Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) https://hdl.handle.net/10419/44716 2026-09-12T07:41:52Z 2026-09-12T07:41:52Z Gace, Sara Rode, Julian https://hdl.handle.net/10419/338072 2026-03-21T03:15:31Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Leveraging policy and finance for ecosystem conservation in the Vjosa River Basin Authors: Gace, Sara; Rode, Julian Abstract: The Vjosa River Basin, located in the heart of the Balkans, is one of Europe's last free-flowing wild rivers comprising a large number of pristine habitat types with a wealth of biodiversity. Widespread degradation of the forest ecosystem and unsustainable land use due to logging and livestock farming have led to an urgent need for effective conservation planning and sustainable management. This study applies the Ecosystem Service Opportunity (ESO) framework to provide a diagnosis of the social-ecological context and the current institutional and legal frameworks governing the Vjosa River in Permet area and its surroundings. Based on 15 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders from local government, NGOs, and a national government agency, we identify opportunities for policy and finance instruments to encourage ecosystem conservation and sustainable livelihoods. The results are compared to Integrated Management Plan (IMP) for the Vjosa Wild River National Park. Our results align with the IMP approach in several strategic areas (i.e., stronger law enforcement and patrolling, regulating illegal livestock grazing, improved staff management and collaboration between local agencies, incorporating traditional knowledge in conservation strategies), but further emphasizes the need for action beyond national park boundaries, decentralization with stronger municipal involvement, establishment of a collaborative platform, and the diversification of funding initiatives.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Flinner, Susanne Lehmann, Paul Reda, Milan Jakob https://hdl.handle.net/10419/341101 2026-05-18T16:09:42Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The distribution of financial burdens from heat pump investments: An empirical analysis for owner-occupiers in Germany Authors: Flinner, Susanne; Lehmann, Paul; Reda, Milan Jakob Abstract: Albeit heat pumps are viewed as a key technology to decarbonize buildings, their upfront costs exceed investment costs for fossil boilers. These excess investment costs for heat pumps over fossil boilers are heterogeneously distributed across and within income groups, depending on building characteristics and local climate conditions. This paper investigates vertical and horizontal inequalities associated with investments in heat pumps as opposed to fossil heating systems, assessing them in absolute and income-relative terms. Using German survey data on building type, age, insulation condition, living area, and local climate, we estimate household-specific excess investment costs and analyze their relationship with income. In absolute terms, investment costs are equally distributed across income groups. However, when measured relative to income, distributional effects are regressive. Regarding the drivers of these effects, we show that lower-income households tend to live in smaller, older, and less well-insulated buildings than higher-income households. In contrast, for higher-income households, excess costs are largely driven by their comparatively larger living areas. Consequently, households across income groups face, on average, similar excess costs, albeit for different reasons. We also observe substantial horizontal inequalities in both absolute terms and relative to household income, reflecting considerable cost variations within income groups, depending on the combination of building type, building age, insulation condition and living area. Again, the drivers of these horizontal inequalities vary across income groups. We find that mitigating both vertical and horizontal inequalities requires targeted subsidies that take into account not only income differences but also substantial heterogeneity in building characteristics.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Matzner, Nils Otto, Danny Polzin, Christine Hauck, Jennifer Förster, Johannes Wollnik, Ronja Siedschlag, Daniela Thrän, Daniela https://hdl.handle.net/10419/315204 2025-07-08T07:19:32Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Bisher mehr Hürden als Chancen für bio-CDR: Berichte aus Stakeholder-Workshops zu biomassebasiertem Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Authors: Matzner, Nils; Otto, Danny; Polzin, Christine; Hauck, Jennifer; Förster, Johannes; Wollnik, Ronja; Siedschlag, Daniela; Thrän, Daniela Abstract: Wie werden verschiedene Verfahren zur Entnahme von CO₂ aus der Atmosphäre von Stakeholdern in unterschiedlichen Regionen Deutschlands wahrgenommen? Dieser Frage sind Workshops des Projektes "BioNET - Multi-stage assessment of biobased negative emission technologies"1 nachgegangen, um Potenziale und Herausforderungen biomassebasierter Carbon Dioxide Removal (bioCDR)-Technologien besser zu verstehen. In vier Stakeholder-Workshops wurden Expert*innen aus Industrie, Landwirtschaft, Forstwirtschaft, NGOs und Politik einbezogen, um bioCDR Maßnahmen, deren regionale Besonderheiten und gesellschaftlich-politisches Vertrauen zu diskutieren. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass bioCDR-Technologien wie Aufforstung, Pyrolyse von Biomasse (PyCCS) und Moor-Wiedervernässung als vielversprechend angesehen werden, jedoch auf regulatorische, wirtschaftliche und soziale Hürden stoßen. Während regionale Unterschiede in der Umsetzbarkeit bestehen, gibt es wiederkehrende Herausforderungen wie Flächenkonkurrenz, mangelnde politische Unterstützung und Unsicherheiten in der Finanzierung. Besonders betont wurde die Bedeutung von Kaskadennutzung, um die Effizienz von bioCDR zu maximieren. Das entwickelte Planspiel "Carbon Cascadia" unterstützte die Diskussion über Biomassekaskaden und langfristige CO₂-Speicherung. Die Ergebnisse verdeutlichen die Notwendigkeit gezielter Förderinstrumente und eines abgestimmten Politikrahmens, samt Bürger*innenbeteiligung, um bioCDR langfristig zu etablieren. Ohne klare Strategien und gesellschaftliche Einbeziehung besteht das Risiko, dass Potenziale dieser Technologien ungenutzt bleiben. Der Bericht liefert wertvolle Einblicke für Forschung, Politik und Praxis zur Weiterentwicklung von bioCDR in Deutschland.

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z Zinke, Christina Marin Karr, Sophia Zeug, Walther Thrän, Daniela Bezama, Alberto https://hdl.handle.net/10419/324637 2025-08-28T01:55:05Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: A guide to applying life cycle assessment tools to prospective technologies at the UFZ Authors: Zinke, Christina; Marin Karr, Sophia; Zeug, Walther; Thrän, Daniela; Bezama, Alberto Abstract: Great efforts in biotechnology are being made to reduce the use of fossil fuels and to drive a transition toward a bioeconomy. However, these early-stage technical concepts also carry sustainability risks at ecological, social and economic levels due to large-scale biomass flows when scaled to industrial production. Life cycle assessment methods can help to identify these risks at an early stage and take steps to counteract them. This potential has also been recognized at the UFZ and collaborative efforts between biotechnology developers and modelers have been initiated. Life cycle assessment for prospective technologies, however, presents a number of challenges, such as considerable uncertainty regarding upscaling and the conditions under which the technology will be used in the future. This white paper addresses challenges and opportunities of prospective life cycle assessment methods in an attempt to clarify common questions. Additionally, a survey explored the needs and expectations of future collaborations. The paper outlines the basics of the life cycle tools available in RU6 and proposes a workflow for future collaborations, concluding with a condensed LCA guide (Mini LCA guide) that summarizes the methodology and requirements for joint project work.

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z