Here you can find additional information on the policies, measures and instruments presented in the Sufficiency Policy Database.
Buildings
Policy strategy: Reduce living space
Measure / action: Sufficiency-oriented moving and living
Policy Instrument ID 28: Moving bonus
Implementation Example: The city of Frankfurt am Main already offers a moving bonus when moving out of a social housing flat, provided that the current flat is too large and the new flat is smaller.
Source: German Zero: See info sheet on the flat exchange premium programme: “FRANKFURT.DE – DAS OFFIZIELLE STADTPORTAL, Umzugsprämie. Stadt Frankfurt am Main. (from German Zero 2021, p. 367).
Policy Instrument ID 310: Permit and promote alternative housing
Implementation Example: Eco Village Hannover: An attractive, mixed, affordable and sustainable neighbourhood which is currently being built in Hannover/Germany. It integrates many sufficiency aspects (smaller living spaces, much shared use…).
Measure / action: Sufficiency-oriented building modifications
Policy Instrument ID 74: Design of development plans with diverse and mixed use
Implementation Examples:
Eco village Hanover. A very “attractive”, affordable and sustainable district with smaller living spaces and a lot of shared use.
Source: https://www.ecovillage-hannover.de/
Housing cooperative in Zurich with reduced living space per person and a relatively high “social mix” at the same time
Source: see https://www.kalkbreite.net/ (last access on 22.12.2023); see https://www.mehralswohnen.ch (last acceess on 22.12.2023).
Prohibition of the establishment of shops relevant to the city centre on the outskirts of Ravensburg in order to enable short distances and keep the city centre lively, liveable and dense. (also ID 196)
Source: Böcker et al. (2021): Wie wird weniger genug. Oekom Verlag, p. 40.
Flensburg (DE): Sufficiency-orientated urban development in a 53-hectare district with reduced living space per person, a higher proportion of green spaces and mixed uses for shorter distances. (also ID 196)
Source: Böcker et al. (2021): Wie wird weniger genug. Oekom Verlag, p. 62.
Policy strategy: Using existing buildings for living space
Measure / action: Use of vacant buildings
Policy Instrument ID 31: Monitoring vacancies
Implementation Example: In almost all of Germany’s federal states, laws on the alienation of housing (Zweckentfremdungsgesetz) have been enacted to enable municipalities to prevent vacancies, demolitions, conversion to commercial use, tourism accommodation and structural alterations that prevent the use of housing.
Source: German Zero 2021, p. 369.
Policy Instrument ID 338: Tax vacant dwellings
Implementation Example: The Lombardy Region and the Municipality of Milan are promoting a special status for supporting the refurbishment of abandoned buildings. The new regulation allows for an extension of the floor area up to 20% of the actual size, the municipal building taxes are reduced, and in parallel the amount of taxes for new buildings in green fields is increased by 20-50%. The existing buildings are reused as the use of undeveloped land has an additional cost. The land use is reduced for satisfying new needs, the existing structures are reused.
Source: Wuppertal Institut (2022): Mapping of local sufficiency initiatives. D 4.1, p. 16.
Measure / action: Protect existing buildings and living space
Policy Instrument ID 33: Protection of living space by control numbers
Implementation Example: In order to avoid latent vacancies, the letting of a flat as a holiday home should only be allowed if the landlords provide a housing protection number. This makes it easier for the municipalities to enforce the law and is already being implemented unbureaucratically in Hamburg, for example.
Source: Behörde für Stadtentwicklung und Wohnen Hamburg. (from German Zero 2021, p. 369).
Measure / action: Vertical densification
Policy Instrument ID 70: Reduce approval requirements for house-top story addition
Co-effects: A study by the TU Darmstadt found that the addition of more storeys to residential and non-residential buildings has a potential of 2.3 million flats.
Source: TU Darmstadt/Pestel Institut, Deutschlandstudie 2019. “Wohnraumpotenziale in urbanen Lagen”, p. 67. (from German Zero 2021, p. 380).
Policy strategy: Sustainable urban- and settlement development without new sealing
Measure / action: Support inner-city green areas
Policy Instrument ID 80: Determine green area factor for city planning
Co-effects:
Inner-city green spaces not only act as CO2 sinks, but can also provide protection when cities heat up even more in summer in the future as a result of climate change: 1 m³/m² of additional green volume leads to a reduction of about 0.3 °C.
Source: “Tervooren, Verification of vegetation in regard of greenvolume as potential for climate-adaption -Using the example of the state-capital Potsdam”, p. 74. (from German Zero 2021, p. 386).
Green spaces provide better air quality because they filter fine dust from the air.
Source: “Gith, Saubere Atemluft – Forscher empfehlen Grünflächen auszubauen“. (from German Zero 2021, p. 386).
Planting directly binds CO2, but also reduces the energy required for heating and cooling. In summer, evaporative cooling and shading reduce the need for cooling.
Sources: Technische Universität Darmstadt: Gutachten Fassadenbegrünung, p. 13.
Pfoser, Fassade und Pflanze: “Potenziale einer neuen Fassadengestaltung”, p.74 f. (from German Zero 2021, p. 387).
Another positive effect is the protection of the building fabric from environmental impacts. Building greening dampens noise, improves air quality and lowers the ambient temperature.
Source: Pfoser, Fassade und Pflanze: “Potenziale einer neuen Fassadengestaltung”, 92 ff. (from German Zero 2021, p. 386).
Greening buildings can contribute to the preservation of biodiversity in cities.
