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Die sozioökonomischen und ökologischen Wirkungen ausgewählter Vorhaben der BMBF-Fördermaßnahme ,,r4 - Innovative Technologien für Ressourceneffizienz - Forschung zur Bereitstellung wirtschaftsstrategischer Rohstoffe'' werden dargestellt. Viele, aber nicht alle Forschungsvorhaben lassen eine Verbesserung der Versorgungssituation Deutschlands erwarten. In Grenzfällen ist die Hebung der Sekundärrohstoffquellen aber unrentabel oder ökologisch unvorteilhaft. Diese Fälle erfordern eine Abwägung zwischen Versorgungssicherheit und anderen ökonomischen und ökologischen Zielen.

Im Projekt TWIST ++ wurde eine Methode zur umfassenden, multikriteriellen Bewertung von Wasser- und Abwasserinfrastrukturen entwickelt, die den Vergleich neuartiger Infrastruktursysteme untereinander und mit konventionellen Ansätzen erlaubt. Dabei werden nicht nur gängige Kriterien wie Umweltverträglichkeit, Wirtschaftlichkeit und gesundheitliche Unbedenklichkeit in der Bewertung berücksichtigt, sondern auch Aspekte wie die Akzeptanz bei den Anwendern, die Anpassungsfähigkeit gegenüber sich verändernden Rahmenbedingungen und die Sicherheit im Störfall. Die Anwendung der Bewertungsmethode erfolgt beispielhaft für die Umsetzung einer dezentralen Regen und Grauwasseraufbereitung im städtischen Umfeld in Lünen. Es zeigt sich, dass die alternative Infrastruktur der konventionellen in fast allen Belangen überlegen ist.

Existing research on the international transfer of climate technologies has so far largely concentrated on the transfer of mitigation technologies. However, the UNFCCC's decision to adopt the Cancún Adaptation Framework reflects the increasing political priority that is given to climate adaptation in general, as well as to the development and transfer of adaptation technologies. Given this situation, the objective of this case study is to explore the specific drivers and barriers pertaining to the international transfer and diffusion of membrane bio-reactors (MBR), a water treatment technology that enables the reclamation and reuse of water and helps to reduce the negative impacts of climate change. While this technology has largely been developed in industrialized countries, many of those countries that are most vulnerable to draughts and water scarcity belong to the developing world. Therefore, this case study analyzes the international transfer of MBR technology to two emerging economies, Brazil and China. Methodologically, the case study combines quantitative evidence, e.g. trade and patent data, with qualitative evidence gained from the analysis of the relevant legal and political framework in Brazil and China, as well as from insights gained from eight personal interviews with experts representing MBR companies and policy makers.

As raw and processed materials constitute a major share of the cost of inputs to industrial production in all developed countries and since the raw material crisis in 2009 revealed the criticality of the raw material supply worldwide, the increasingly efficient use of material resources has become an important point on the political agenda. One way to promote this increase is funding of research in efficiency-increasing technology innovations. Data describing the physical and economic effects of sixteen such innovations are used to model on the basis of input-output analysis the employment effect of these technologies once their full application potential in Germany would be exploited. It turns out that the employment effect is positive and its strong robustness is based on the combination of three promoting factors, each of which alone increases the likelihood of increasing employment. These factors refer to the profitability of efficiency-increasing technologies and to the import of foreign value added and the change in labour productivity characterizing many instances of material efficiency increase.

Due to the environmental challenges associated with the strong growth of plastic waste worldwide, the EU Commission recently published a green paper on a European Strategy on Plastic Waste in the Environment (COM (2013), 123 final), which highlights the challenges and opportunities that arise from improving the management of plastic waste in the EU. The European Waste Directive (2008/98/EC) which was transposed into German law through the Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz (KrWG) established the so-called 5-step waste hierarchy, which gives a clear preference to recycling over energy recovery and disposal of waste in landfills. Although waste avoidance and recycling are stated objectives of German waste policy, effectiveness and efficiency of the respective regulations seems to be influenced negatively by interactions with other policy instruments. Both, the internal interaction between different waste management policies as well as the external interaction between waste management policy and climate policy, seem to have a negative impact on the recycling of plastic packaging material. In order to gain insights regarding the impacts of different policy instruments on the recycling of plastic packaging waste, we conducted a case study analysis based on data gained from an online survey among German experts in the field of plastic packaging waste management and from the literature on waste management. Apparently, negative policy interactions originate from conflicting interests between the stakeholders of the different waste treatment options, i. e. recycling, thermal recovery and incineration. In the policy design stage, these conflicting interests have resulted in a regulatory flexibility that has made the recycling objective susceptible to the potentially negative effects of policy interactions. Apart from the requirement to achieve the minimum recycling quota for plastic packaging waste of 36 %, the waste management actors are flexible to choose their preferred waste treatment option once this threshold level has been achieved. In particular with regard to the recovery of low and medium grade plastic waste, economic incentives for thermal recovery and incineration seem to be much stronger than for recycling. This situation can partly be explained by the demand of energy intensive industries for plastic waste as a substitute for conventional energy sources. This trend has resulted in a considerable increase of the thermal recovery of plastic packaging waste between 2003 (2.3%) and 2010 (25.6%). With re-gard to waste incineration, the effect of the TA Siedlungsabfall (TaSi) on the build-up of incineration capacity and the economic imperative to utilize these capacities materialized in low costs for waste incineration. The massive build-up of capacities for waste incineration and RDF power plants decreased the costs for thermal recovery and made recycling less competitive. Structural changes of the packaging waste stream have also had a negative influence in recycling because the use of composite materials can render recycling technologically and economically infeasible.

