The scarcity of many raw materials holds significant conflict potentials as global demand increasesrapidly. This does not only apply to fossil resources, focussed in the public debate, but also to manyrare mineral resources. An important example is the ore coltan, from which tantalum is...

On 17th December 2008 the German Federal Cabinet adopted the German Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change (DAS). This Strategy highlights areas likely to be affected by climate change or which already show evidence of impacts, as well as basic options for a possible approach and the...

On March 12, 2008 the German Federal Environment Agency and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety held a meeting of experts entitled “Eco-Innovation, International Trade, WTO and Climate: Key Issues for an ecological industrial policy”. At...

The buildings sector accounts for about 40% of final energy consumption in Germany, and by far the largest part of this is due to old buildings. In total, more than 80% of the final energy consumed in households is used for space heating and hot water (Federal Statistical Office 2010)....