Source: Pfoser, Fassade und Pflanze: “Potenziale einer neuen Fassadengestaltung”, p. 97. (from German Zero 2021, p. 387).
Implementation Example: The practice of stipulating green roofs in development plans since the mid-1990s, together with the Open Space Design Statutes of 1996, which stipulate green roofs on garage roofs and gravel press roofs of 100 m2 or more, has led to a situation in Munich where the total area of green roofs is very high compared to other cities.
Source: Deutscher Dachgärtner Verband e.V.: “Fernerkundliche Identifizierung von Vegetationsflächen auf Dächern zur Entwicklung des für die Bereiche des Stadtklimas, der Stadtentwässerung und des Artenschutzes aktivierbaren Flächenpotenzials in den Städten”, p. 35. (from German Zero 2021, p. 387).
Measure / action: Limit land consumption to net-zero
Policy Instrument ID 343: Impede new construction
Implementation Example: The Lombardy Region and the Municipality of Milan are promoting a special status for supporting the refurbishment of abandoned buildings. The new regulation allows for an extension of the floor area up to 20% of the actual size, the municipal building taxes are reduced, and in parallel the amount of taxes for new buildings in green fields is increased by 20-50%. The existing buildings are reused as the use of undeveloped land has an additional cost. The land use is reduced for satisfying new needs, the existing structures are reused.
Source: Wuppertal Institut (2022): Mapping of local sufficiency initiatives. D 4.1, p.16.
Policy strategy: Reduce energy consumption
Measure / action: Raising awareness for the reduction of energy consumption
ID 26: Information about energy savings by reduced heating temperature
Quantification: 1°C decrease of room heating temperature = 6-8% energy reduction.
Source: Öko-Institut & Fraunhofer ISI 2015 (p. 118); BMWK 2022.
ID 139: Information campaigns
Quantification: “Energy audits and consultation, when individuals are informed about their own energy use and given advice on how to lower their consumption, were the most effective. Under this strategy, consumers reduced their energy use by 13.5 % on average.”
Source: Bertoldi, P. (2017): Are current policies promoting a change in behaviour, conservation and sufficiency?.
ID 140: Peer energy comparision
Quantification: Providing individuals with comparisons with their peers’ energy use can reduce the energy use by 11,5% on average.
Source: Bertoldi, P. (2017): Are current policies promoting a change in behaviour, conservation and sufficiency?.
Industry / Production
Policy strategy: Reduce waste
Measure / action: Mitigate waste production
Implementation Examples:
NochMall is the first department stores’ for second-hand goods in Berlin, which is much more than a second-hand department stores’. NochMall not only sells furniture, clothing, electrical appliances, household goods, toys, books and much more on more than 2,000 square metres to give them a second life, but NochMall is also a place to experience circular economy and waste prevention.
Source: https://www.nochmall.de/konzept (last access on 22.12.2023)
The Concular Shop offers high-quality used building materials and construction materials from demolished buildings. The products and materials have been tested by an experienced team and analysed for their suitability for the circular economy.
Source: https://shop.concular.de/ (last access on 22.12.2023)
Platform for the online sale of surplus metal: Vanilla Steel is the largest independent digital platform for metals in Europe and is based in Berlin. The founding team consists of 4 tech entrepreneurs who combine 50 years of digital experience and are passionate about solving existing challenges through digitalisation.
Source: https://de.vanillasteel.com/about-us (letzter Zugriff am 22.12.2023)
Implementation Example: In Eskilstuna, an hour west of the capital Stockholm, people can go shopping without compromising their environmental awareness: the first second-hand shopping centre is located there. ReTuna made it into the 2020 Guinness Book of Records as the “world’s first shopping mall for repaired, recycled and restored items”. On 5,000 square metres and two floors, 13 shops offer exclusively second-hand goods. […] The shopping centre is part of the ecological transformation of Eskilstuna as an industrial location.
Source: see https://www.derstandard.de/story/2000118983445/im-weltweit-ersten-secondhand-einkaufscenter-begegnen-schweden-der-kaufscham (last access on 15.01.2024)
Policy strategy: Increase durability of products
Measure / action: Larger market share of repaired and durable products
Policy Instrument ID 153: No choice between repair vs. new product
Other additional information: Washing machines would have to be used for at least 17-23 years and tumble dryers 11-18 years, even taking into account the efficiency improvements of newer appliances, in order to compensate for the GHG emissions of production, distribution and recycling. Smartphones would even have to be used for up to 232 years, as not only are additional resources consumed, but newer devices also consume more energy.
Source: Zuloaga et al: “Cool products don´t cost the earth”. (from German Zero 2021, p. 144).
Policy Instrument ID 155: Regulate repairability of products
Quantification: If the lifespan of all washing machines, notebooks, hoovers and smartphones within the EU were extended by one year, around 4 million tonnes of CO2 could be saved.
Source: Calculations by German Zero based on: Zuloaga et al: “Cool products don´t cost the earth”, p. 5. (from German Zero 2021, p. 140).
Policy Instrument ID 160: VAT-reduction for repaired products; repair services
Implementation Example: Luxembourg plans to consider applying the heavily reduced 3% VAT rate to eligible repair work under European law.
Source: https://environnement.public.lu/dam-assets/actualites/2020/05/Integrierter-nationaler-Energie-und-Klimaplan-Luxemburgs-2021-2030-endgultige-Fassung.pdf , p. 86.
