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01.02.2005

Newsletter 01/05

N E W S L E T T E R - 01/05

Dear reader,

news of scientific breakthroughs reaches us almost daily. But whether these were achieved quickly or slowly – the time they need to make their way from research laboratories to practical application is often much longer. This newsletter offers you some insight into the risks that may be associated with this process in the case of genetic engineering. You will also learn about the enormous energy potential held out by biomass in Germany and worldwide, and about how cities and local authorities can engage effectively in climate protection despite tight budgets. You can read about Germany’s moves to improve emergency preparedness when planning nuclear facilities, and can find out about Corporate Social Responsibility at a new project website. Sounds interesting? Read on ...

Yours Katja Kukatz, 1 February 2005

CONTENT
F O C A L   T H E M E S

N E W S F L A S H

I N T E R N A L

E V E N T S

N E W S L E T T E R A R C H I V E


C O N T A C T


High Hazard: Genetic Engineering is based on outdated Knowledge

Öko-Institut demands that new understanding of the mechanisms of gene regulation should be taken into account in the risk assessment of GMOs

pic_1One gene, one effect - this was the long lasting paradigm in genetics. However, this paradigm is outdated since results became apparent that one gene can have different functions and that, moreover, the regulation of which gene in a given cell is transcribed at a certain point depends on mechanisms not determined by the DNA itself. These mechanisms are summarized as epigenetics. However, what is already state of the art in academic research has not yet been implemented in the practice of genetic engineering. The risk assessment of genetically modified plants is still restricted to the direct effect of the inserted gene itself. Thus, the Öko-Institut demands that the results gained by basic research should be taken into account in genetic engineering.

Scientists used to be convinced that only changes within the genome will be passed on to the offspring. However, the new insights of epigenetics contradict this central dogma of traditional genetics. Epigenetics means the complex mechanisms that have an effect on which genetic information in a cell is transcribed at a certain point. Some scientists compare the DNA with words. But which story will be told with these words and how the text will be formatted, depends on epigenetics. Some mechanisms influencing the DNA have already been found, such as proteins modifying the structure of the DNA. The formation of these proteins can be influenced by environmental conditions and the characteristics thus acquired can be inherited to the next generation.

The genetic engineering of plants in agriculture has not yet taken into account this complex interaction. In a discussion paper prepared on behalf of Greenpeace Germany, the Öko-Institut demonstrates that the practical use of GMOs is still based on the paradigm that a new gene inserted into an organism has only one predictable effect. For example sunflowers were genetically modified in order to become resistant to certain insects. But this was not the only effect of the modification. The transgenic sunflowers also produced more seeds than the original plants, an effect that was not intended. "But these unintended side effects are rarely examined or described in literature, and they do not enter into the risk assessment”, criticizes Katja Moch, GMO expert in the biodiversity, nutrition & agriculture division of the institute.

Genetic modification may cause various unintended effects ranging from:

  • changes of the DNA sequences at the site where the external construct is inserted into the plant genome. In some cases also superfluous DNA appears around the insertion site.
  • The insertion can disrupt the existing gene expression and regulation. Subsequently, the content of secondary plant compounds can change or even new compounds may appear. Finally, also the plant fitness can be influenced.
  • Function and regulation of a gene also depend on its position in the genome. As the constructs insert somewhere and uncontrollably into the genome, the genetic modification will always have different unforeseeable results.
  • Some elements in the construct can cause additional recombination and possibly re-arrangements in the genome. There is no sufficient research on this so far.
  • The inserted gene can be silenced, i.e. inactivated. This mechanism derives from the natural defense of a host genome against viral DNA. Whether gene silencing can also spread to genes of the plant genome has not been ascertained so far.
  • So-called pleiotropic effects may occur, i.e. the transgenic organism displays various unforeseen characteristics emerging from the inserted gene. In genetically modified plants, changes in the metabolism and the morphology of the plant are usually described as pleiotropic effects.

The examples show that the assessment of genetically modified organisms needs a new paradigm, says Katja Moch, a kind of system paradigm that takes into account not only the genes but also the cell, the interactions with the environment, the development conditions and, all in all, the dynamic network of genome regulation. What is needed is a system paradigm that fits to the plastic genome of the plants.

Consequently, the Öko-Institut demands that:

  • the transfer of knowledge and new evidence in science to application and legislation should be improved;
  • the new understanding of genomic regulations and the stability of transgenes should be taken into account in the risk assessment of transgenic plants;
  • transgenic plants already approved in the EU should be reassessed.

