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Germany has not yet made significant progress toward achieving SDGs 7 and 13. This challenge can be attributed to the underlying financialization problem in Germany, as well as implementation issues related to energy efficiency, particularly in coal and gas, and renewable energy consumption. Given these circumstances, Germany is facing challenges in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Addressing this issue may necessitate a policy realignment, which is the primary focus of this study. In this context, our study employs various wavelet-based tools, including wavelet coherence, multivariate wavelet coherence, and wavelet-based causality, to delve into the co-movements, causality, and direction of causality between the load capacity factor (LF) and key factors such as energy efficiency (gas and coal), technological innovation, renewable electricity, and financial development, focusing on Germany during the period from 1990Q1 to 2020Q4. The results from wavelet coherence, corroborated by wavelet cohesion, indicate that in the short and medium term, improvements in coal efficiency, gas efficiency, financial development, and renewable energy are associated with an increase in LF, thereby contributing to ecological quality. Furthermore, the multivariate wavelet coherence results underscore the significant impact of considering or not considering the effect of a third variable in the interrelationship between LF and its determinants, with the effect being more pronounced when the third variable is taken into account. Although this policy framework primarily targets the objectives of SDG 13 and 7, its applicability extends to other EU nations. The primary significance of this study is its proposal of an SDG-focused policy framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following a cradle-to-farm-gate approach, we determined the input of fossil energy and greenhouse gas emissions (GGE) for conventional and agroforestry land use on a farm in a low profit region of Germany. On the basis of a calculation model with a recurring crop rotation of maize, rye, oat, and a catch crop mixture, it was found that a short rotation alley cropping system (SRACS) with a 10% (A10) and a 40% (A40) tree area for bioenergy production consumed 7% and 32% less fossil energy than the conventionally managed site (C). Simultaneously, the net energy gains and energy efficiency of the plant production process were increased by up to 8 and 53%, respectively. Likewise, the operational GGE accumulated to 3.1 Mg ha−1 yr−1 under C farming and could be reduced by 9% and 36% in A10 and A40, respectively. Overall, a multidimensional land use indicator comparison proved that under specific site conditions agroforestry land use can increase the energy output per unit of land area, while the energy input and GGE per metric ton of biomass yield were considerably lower than in C farming. Nominal range sensitivity analysis revealed that the energetic and ecological performance of the system was highly sensitive to the size and productivity of the tree area as well as to the use of fertilisers. Our findings suggest that SRACS may fundamentally improve the environmental and energetic performance of the cultivation process on marginal land, without leading to substantial losses in agricultural livestock production area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]