Measure / action: Enable customers to repair products
Policy instrument ID 161: Repair bonus
Quantification: One repair saves an average of 24 kilograms of CO2 equivalents. If the lifespan of all washing machines, notebooks, vacuum cleaners and smartphones in the EU area were extended by just 1 single year, around 4 million tons of CO2 could be saved.
Source: https://mein.wien.gv.at/wienerreparaturbon/#/ (as at 20.12.2023) and https://www.verbraucherzentrale-bayern.de/sites/default/files/2022-08/22-04-25_vzbv-positionspapier_recht-auf-reparatur.pdf (p.4).
Implementation Example: With the “Vienna repair voucher”, 50% of the costs for a repair are covered up to an amount of EUR 100. The amount is deducted directly from the bill for the repair. Within the first campaign period from 21 September to 14 December 2020, around 8000 items were repaired with a repair voucher. This saved around 190 tonnes of CO2.
Source: Calculations by German Zero based on: Stadt Wien, Förderprogramm: “Wien repariert´s – Der Wiener Reparatur-bon”. https://www.wien.gv.at/umweltschutz/wienerreparaturbon.html. (from German Zero 2021, p. 143).
Implementation Example: A repair bonus is existing in the German federal state of Thuringia and in Austria.
Sources: https://www.reparaturbonus-thueringen.de / https://www.reparaturbonus.at/.
Implementation Example: In France, repair shops with the so-called “QualiRépar” seal of approval repair many damaged electronic devices that are no longer covered by the warranty. The repair of covered devices is guaranteed and a flat-rate discount on the repair price is deducted directly from the invoice amount.
Source: https://epargnonsnosressources.gouv.fr/actualites/bonus-reparation/
Policy strategy: Exnovation
Measure / action: Phase-out of environmentally harming materials
Policy instrument ID 164: Ban microplastics
Implementation Example: In Spain, added microplastics in cosmetics and detergents will be banned from July 2021.
Source: Wandler: Spanien geht gegen Plastikmüll vor. https://taz.de/Spanien-geht-gegen-Plastikmuell-vor/!5690428. (from German Zero 2021, p. 150).
Implementation Example: In Sweden, microplastics have been banned in “rinse-off” cosmetic products since 2018. In France, microplastics in exfoliating and cleaning products have also been banned since 2018.
Source: Fraunhofer Institut für Umwelt-, Sicherheits- und Energietechnik: “Mikroplastik und synthetische Polymere in Kosmetikprodukten sowie Wasch-, Putz und Reinigungsmitteln”, p. 62 ff. (aus German Zero 2021, p. 150).
Policy strategy: Strengthen regional economies
Quantification: a local and sharing service economy can reduce up to 18% of the European carbon footprint compared to the baseline (2007)
Source: Vita et al. 2019.
Land-use and food
Policy strategy: Increase regional food production and processing
Implementation examples: A huge urban farm with a community garden was established in Paris in 2020.
Source: https://agripolis.eu/.
Policy strategy: Reduction of live stock
Measure / action: Diet shift
Quantification:
When 50% of Europeans eat meat only once per week and have a roughly 70% lower dairy consumption this would reduce GHG emissions in 2050 by 73 Mt which equals 16% of emissions from agriculture.
Source: McKinsey 2020.
A vegan / vegetarian diet reduces the GHG emissions of the European footprint by 13.9% / 9% (compared to 2007) and reduces the land footprint by 4.7% / 0.6%.
Source: Vita et al. 2019.
A switch to animal-free protein sources such as soy, lentils, other pulses and meat substitute products reduces global GHG emissions by 18-87% (central value 40%).
Source: Creutzig et al. 2022.
Policy instrument ID 1: Animal protein tax
Co-effects: If animal products would be taxed with the regular (instead of reduced) VAT rate of 19% (instead of 7%) in Germany, this would generate 5 billion € additional tax revenue.
Source: UBA 2016.
Policy instrument ID 5: Action plan on mass catering
Quantification: A 50% reduction of meat dishes in public mass catering saves 0,43 million tonnes of GHG / year (range: 0,2-0,92 Mt GHG).
Source: UBA 2022.
Measure / action: Reduction of animal farming and international trade of animal products
Policy Instrument ID 13: EU wide emission trading for animal products and mineral fertilizer
Quantification: Emissions trading for the production of animal products and the application of mineral fertilisers and the spreading of mineral fertilisers, the emissions trading system sets incentives to reduce approx. 80 % of the emissions (emissions attributable to agriculture in the EU according to the IPCC).
Source: Calculations by German Zero based on: EU (2020): “2020 National Inventory Report (NIR)”, p. 562. (from German Zero 2021, p. 408).
Policy strategy: Reduction of food waste / overconsumption and -production
Measure / action: Reduction of food waste
Quantification: A reduction of food waste globally leads to a 8-25% reduction of GHG emissions (central value 15%).
Source: Creutzig et al. 2022.
Measure / action: Reduction of the consumption of climate harmful food and drinks
Policy instrument ID 24: marketing ban of climate harmful foods and drinks
Quantifications:
When 50% of Europeans eat meat only once per week and have a roughly 70% lower dairy consumption this would reduce GHG emissions in 2050 by 73 Mt which equals 16% of emissions from agriculture.
Source: McKinsey 2020.
A vegan / vegetarian diet reduces the GHG emissions of the European footprint by 13.9% / 9% (compared to 2007) and reduces the land footprint by 4.7% / 0.6%.
Source: Vita et al. 2019.
