wide range of sectors. Policy makers have the ambition for Germany to become a leader in hydrogen development and therefore help to contribute to what Grubler called ‘grand patterns of technological change’. The aim of this paper is to analyse whether relevant actors share expectations for transition pathways based on hydrogen, which would foster wide diffusion. Our empirical analysis shows that there are multiple contested pathways, both in terms of how hydrogen is produced as well as in which applications or sectors it is to be used. This causes uncertainty and slows down hydrogen developments in Germany. We contribute to an emerging literature on the politics of contested transition pathways and also critically engage with Grubler’s ‘grand patterns’ argument. Results support the idea that the concept of socio-technical pathways allows to expose tensions between competing values and interests. The German government is under considerable pressure regarding competing visions on hydrogen transition pathways. A targeted political prioritisation of hydrogen applications could mitigate tensions and support a shared vision.

In China, there is enormous development potential for resource recovery from sewage sludge. Government plans indicate that there will be greater investment in sewage sludge treatment, recycling and associated new technologies. Expert interviews and an expert workshop with representatives of German firms and institutions were held in order to identify barriers to and possible measures for the dissemination of technologies geared towards the utilisation of sewage sludge, such as anaerobic digestion, thermal hydrolysis and hydrothermal carbonisation. The following measures were identified as crucial: influence and support for the development of suitable regulations for sewage sludge in China, improvement in the processes and practices within specialised authorities, improved knowledge transfer, the development of appropriate business or operator models and persuasion of decision-makers within public authorities. German companies cannot implement most of these measures easily. HIGHLIGHTS For business development, it is crucial to have strong ties with Chinese partners.; Operator models require great commitment and most of the German companies are not suitable due to their size or ownership structure.; Transition school literature was helpful to develop an understanding of barriers and measures concerning resource-efficient handling of sewage sludge in China.;

Stated preference methods such as choice experiments are frequently used for the valuation of environmental goods. Studies suggest that the impact of valuation results on policymaking is rare. How the validity of stated preference results is perceived by policymakers may be a neglected barrier to use in policymaking. The study investigates (1) how valuation results are used by policymakers, (2) how policymakers perceive their validity, and (3) how these perceptions matter for the use of the results. We conduct choice experiments on urban green, directly involving local policymakers in the process. The policymakers, who were interviewed later, report frequent informative use of the results. Although concerns regarding validity exist, they are not a major barrier for informative use but maybe for decisive use. Our findings provide new insights on the use of valuation results by policymakers, as our study is the first to focus on stated preference results and on the role of perceived validity and enables an in-depth analysis by interviewing policymakers involved in a transdisciplinary process. We derive recommendations for researchers on how to design and communicate stated preference studies to increase their use in environmental policy-making.

In hacker communities, tech-savvy pioneers collect and share information on nascent technologies. The pool of information shared among users reduces uncertainty about digital technology, but, first and foremost, it reveals entrepreneurial opportunities to users in the community, which is a central tenet of innovation commons theory. In this paper, we are first to explore the role of local hackerspaces for digital entrepreneurship in German counties using cross-sectional time series data. We find that longer-lasting hackerspaces are strongly correlated with the level of digital entrepreneurship in regions, particularly in agglomerations and urban contexts.

In this paper, we argue that small initiatives can contribute to larger transformations if they challenge and unmake incumbent unsustainable paradigms, and we demonstrate how the application of the social-ecological transformation framework helps to operationalize the analysis of paradigm shifts across different levels of transformation. Empirically, we assess the contribution of Seed Commons initiatives to agri-food systems transformations, taking the case of the organic breeding association Kultursaat e.V. At the macro level, the analysis reveals that the paradigms of 'materialistic culture and growth', 'control and autonomy of humans over nature' and 'expert knowledge and specialization' are deeply embedded in the dominant agri-food system. Kultursaat challenges them by promoting alternative narratives such as agroecology, food sovereignty, farmers' rights and resilience. At the micro and meso level, we apply a set of evaluation principles that reveal the transformative character and partial transformative impact of Seed Commons. Applying the framework to agri-food systems can bring an enhanced theoretical understanding of dynamics of change into the agri-food transformation discourse, link small-scale initiatives to wider processes of transformation, and provide a systematic research approach to enhance comparability across case studies. The framework is well suited to bring together even evolving transformation literatures.