Das hier vorgelegte Eckpunktepapier befasst sich mit den Zukunftsperspektiven der deutschen Wasserwirtschaft hinsichtlich ihrer Produkte und Konzepte. Ausgehend von schwierigen Herausforderungen für die globale Wasserwirtschaft legt es dar, wie die deutsche Wasserwirtschaft diesen Herausforderungen gegenübersteht und zeigt auf, welche Maßnahmen zu ergreifen sind, um die wirtschaftlichen Perspektiven der deutschen Wasserwirtschaft dauerhaft zu verbessern. Die Abschnitte 1-5 erläutern die Ausgangslage der deutschen Wasserwirtschaft, beschreiben sich neu stellende Herausforderungen und ordnen in diesen Zusammenhang das BMBF-Verbundprojekt „Wasser 2050“ ein, in dem diese Eckpunkte und Empfehlungen erarbeitet wurden. Die Abschnitte 6-10 wenden sich dann im Einzelnen zu ergreifenden Strategien und Ansätzen zu, die dazu beitragen, die Wettbewerbsposition der deutschen Wasserwirtschaft nachhaltig zu entwickeln. Der abschließende Abschnitt 11 fasst die Empfehlungen des Projekts zusammen. Based on the difficult challenges water management is facing in the coming decades, it is outlined which measures have to be taken in order to maintain the economic perspectives of the German water industry with respect to further improving its sustainability potential. Building upon the results of the project “Water 2050” it is shown how the potential of the German water industry can be developed in order to meet the new requirements for sustainable solutions which can be understood as integrated system solutions. The German water industry’s competitive position on the international market can be improved with the help of medium- to long-term orientated innovation networks. Recommendations for action to policy-makers are geared towards a coordinated cooperation of the individual departments and an improvement of the existing instruments.

Das Zusammenspiel aus demographischen, klimatischen und wirtschaftsstrukturellen Wandelprozessen stellt die Wasserwirtschaft vieler Weltregionen gegenwärtig vor große Herausforderungen. Während im Kontext des Klimawandels gravierende Veränderungen regionaler Wasserkreisläufe erwartet werden, steigt zeitgleich der Nahrungsmittel- und Energiebedarf einer global wachsenden Bevölkerung. Vielerorts verschärft sich dadurch das Spannungsfeld konfliktärer Nutzungsinteressen an den Wasserressourcen. Gleichzeitig ergeben sich zusätzliche Herausforderungen hinsichtlich der Verunreinigungen der Gewässer mit Nähr- und Schadstoffen. Mit den Rahmenbedingungen ändern sich auch die Anforderungen an die Wasserinfrastrukturen teilweise drastisch. Die bestehenden Infrastrukturen zur Wasserver- und Abwasserentsorgung werden teilweise an ihre Leistungs- bzw. Wirtschaftlichkeitsgrenzen kommen – sie müssen deshalb rechtzeitig an die zukünftigen Herausforderungen angepasst und flexiblere Lösungskonzepte müssen entwickelt und umgesetzt werden. Im Rahmen des TAB-Berichts wird die weltweite Innovationsdynamik im Bereich Wasser untersucht, das Innovationssystem im Bereich der Wassertechnologien analysiert, und es werden wichtige Herausforderungen und Trends für Industrie-, Schwellen- und Entwicklungsländer aufgezeigt. Mit Blick auf Deutschland erscheinen verstärkte Anstrengungen zur Förderung des Innovationssystems im Bereich der Wassertechnologien notwendig. Dies betrifft die Forschungsförderung, die gezielte Förderung des Übergangs von Forschungsergebnissen in die Praxis sowie die Stärkung und dauerhafte Unterstützung der internationalen Wettbewerbsfähigkeit.