A switch to animal-free protein sources such as soy, lentils, other pulses and meat substitute products reduces global GHG emissions by 18-87% (central value 40%).
Source: Creutzig et al. 2022.
Implementation example: UK: A complete online advertising restriction for products with a high fat, sugar and salt content.
Source: UK Government.
Transport (incl. freight)
Policy strategy: Reduce trips: work
Measure / action: Reduce commuting trips
Policy Instrument ID 192: Right to Work from Home
Quantifications: “Arbeiten nach Corona – Warum Homeoffice gut fürs Klima ist”, p. 7, estimates the CO2 savings potential in a conservative scenario of 25% teleworking share with two additional home office days per week at 3.2 million t CO2 per year; in the case of an increase to 40% even to 5.4 million t CO2 per year (p. 14).
Borderstep Institut (2021): “Klimaschutzpotenziale der Nutzung von Videokonferenzen und Homeoffice – Ergebnisse einer repräsentativen Befragung von Geschäftsreisenden”, p. 6, estimate the savings potential through videoconferencing at 3 million t CO2/year and the reduction potential through home office at 1.5 t CO2/year.
The Wuppertal Institute assumes a saving of 5% of transport expenditure if 30% of employees worked in a home office every second working day.
Source: cf. Wuppertal Institute (2020): “CO2-neutral by 2035: Key points of a German contribution to compliance with the 1.5°C limit”, p. 79.
Source: Calculations by German Zero based on: IZT (2020). (from German Zero 2021, p. 209).
Policy Instrument ID 232: Mandatory company mobility management
Implementation Example: Following the example of Italy and Brussels, larger companies (Brussels: from 200 employees, Italy from 300 employees in cities with more than 150,000 inhabitants) should be legally obliged to establish mobility management. This would require both an inventory of current mobility data and the derivation of an action plan with the definition of goals and responsible persons. This obligation would contribute to institutionalising mobility management nationwide.
Source: For international comparison: ILS NRW (2007): “Weiterentwicklung von Produkten, Prozessen und Rahmenbedingungen des betrieblichen Mobilitätsmanagements durch eine stärkere Systematisierung, Differenzierung und Standardisierung”, p. 47ff. (from German Zero 2021, p. 215).
Policy strategy: Reduce trips: local supply
Measure / action: Transit-oriented space planning
Policy Instrument ID 196: Space planning urban/rural
Implementation Examples:
Prohibition of the establishment of shops relevant to the city centre on the outskirts of Ravensburg in order to enable short distances and keep the city centre lively, liveable and dense. (also ID 74
Source: Böcker et al. (2021): Wie wird weniger genug. Oekom Verlag, p. 40.
Flensburg (DE): Sufficiency-orientated urban development in a 53-hectare district with reduced living space per person, a higher proportion of green spaces and mixed uses for shorter distances. (also ID 74)
Source: Böcker et al. (2021): Wie wird weniger genug. Oekom Verlag,
Policy strategy: Reduce motorized individual transport
Quantification: When cities want to introduce car-reduced streets or neighbourhoods, they have to expect resistance. However, experience has shown: Once the neighbourhood is closed to cars and the residents can experience the benefits for themselves, many former opponents become supporters. This was the case in Barcelona and Paris, for example, and also in the district of Ottensen in Hamburg. The project “Ottensen macht Platz” was rated as “good” or “very good” by 78% of the residents surveyed.
Source: see Bezirksamt Altona 2020: Ottensen macht Platz. (last accessed on 17.03.2021) – from: Blanck, Jakob (2021): Städte für Menschen, nicht für Autos, p.3.
Co-effects: In Hamburg-Ottensen, citizens’ initiatives organised flea markets and art exhibitions, held summer festivals on the car-free streets or set up street furniture. 80 % of the residents perceived an improvement in the quality of stay.
Source: see Bezirksamt Altona 2020: Ottensen macht Platz. (last accessed on 17.03.2021) – from: Blanck, Jakob (2021): Städte für Menschen, nicht für Autos, p.4.
Measure / action: Reduce parking in public place
Policy Instrument ID 202: Re-assignation of parking spaces
Implementation Example: In Siegen, parking spaces and traffic-calmed streets were removed to create recreational areas in the city centre along the River Sieg.
Source: Böcker et al. (2021): Wie wird weniger genug. Oekom Verlag, p. 51.
Policy Instrument ID 203: General restriction of allowed parking
Implementation Example: Following the example of Switzerland, the federal states could re-define common use, increased common use and special use and exclude parking in public spaces from common use (possibly with exceptions for short-term parking for charging electric vehicles). This could lead to parking only being allowed in separately designated areas instead of having to define no-parking zones.
Source: see SRU (2020): Umweltgutachten 2020. – from: GermanZero (2022): 1,5-Grad-Gesetzespaket, p. 700.
Policy Instrument ID 204: Red. obligatory parking space/appartment
Implementation Example: Berlin was the first and for almost two decades the only federal state to abolish the general parking space requirement back in the mid-1990s. Exception: Disabled parking spaces for buildings in public use, § 50 BauO Bln, s. EZBK/Stock, 136. EL Oktober 2019, BauNVO § 12 Rn. 115.
Source: see GermanZero (2022): 1,5-Grad-Gesetzespaket, p. 701.
Policy Instrument ID 206: Residents parking fee increase
Implementation Example: In Munich’s city centre, the daily fee in two parking licence areas is therefore being raised from € 6 to € 10 on a trial basis to see if this can effectively reduce the number of long-term parkers.