Zusammenfassung Es werden die Zusammenhänge zwischen Klimaschutz und Anpassung an den Klimawandel, die Chancen, Risiken und Grenzen der Anpassung sowie der nationale und globale Transformationsbedarf erörtert. Neben den einzel- und volkswirtschaftlichen Auswirkungen des Klimawandels stellt das Kapitel auch die sozialen, politischen und ökologischen Auswirkungen in einen systemischen Zusammenhang. Auf nationaler Ebene stehen gesellschaftlich und politisch Handelnde vor komplexen Analyse- und Steuerungsproblemen. Um Klimarisiken zu begegnen und Chancen der Klimaanpassung auszuschöpfen, müssen die verschiedenen Dimensionen wirtschaftlicher, sozialer, politischer und ökologischer Systeme, räumliche und zeitliche Skalenebenen berücksichtigt und Fachleute aus der Praxis einbezogen werden.

The Filipino agricultural sector is exposed to multiple climatic, economic, and social risks that will likely intensify in the near future. Building agroecological resilience has been proposed to protect small-scale farmers’ livelihoods and improve food security in the context of (unexpected) shocks and disruptions, and slow system changes such as climate change. This paper argues that commons-based seed production, based on collective management and ownership of seeds and varieties, can play a central role in building resilience capacities in smallholder communities. I explore this by applying an indicator-based framework to assess the contribution of the Filipino farmer network Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura (MASIPAG) to agroecological resilience. I find that the networks’ commons-based seed governance builds agroecological resilience in various ways. By equipping small-scale farmers with the tools to regain control over seed production and breeding, they become stewards of an actively evolving collection of varieties. The in situ maintenance and development of traditional, open-pollinated varieties and a network of diversified trial and backup farms build up buffering capacities and foster agrobiodiversity and local adaptation. A focus on regionally available natural resources reduces vulnerabilities to external factors. Adaptive capacities are strengthened through a high degree of flexibility and responsiveness achieved by self-organization and polycentric organizational structures. Broad participation, shared learning and spaces for experimentation support the development of farmers’ capacities to respond to diverse challenges. Commons-based approaches to seed governance can thus strengthen agroecological resilience and long-term food security in smallholder agricultural systems.

Dieses Kapitel zeigt, in welcher Weise der Mensch mit den Gewässern verbunden ist. Es beginnt mit der Darstellung der frühen Nutzungen, wie zum Beispiel Flößerei, Teichwirtschaft und Wassermühlen. Heute sind es bei den größeren Gewässern vornehmlich Schifffahrt und Wasserkraftnutzung. Ein ständiges Thema ist der nutzungsbedingte Ausbau der Fließgewässer und der Hochwasserschutz. Im Kapitel wird gezeigt, dass nahezu jede Nutzungsform Auswirkungen auf die Entwicklung von Fließgewässer und Aue hat. Um Fließgewässer- und Auen im Spannungsfeld von Wirtschaftlichkeit und Nutzungsanforderungen nachhaltig entwickeln zu können, müssen diese Zusammenhänge bei Planungen berücksichtigt werden. Im Buch wird bei der Beschreibung der anthropogenen Einwirkungen auf Fließgewässer und Auen zwischen frühen, historischen Nutzungen und Einwirkungen im Zuge der zunehmenden Industrialisierung unterschieden. Wertfrei wird dargestellt, wie der Mensch im Laufe der Zeit die Fließgewässer und Auen zu seinem Nutzen verändert hat und welche Auswirkungen im Hinblick auf deren Entwicklung damit verbunden sind.