• Energy Research
• Closed Access close
• Open Source close
• Embargo close
• 13. Climate action close
• 7. Clean energy close
• German close

Against the backdrop of the irreversible and systematic destruction of ecosystems, necessary for the survival and quality of life of people and non-human species, caused by human agency and socio-economic structures, we explore the opportunities and challenges to resist ecocide in relation to socio-economic inequality and the crisis of democracy. To this end, first section focuses on the diagnosis of ecocide. We show that due to three fallacies the connection between ecocide, socio-economic inequality and the crisis of democracy is not sufficiently accentuated. In the second section, several contemporary political measures to deal with ecocide are critically examined. We will argue that Agenda 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals, is part of the problem as it falsely assumes the compatibility of sustainability and economic growth. Finally, in the third section, the opportunities and challenges of resistance to ecocide are discussed with an emphasis on the power asymmetries between the Global North (GN) and the GS.

This paper identifies a central challenge relating to the adaptation to climate change on the local level: how to deal with the unknown and how to create a resilient environment. Although a consensus exists that our climate will change to a hitherto unknown extent, the anticipation of local and regional consequences has reached its limits. The primary reason for this is the unknown interference of social development and natural processes. This paper suggests a practical typology of (non-)knowledge and distinguishes between two main strategies of how to deal with unknown developments: anticipation and resilience. In a case study on the extreme Elbe flood in 2002, local adaptation strategies and lessons learned are investigated against the background of the previously introduced concepts of the unknown and adaptation strategies. The empirical findings show a gap between the local activities during and after the flood event and the scientific concepts of resilient adaptation strategies. Local actions mainly rely on anticipation and strong expectations. Resilient features are hard to detect and mostly come into conflict with the realized local adaptation strategy.

Ein wesentliches Ziel des nachhaltigen Bauens liegt in der Minimierung des Energie- und Ressourcenverbrauchs. Für einen schonenden Umgang mit fossilen Energieträgern können die Strategien Konsistenz, Effizienz und Suffizienz verfolgt werden. Hierfür müssen geeignete Elemente für die Betrachtungseinheit Gebäude gefunden werden. Die Nutzenpotentiale der Elemente Gebäudehülle, HLK-Anlagen und Nutzerverhalten werden dargestellt und der Fokus wird auf die Gebäudeautomation gerichtet. Eine gewerkeübergreifende Gebäudeautomation kann neben den HLK-Anlagen und der Beleuchtungsregelung auch die elektrische Energieverteilung für die übrigen Verbraucher umfassen. Die Nutzenpotentiale bestehen in der Möglichkeit eines bedarfsgeführten Betriebs von HLK-Anlagen und in der hohen Regelgenauigkeit zur Einhaltung von raumklimatischen Sollwerten. Darüber hinaus kann durch das Potential der Lastverschiebung der elektrischen Verbraucher ein Beitrag für die Stabilität eines zukünftigen Stromnetzes mit einem hohen Anteil an erneuerbaren Energiequellen geleistet werden. A major goal of sustainable construction is minimization of energy and resources consumption. To ensure careful use of fossil fuels, the strategies of consistency, efficiency, and sufficiency are pursued. For this purpose, appropriate elements have to be found for the building as an entity. Use potentials of the building shell and heating-ventilation-air conditioning (HVAC) systems as well as the user behavior are outlined, with the focus lying on building automation. Apart from the HVAC systems and illumination control, general building automation also includes electric power distribution to the other consumers. Major potentials result from demand-based operation of HVAC systems and a high control accuracy to maintain the specified indoor climate parameters. In addition, load shifting of power consumers may contribute to stability of a future power grid with a high share of renewables.