Source: see Hutter, Dominik (2017): Parken in Wohngebieten könnte bis zu 100 Prozent teurer werden. In: SZ.de (18.09.2017). last access on 17.01.2019. – from Agora Verkehrswende (2019) , p.28).
Implementation Example: Until this year, there was a nationwide regulation that a resident parking permit in Germany may not cost more than 30.70 EUR per year. By comparison, such a permit would cost 827 EUR in Stockholm, 535 EUR in Amsterdam and 258 francs [approx. 240 EUR] in Basel.
Source: Ferber: “Parkausweise für Anwohner werden deutlich teurer”. (Stand. 12.09.2020). (from German Zero 2021, p.232).
Implementation Example: The city of Tübingen increased the resident parking fees times 4-6. SUVs now need to pay more than smaller / lighter cars.
Co-Efffects: Increase of resident parking fees times 4-6 in Tübingen (SUVs to pay more) will lead to additional revenues of 576.000 Euro (6.400 allowanes).
Measure / action: Reduction of parking traffic
Policy Instrument ID 238: Support of parking management system
Quantification: About 30 % of the traffic in the city comes from driving around searching a parking space.
Source: see Schubert, A (13.05.2019): Kampf gegen die Parkplatzsuche (last access on 30.05.2021). – from: GermanZero (2022): 1,5-Grad-Gesetzespaket, S. 702.
Measure / action: Infrastructure investment shift to public transport
Policy Instrument ID 211: Legal basis for infrastructure needs planning (national)
Implementation Example: In this context, it would also be important to improve public participation in demand planning, following the French example: a model for good participation is the “Commission Nationale du débat public” (CNDP) in France. Road projects with a length of more than 40 km or costs of more than 300 million euros must be subjected to mandatory public debate.
For further information see: BUND (2018:”Grünbuch nachhaltige Planung der Verkehrsinfrastruktur”, p. 25. (from German Zero 2021, p. 230).
Measure / action: Disincentivise car aquisition/ownership
Policy Instrument ID 241: Car admission tax
Other additional information: A registration tax (“malus system”) is preferable to a frequently demanded bonus-malus system because of its better overall ecological balance. In France, such a system not only cost the state 300 million EUR in the first three years due to the difficulty of estimating the economic balance; the bonus also led to increased demand, which in turn increased the overall fleet size.
Sources: Bundesumweltministerin S. Schulze, Der Tagesspiegel: Käufer von spritfressenden Autos sollen mehr zahlen (Stand: 02.02.2020).
SPD (2020): “Beschlussbuch des ordentlichen Bundesparteitags vom 06. bis 08. Dezember 2019”, p. 90
SRU (2017): “Für ein Bonus-Malus-System als Übergangsinstrument: Umsteuern erforderlich: Klimaschutz im Verkehrssektor”, p. 139.
UBA: “Mehr Förderung für Pkw mit niedrigen CO2-Emissionen”. (Stand: 09.08.2019).
Agora Energiewende / Agora Verkehrswende (2019): “15 Eckpunkte für das Klimaschutzgesetz”, p. 2.
Klima-Allianz Deutschland: “Klimaschutzplan 2050 der deutschen Zivilgesellschaft”, p. 21.
Wuppertal Institut (2020: “CO2-neutral bis 2035: Eckpunkte eines deutschen Beitrags zur Einhaltung der 1,5-°C-Grenze”,p. 89.
Adelphi/Ecofys (2018): “Bonus-Malus Vehicle Incentive System in France”.
Vgl. D’Haultfoeuille et al. (2014): “The Environmental Effect of Green Taxation: The Case of the French Bonus/Malus.” (from German Zero 2021, p. 219).
Policy Instrument ID 347: Premium for car scrapping
Implementation Example: Incentivo rottamazione is a regional regulation promoted by the Piemonte Region in 2021. It promotes an incentive scheme for dismissing a car without buying a new one. People who don’t need a new car can profit from incentives, reducing needs and land use for parked cars and abandoned cars. A number of incentive schemes are available at regional and national level for improving the car stock in terms of emissions (electric or low emission cars, slow mobility etc.), this is the only one promoting avoidance. The financing scheme was discontinued in 2021.
Source: Wuppertal Institut (2022): Mapping of local sufficiency initiatives. D 4.1, S. 16.
Measure / action: Higher cost of car use
Policy Instrument ID 235: City road charge
Quantification: In Stockholm, inbound MIT traffic was reduced by 19% following the introduction of an experimental city toll. In a follow-up votation, 53% of inhabitants agreed to the continuation of the instrument.
Source: SRU 2020 p. 357ff.
Implementation Example/Co-Effects: “The three largest European urban road pricing systems started during a decade (first London in 2003, then Stockholm in 2006, finally Milan in 2008)…The schemes have been able to reduce negative externalities generated by traffic, such as accidents, congestion and emissions, up to different levels and to generate modal shift towards public transport.”
Source: Croci, E. (2016): Urban road pricing: a comparative study on the experiences of Lodon, Stockholm and Milan. Transportation Research Procedia, 14. 253-262. doi: 10.1016/j.trpro.2016.05.062 (p.260).
Measure / action: Car-free city centers
Policy Instrument ID 231: Car access restriction
Implementation Example / Quantification: In Ghent, the city centre is completely car-free. The six districts around the city centre are closed to through traffic; the only way to get from one district to another by car is via a circular bypass. This has halved car traffic between 2012 and 2019.