The discussion paper : "The outdated paradigm of genetic engineering" is available in German (Das überholte Paradigma der Gentechnik. Katja Moch. November 2004.) On behalf of Greenpeace Deutschland. It can be downloaded here. kk

Contact:

Katja Moch
Öko-Institut e.V., Freiburg Office
Biodiversity, Nutrition & Agriculture Division

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Biomass: Possibly the Future No. 1 Renewable

Until 2030, some 14 percent of the German energy demand could be met / Also large potentials in other countries

pic_2Wind turbines and solar panels – those come to our minds when thinking about renewable energy. But by far the largest potential to achieve the „Energiewende“ (energy transition) aimed for by the German government offers, besides energy efficiency, another energy carrier: Biomass could supply up to 14 percent of the German primary energy demand until 2030 – this equals the total potential of hard coal and lignite. And: both climate and nature protection could be achieved in parallel. This is one of the key results of a research project on opportunities and potentials of biomass, lead by the Öko-Institut and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Environment.

„The research project aimed to develop a sustainable perspective for a well-known, but often overlooked energy resource“, says project manager Uwe R. Fritsche, coordinator of the Energy & Climate Division of the Öko-Institut’s office in Darmstadt. His research team applied material flow analysis, prepared a publicly available technology database, developed future scenarios, and recommended policies. „We found that bioenergy could become the no. 1 of the renewables “, he states. Here, biomass from wastes and residues would contribute about the same amount of energy as sustainable energy crops. “But biomass is also an option in the EU and globally as on-going research shows”, Fritsche points out.

A core task of the project was to draw up future scenarios. What could bioenergy deliver, given different assumptions? For the first time, an integrated analysis of developments in agriculture, forestry, and waste management was performed using a “sustainable” perspective. As a benchmark, a reference (business-as-usual) scenario was set up which assumes the continuation of current trends. The recommendations of the experts lead to a „sustainable“ scenario which included bioenergy to the largest extent, but in parallel assumed a high standard of environmental and nature protection, as well as the promotion of employment. „A key result is that climate and nature protection could be achieved simultaneously when using bioenergy, and there are even synergies“, project manager Fritsche states. Surprisingly, bioenergy could not only provide for 10 percent of all heat and 15 percent of electricity, while achieving a high standard of environmental and nature protection, but also contribute a significant share of future car fuels: A share in the order of 15 percent is “sustainably” possible for biofuels.

When growing energy plants exclusively for this purpose, the so called „wet route“ is important which allows to harvest a broad variety of crops two times a year, but doing so before the plants are fully ripe. The harvested “green” and wet crops are then converted into biogas. This allows to operate without pesticides and fertilizer, and to use plant varieties which are of interest for nature protection (e.g. rare or endangered plant species).

For the first time, the calculations included also the employment effects – for this, the Öko-Institut’s computer model GEMIS was extended, and a specialized scenario model was developed. „Supporting renewable energies has very positive effects on the job market“, Uwe Fritsche is happy to tell, „more than 220,000 jobs could be created until 2030 on a net basis, and bioenergy would deliver the lion’s share“.

Prerequisite for these scenarios is an active biomass policy. The project partners prepared a set of key recommendations for such policies. The recently amended „Renewable Energy Law“ (EEG) already offers necessary incentives in giving economically attractive feed-in tariffs for bioelectricity with special support for cogeneration, and innovative technologies. This is not surprising: In the development of the 2004 EEG amendments, results of the project were taken into account by policy-makers.

As a limited entry option into the biomass age, the project recommends co-firing of biomass in existing coal-fired cogeneration plants. Here, some 20% of the coal could be substituted for straw and wood chips - and the new instrument “CO2 emission trading” translates the resulting CO2 reduction into a monetary benefit. But this is only a transitional solution: „In the longer term, we recommend the creation of a decentralized energy system for biomass“, says Uwe Fritsche, „Only with this strategy, a sustainable climate policy and the highly attractive employment effects can be achieved“. He goes on: “We are currently researching sustainable bioenergy potentials in the EU-28 and hope to extend this also to other countries.”

In the research project „Material flow analysis for sustainable energy use of biomass“, which was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Environment, the Fraunhofer Institute for Environment, Safety, and Energy Technology (UMSICHT), the Institute for Energy and Environment, Leipzig (IE), the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, Heidelberg (IFEU), the Institute for Future Energy Systems, Saarbrücken (IZES), as well as the Technical Universities of Braunschweig and Berlin were the research partners, led by the Öko-Institut.