The TELIS instrument is a balloon-borne cryogenic three-channel heterodyne spectrometer for limb sounding of stratospheric trace gases. The instrument is flown together with the MIPAS-B Fourier-transform spectrometer of the IMK, Karlsruhe. TELIS was developed by a European consortium involving research institutions, universities, and industrial partners. Thermal emission radiation is coupled in by a 26x13 cm dual offset Cassegrain telescope controlled to maintain constant tangent height during measurement. Radiometric calibration is achieved by a blackbody and deep space view. The radiation is divided into three channels by means of a polarizer and a dichroic. Within a special lightweight cryostat three complete heterodyne receivers are kept at liquid helium temperature: THZ channel, 1750-1890 GHz, hot electron bolometer mixer, DLR; SIR channel, 450-650 GHz, integrated receiver, SIS mixer, SRON (see poster ‘TELIS instrument performance analysis’); subMMW channel, 499-503 GHz, SIS mixer, RAL. A digital autocorrelator spectrometer with 4 GHz bandwidth and ca. 2 MHz resolution serves as backend shared among the channels. The first successful flight was in March 2009 in Kiruna, Sweden. Calibrated spectra are so far only available as quicklook data. Sideband ratios have been characterized recently. The radiometric accuracy of the autocorrelator is under investigation (see poster ‘Characterisation of the TELIS autocorrelator spectrometer’). The present paper will present the instrument as well as first results from the flight.

This report informs about potential impacts of the European regulation concerning the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals REACH (Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006) in the New Member States . It consists of two parts: 1) "Implementation of REACH in the New Member States – Part one: overview of the chemical and specialty chemical sector in the New Member States", and 2) "Implementation of REACH in the New Member States – Part two: Business case studies in selected New Member States". The first report gives a general overview of the chemical sector in all New Member States and provides key macroeconomic data for the description of the chemical sector as a whole in each of the countries. This includes the sectors development, major developments including trade with EU-15 and non-EU countries, and a description of sub-sectors according to NACE categories. Furthermore, the first report describes the impact on the chemical industry through the implementation of the Chemicals Acquis and the Accession to the EU, and derives the implications for the adoption of REACH in the New Member States. Finally, the report outlines REACH Impact studies which are available in the New Member States . The second report analyses the ability of specialty chemicals companies in selected countries to implement REACH . This ability is examined on the basis of techno-economic case studies. From the economic aspect, the impact on costs and prices is analysed, substance withdrawal, administrative impact, capacity needs and the competitiveness on European and international markets. From the technological point of view the impact of REACH on innovation, replacement of substances and process adaptation is looked at. The strategic analysis looked at alternatives to cope with REACH (such as the import of components, relocation to non-EU countries etc.), the potential of companies to adapt to the changing legal framework (including the implementation of the environmental acquis) and the relative importance of REACH as one amongst different drivers for change., JRC.J.2-Competitiveness and Sustainability

This report informs about potential impacts of the European regulation concerning the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals REACH (Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006) in the New Member States. It consists of two parts: 1) "Implementation of REACH in the New Member States – Part one: overview of the chemical and specialty chemical sector in the New Member States", and 2) "Implementation of REACH in the New Member States – Part two: Business case studies in selected New Member States". The first report gives a general overview of the chemical sector in all New Member States and provides key macroeconomic data for the description of the chemical sector as a whole in each of the countries. This includes the sectors development, major developments including trade with EU-15 and non-EU countries, and a description of sub-sectors according to NACE categories. Furthermore, the first report describes the impact on the chemical industry through the implementation of the Chemicals Acquis and the Accession to the EU, and derives the implications for the adoption of REACH in the New Member States. Finally, the report outlines REACH Impact studies which are available in the New Member States. The second report analyses the ability of specialty chemicals companies in selected countries to implement REACH. This ability is examined on the basis of techno-economic case studies. From the economic aspect, the impact on costs and prices is analysed, substance withdrawal, administrative impact, capacity needs and the competitiveness on European and international markets. From the technological point of view the impact of REACH on innovation, replacement of substances and process adaptation is looked at. The strategic analysis looked at alternatives to cope with REACH (such as the import of components, relocation to non-EU countries etc.), the potential of companies to adapt to the changing legal framework (including the implementation of the environmental acquis) and the relative importance of REACH as one amongst different drivers for change., JRC.J.2-Competitiveness and Sustainability

Although fundamental innovations can make especially important contributions to the environmental soundness of economic progress, they are often impeded by path dependency and lock-in on the part of established technologies. Because the intensity of the latter effect changes in time, it is possible to identify and strategically use windows of opportunity - periods in which successful transition is greatly facilitated. In the case of the mobile fuel cell, economies of scale, learning and network effects are among the most important techno-economic determinants of such a window. Other more political determinants are political guidance and supranational agreements. All effects were combined to form a time strategy that allows innovation policy to effectively push the new technology at the lowest possible cost for the economy.