Source: see Watteuw, Fillip (2020): Mobility and public space development. Ghent, 2020 – from: Blanck, Jakob (2021): Städte für Menschen, nicht für Autos (p.3).
Implementation Examples: Nevertheless, every city is different and therefore has to find individual solutions. Pontevedra in Spain, for example, was able to make the entire city centre a car-free zone because the medieval city centre is only about two kilometres in diameter and everything is accessible within walking distance. For larger cities, a concept with several car-reduced neighbourhoods spread across the city, such as the “superblocks”, is more likely to be considered.
Source: see Jiao, Jiacheng; He, Sheng; Zeng, Xiaochen (2019): An investigation into European car-free development models as an opportunity to improve the environmental sustainability in cities: The case of Pontevedra. – from: Blanck, Jakob (2021): Städte für Menschen, nicht für Autos, p.3.
Madrid city centre with few cars – Introduced by a left-wing mayor, abolished by her right-wing conservative successor and reintroduced by court order after complaints from the population.
Source: Wandler, R. (08.07.2019): Madrids Zentrum nun fast autofrei. taz (last access on 22.12.2023).
Policy Instrument ID 330: Car access restriction to city quarters (Superblocks)
Implementation Examples:
The concept of Superblocks has now been integrated into the mobility plans of other cities. For example, in the Spanish city of Vitoria-Gasteiz. Here, the urban area has been divided into a total of 77 superblocks, which are to be implemented one after the other.
Source: see Civitas Prosperity o.J. (last access on 21.12.2023) – from: WWF (2020): Gute Beispiele für nachhaltiges, sozial-ökologisches wirtschaften in planetaren Grenzen, p.9.
Between 1993 and 2018, a total of six superblocks were realised in Barcelona. They differ in size and number of inhabitants. The smallest superblock, Poblanou, measures a total of 16 hectares and has 1,486 inhabitants. San Antoni, on the other hand, is 48.81 hectares in size. Almost 38,000 people live there In total, the Urban Ecology Agency (BCNEcologia) envisages 503 superblocks for the entire urban area. Since 2015, the concept of superblocks has been an integral part of Barcelona’s mobility plan, which focuses not only on pedestrians but also on cycling and public transport.
Source: see López, Iván; Jordi Ortega; Pardo, Mercedes (2020): Mobility Infrastructures in Cities and Climate Change: An Analysis Through the Superblocks in Barcelona. Atmosphere 11 (4): 410.; Mueller, Natalie; Rojas-Rueda, David; Khreis, Haneen; Cirach, Marta; Andrés, David; Ballester, Joan; Bartoll, Xavier, et al. (2020): Changing the Urban Design of Cities for Health: The Superblock Model. Environment International 134 (January): 105132. – from: WWF (2020): Gute Beispiele für nachhaltiges, sozial-ökologisches wirtschaften in planetaren Grenzen, p.8.
Quantifications:
In Barcelona’s Urban Mobility Plan (2019-2024), published by the city council, it is assumed that greenhouse gas emissions will have decreased by 21 percent when all the planned 503 superblocks are built. Once completed, it is also assumed that private motorised transport will have decreased by 19.2 percent, as well as NO2 concentrations from 47.2 μg/m3 to 35.7 μg/m3, a decrease of 24.3 percent.
Source: see López, Iván; Jordi Ortega; Pardo, Mercedes (2020): Mobility Infrastructures in Cities and Climate Change: An Analysis Through the Superblocks in Barcelona. Atmosphere 11 (4): 410.; Mueller, Natalie; Rojas-Rueda, David; Khreis, Haneen; Cirach, Marta; Andrés, David; Ballester, Joan; Bartoll, Xavier, et al. (2020): Changing the Urban Design of Cities for Health: The Superblock Model. Environment International 134 (January): 105132. – from: WWF (2020): Gute Beispiele für nachhaltiges, sozial-ökologisches wirtschaften in planetaren Grenzen, p.9.
In 2010, the Grácia superblock was recognised as a sustainable “best practice” by UN-Habitat, the United Nations Housing and Human Settlements Programme. There, pedestrian traffic has increased by 10 percent and bicycle traffic by 30 percent. At the same time, car traffic has decreased by 26 percent.
Source: see López, Iván; Jordi Ortega; Pardo, Mercedes (2020): Mobility Infrastructures in Cities and Climate Change: An Analysis Through the Superblocks in Barcelona. Atmosphere 11 (4): 410. ; Roberts, David (2019a): Die Superblocks von Barcelona (last access on 21.12.2023) – from: WWF (2020): Gute Beispiele für nachhaltiges, sozial-ökologisches wirtschaften in planetaren Grenzen, p.10.
Co-effects:
An increase in the proportion of green space in the Eixample district from 6.5 percent to 19.6 percent should contribute to improved air quality.
Source: see Mueller, Natalie; Rojas-Rueda, David; Khreis, Haneen; Cirach, Marta; Andrés, David; Ballester, Joan; Bartoll, Xavier, et al. (2020): Changing the Urban Design of Cities for Health: The Superblock Model. Environment International 134 (January): 105132. López, Iván; Jordi Ortega; Pardo, Mercedes (2020): Mobility Infrastructures in Cities and Climate Change: An Analysis Through the Superblocks in Barcelona. Atmosphere 11 (4): 410. – from: WWF (2020): Gute Beispiele für nachhaltiges, sozial-ökologisches wirtschaften in planetaren Grenzen, p.9.
