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).

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…).

Source: https://www.ecovillage-hannover.de/

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.

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.

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.

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).

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).

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).

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.

Quantification: 1°C decrease of room heating temperature = 6-8% energy reduction.

Source: Öko-Institut & Fraunhofer ISI 2015 (p. 118); BMWK 2022.

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?.

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?.

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).

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).

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.

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/

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).

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.

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.

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).

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.

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).

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).

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,

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.

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.

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.

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.

Source: https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/baden-wuerttemberg/tuebingen/gemeinderat-tuebingen-parkgebuehren-anwohner-100.html.

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).

Source: https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/baden-wuerttemberg/tuebingen/gemeinderat-tuebingen-parkgebuehren-anwohner-100.html.

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.

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).

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).

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.

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).

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).

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.

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.

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).

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/

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.

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.

Sources: Sog. Versement Transport bzw. Versement Mobilité, s. Légifranc:” Décret n° 2020-801 du 29 juin 2020 relatif au versement destiné au financement des services de mobilité, aux plans de mobilité et au comité des partenaires”.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Source: ADEME / Motiva Oy.

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).

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