Overall, positive effects on the quality of life of the residents in the neighbourhoods with superblocks are reported. Various parameters influencing human health such as physical activity, noise levels, nitrogen concentration, green spaces, heat have improved. As a result, positive health effects are reported.
Source: see Mueller, Natalie; Rojas-Rueda, David; Khreis, Haneen; Cirach, Marta; Andrés, David; Ballester, Joan; Bartoll, Xavier, et al. (2020): Changing the Urban Design of Cities for Health: The Superblock Model. Environment International 134 (January): 105132. – from: WWF (2020): Gute Beispiele für nachhaltiges, sozial-ökologisches wirtschaften in planetaren Grenzen, p.10.
Co-effects / Quantification: Studies assume an increase in life expectancy of 198 days for all people over 20 years of age. This is mainly due to the fact that nitrogen concentrations (NO2) have decreased and road noise and heat days have become significantly less. At the same time, green spaces have increased. There have also been fewer traffic accidents: According to the report “Balanç accidentalitat 2017” by the Barcelona City Council, the number of road traffic fatalities has decreased from 88 victims in 1990 to only 12 deaths in 2017.
Source: see Mueller, Natalie; Rojas-Rueda, David; Khreis, Haneen; Cirach, Marta; Andrés, David; Ballester, Joan; Bartoll, Xavier, et al. (2020): Changing the Urban Design of Cities for Health: The Superblock Model. Environment International 134 (January): 105132.; Cervero, Robert; Guerra, Erick; Al, Stefan (2017): Beyond Mobility: Planning Cities for People and Places, 298.; Ajuntament de Barcelona (2018) „Balanç accidentalitat 2017“ – from: WWF (2020): Gute Beispiele für nachhaltiges, sozial-ökologisches wirtschaften in planetaren Grenzen, p.10.
Measure / action: Relieve disadvantage of public transport users
Policy Instrument ID 239: Car tax reform
Implementation Example: At the company level, employees [in Luxembourg] who choose a means of transport other than the car should not be further disadvantaged. A tax benefit “mobility budget” equivalent to that for company cars will be introduced, thus offering an alternative to the company car.
Source: NECP, Luxemburg, p. 69.
Policy strategy: Reduce air transport
Measure / action: Limit supply
Policy Instrument ID 228: Ban on air travel within the EU of less than 600 km
Other additional information: According to the EIB’s 2019-2020 Climate Change Survey, 67% of Germans and 62% of Europeans support a ban on short-haul flights.
Source: EIB: “Umfrage der EIB zum Klimawandel 2019–2020”. (from German Zero 2021, p. 269).
Policy strategy: Improve public transport and multi-modality
Measure / action: Attractive public transport prices
Policy Instrument ID 258: 365€ ticket or cheaper
Implementation example: The district of Lüchow-Dannenberg introduced a 365-euro annual ticket in September 2022.
Source: https://www.luechow-dannenberg.de/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-161/173_read-12079/
Policy Instrument ID 259: Free local public transport tickets, alternative financing, service expansion
Implementation example: Since 1 March 2020, public transport on national territory in Luxembourg is free of charge for all means of transport, be it bus, train or tram. The measure applies to residents, cross-border commuters and tourists alike.
Source: Luxembourg – Free public transport.
Implementation Example: The spa card allows you to travel free of charge throughout the entire city of Templin (16,000 inhabitants) and the incorporated districts. The prerequisite for this is the purchase of the annual spa card or the Templin citizen card for € 44 at the tourist information centre in the historic town hall.
Source: Böcker et al. (2021): Wie wird weniger genug. p. 44.
Measure / action: Public transport funding
Policy Instrument ID 250: Employer pay local public transport fee
Implementation Example: Against this background, municipalities in France are entitled to levy an earmarked employer contribution for the financing of public transport. In the capital region around Paris, the levy was able to cover 42% of the required financial resources in 2017 (operating costs and investment costs). A similar model exists in Vienna with the so-called employer levy, which brought the city of Vienna approximately EUR 67 million in 2018.
European Platform on Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (2019): “Funding and Financing of Sustainable Urban Mobility Measures”, p. 18.
Gesetz vom 11. Juli 1969 und vom 12. September 1969 über die Einhebung einer Dienstgeberabgabe, LGBl. für Wien Nr. 17/1970.
Vgl. Wien (2019): Rechnungsabschluss der Bundeshauptstadt Wien für das Jahr 2018, p. 169.
Policy strategy: Improve freight rail
Measure / action: Improve infrastructure
Policy Instrument ID 278: Financial support of road-rail connectivity infrastructure
Other additional information: In this way, the CO2 emissions of a transport chain can be reduced by an average of 55% compared to direct road transport, and the use of primary energy can be reduced by a third.
Source: Calculations by German Zero based on: Nestear (2003): “CO2-Reduzierung durch kombinierten Verkehr”. (from German Zero 2021, p. 248).
Policy strategy: Reduce freight
Measure / action: Reduce road freight
Quantification: Freight barges use five times less fuel than trucks for transporting goods. This not only saves emissions, but also conserves resources.
Source: see Agence Parisienne du Climat (2020): Le transport de marchandises à Paris : la Seine comme alternative ?. – from: WWF (2020): Gute Beispiele für nachhaltiges, sozial-ökologisches wirtschaften in planetaren Grenzen, p.14.
Co-effects / Quantification: By transporting up to 48 containers by different means of transport, the “Franprix entre en Seine” project makes it possible to avoid about 450,000 kilometres driven on the roads every year. The distance saved corresponds to a 37 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions. In addition, the NOx content is reduced by 30 percent and the load of fine dust is lowered by ten percent.
Source: see franprix, Groupe Casino (2012): Franprix en Seine. – from: WWF (2020): Gute Beispiele für nachhaltiges, sozial-ökologisches wirtschaften in planetaren Grenzen, p.14.
Policy Instrument ID 280: Extend and increase freight toll
Co-effects: The transport of goods from the port of destination to the shops is carried out by trucks that comply with the Euro-5 emission standard. Between 2010 and 2016, a general decreasing trend in NO2 concentration was observed for Paris, which, according to the study, is due to the introduction of the Euro-5 standard for trucks.
Source: see Font, Anna; Guiseppin, Lionel; Blangiardo, Marta; Ghersi, Véronique ; Fuller, Gary W. (2019): A Tale of Two Cities: Is Air Pollution Improving in Paris and London?“ Environmental Pollution 249 (June): 1–12.; franprix, Groupe Casino (2012): Franprix en Seine. – from: WWF (2020): Gute Beispiele für nachhaltiges, sozial-ökologisches wirtschaften in planetaren Grenzen, p.14.
Policy strategy: Promotion of active modes
Measure / action: Less road space, more space for bicycles and pedestrians
Policy Instrument ID 267: Conversion of road space to bicycle; pedestrian infrastructure
Implementation Example/Co-Effects: Temporary pop-up bike lanes were set up in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg (Berlin) in March 2020. They were used by 290,000 residents and cycle traffic was reported to have increased by 15% in the period under review.
Source: Böcker et al. (2021): Wie wird weniger genug. Oekom Verlag , p. 46.
Cross-sectoral
Policy strategy: Limits to consumption
Measure / action: Disincentivise high energy consumption
Policy Instrument ID 307: Mandatory energy audits
Implementation example: In Germany, all companies with an energy consumption of ≥10 GW/year are legally obliged to implement all identified and economically assessed measures to immediately improve the energy efficiency of their company. These measures must be implemented within 18 months at the latest.
Source: German Federal Law: EnSimiMaVO §4 from the 23.09.2022
Measure / action: Reduction and regulation of advertising
Implementation Example: ban on advertisements for fossil fuels in France since 2022 and ban from fossil fuel companies and the aviation industry in Amsterdam since 2021
Quantification: shutting down the illuminated advertisements at night in a (closed) large subway station in Berlin can save as much electricity as 16 four-people households consumpe per year (64 MWh/year).
Source: https://taz.de/Forscher-uebers-Energiesparen/!5861090/.
Measure / action: Limitation of illumination
Implementation Example: In France, a lighting ban has been established in 2013: from 1 a.m. or one hour after leaving the building, lights must be switched off in offices, stores and public buildings. Illuminated advertising is switched off overnight. The violation of the law is punishable.
Source: https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/pollution-lumineuse.
Implementation Example: In Germany, illumination of public non-residential buildings and historic monuments, shop illumination and illuminated advertising at night is temporarily prohibited in winter 2022/2023.
Quantification: The lighting ban in France is estimated to save 2 TWh electricity or 0,25 megatonnes of CO2 p. a. in France.
Source: https://www.heise.de/tp/news/Nachts-in-Frankreich-Licht-aus-2033371.html.
Implementation Example: Light pollution policy in France since 2013, renewed with more ambition in 2018.
Source: https://darksky.org/news/france-light-pollution-law-2018/ (last access on 22.12.2023)
Policy Instrument ID 173: Lighting ban (night)
Quantification: Forecast consumption reduction of 2 TWh per year in France (Consumption by approx. 750000 families)
Source: https://www.heise.de/tp/news/Nachts-in-Frankreich-Licht-aus-203
Policy strategy: Social Innovations/Research and Development for Sufficiency
Measure / action: Funding for sufficiency research and consultancy
Policy Instrument ID 291: Create government institutions / intermediaries working on energy sufficiency, e.g. research, consultancy, communication
Implementation Example: ADEME in France (The Ecological Transition Agency) published sufficiency scenarios in 2021 / Motiva Oy in Finland offers expertise and services regarding energy sufficiency for a wide range of stakeholders / UBA, the German Environmental Agency, awarded multiple third-party research projects on sufficiency and conducts inhouse research regarding sufficiency.
Policy strategy: Internalisation of external costs and limits to externalisation
Measure / action: Pricing of GHG emissions
Policy Instrument ID 89: Inflation indexing (in fuel taxation reform)
Implementation Example: In order to counteract a permanent devaluation of taxes, tax rates should in future be automatically linked to the development of a consumer price index every year, as in Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden.
Sources: FÖS: “Steuervergünstigung für Dieselkraftstoff”, p. 5.
SRU (2017): “Umsteuern erforderlich: Klimaschutz im Verkehrssektor”, p. 123.
Klima-Allianz Deutschland (2016): “Klimaschutzplan 2050 der deutschen Zivilgesellschaft”, p. 20. (aus German Zero 2021, p. 223).
Policy strategy: Develop a growth independent society
Measure / action: Accept a steady state of the economy, rollback of growth policy
Policy strategy ID 88: Introduce beyond-GDP measurement
Implementation Example: Introduction of Well-Being Budgets in New Zealand, Finland, Iceland, Scotland, Wales, Canada.
Sources: UBA 2021, p.49 / https://www.ecogood.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/GWP-PolicyPaper_DE_2023-01.pdf