The project results are summarized in the English brochure „Bioenergy: New Growth for Germany“. A printed version can be obtained without charge from service@bmu.bund.de. More information on the project is given here. ch/uf

Contact:

Uwe R. Fritsche
Öko-Institut e.V., Darmstadt Office
Coordinator of Energy & Climate Division

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Local-level Climate Protection – Munich takes the Lead

Öko-Institut crafts strategies transferable to other cities

pic_3When it joined the Climate Alliance in 1991, the city of Munich made a commitment to cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent by the year 2005, and by 50 percent by 2010 from its 1987 baseline emissions level. However, carbon dioxide inventories drawn up for the period from 1987 to 2002 showed that these targets will be unattainable if climate protection efforts are not greatly intensified. The city therefore commissioned the Öko-Institut to develop strategies showing how the ambitious CO2 emissions reduction targets can still be achieved – at least approximately. The findings will now be presented to the public in Berlin on Thursday, 10 February. They are transferable to other German cities and municipalities, and open up perspectives for effective climate protection efforts even in times of tight budgets.

Part-funded by the German Environment Ministry (BMU), the study titled “Municipal strategies for cutting CO2 emissions by 50 percent for the representative case of Munich” aimed to identify the specific opportunities to cut CO2 emissions and to find out which offer the greatest potential. “The study shows that vigorous local-level climate protection is quite feasible and can contribute greatly to attaining Germany’s emissions reduction targets” summarizes project head Christof Timpe, coordinator of the Energy & Climate Protection Division of the Öko-Institut.

In a first step, the scientists examined in a reference scenario how emissions of the key greenhouse gas carbon dioxide would develop in Munich under “business as usual” circumstances, i.e. if no additional reduction measures are taken. This analysis needed to take into account that the city of Munich is already very active in this field. Under the business-as-usual scenario, emissions in 2030 would total just under eight million tonnes. This is about 21 percent less than in the 1987 baseline year. The scientists then created a second scenario showing the measures with which the 50 percent reduction target is achievable, and the associated time frame. In addition, they formulated an ambitious strategy with which the city of Munich can continue to pursue the target realistically, not least within the context of limited local-authority funds.

The strategy sets out 38 fields of action in the two key sectors – energy and transport. The lion’s share of greenhouse gas emissions in a major city such as Munich comes from these sectors. In consultation with the city administration, the scientists studied 14 of these activity areas in greater depth. These include expanding the use of combined heat and power (CHP) production, utilizing biomass and biogas in CHP facilities, and generating electricity from further types of renewable energy. Actions targeting households, commerce and services include measures to improve the energy performance of existing buildings, and energy-saving new-build. A need for action was also identified in the field of office, communication and media technology, and in the field of lighting in private households, schools, retail enterprises and administrative buildings. In the sphere of passenger and business transport, important activity areas include traffic prevention, measures to enhance cycling and walking, and the organization of business transport. Promoting energy-conscious behaviour is a further key to emissions reduction.

For these 14 activity areas, the experts developed concrete tools for municipal climate protection, and a scenario capturing the effects of an ambitious programme of action. The overall result is that the city could reduce its carbon dioxide emissions down to 5.6 million tonnes by 2030, which is a drop of 44 percent compared to 1987. The original target of halving emissions would not quite be achieved at that time, but would be approached quite closely. It does need to be noted though, that while the experts view this programme of action as achievable under present framework conditions, it is an exceedingly ambitious scheme that also includes measures entailing moderate extra costs.

The climate protection roadmap proposed for the city of Munich helps to set priorities for future climate protection strategy and to tap synergies between different measures. “The general recommendations of the study, including the priority actions proposed, are transferable to other German and European cities” stresses Timpe. “This study should encourage other cities to bring their plans of action up to the state of the art and to intensify their efforts to engage in more effective climate protection activities.”

The study’s findings will now be presented to the interested public in the presence of federal Environment Minister Jürgen Trittin, on Thursday 10 February, in the representation of the regional state of Bavaria to the federal government in Behrenstrasse 21/22, Berlin. Detailed information is provided and registrations are received for the event on “Local climate protection in Germany – Opportunities and potential” by the German Environment Ministry (BMU), Sabine Veth, E-mail Sabine.Veth@bmu.bund.de, Phone +49-1888-305-2221. A German-language brochure (“Kommunale Strategien für eine Halbierung der CO2-Emissionen am Beispiel der Stadt München”) summarizes the study’s findings and can be ordered from February onwards by mailing the Ministry at service@bmu.bund.d. kk

Contact:

Christof Timpe
Öko-Institut e.V., Freiburg Office
Coordinator of Energy & Climate Protection Division

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More protective Measures against Incidents

New German Radiation Protection Ordinance means better precaution against incidents / Öko-Institut designs requirements

pic_4Where large amounts of radioactive material are handled, human life can be put at risk by incidents. Consequently, the design of such facilities must consider so-called limit values of radiation exposure after an incident. This means, the facility has to be designed in such a way that no person will be exposed to higher radiation, if an incident occurs. With the amendment of the German Radiation Protection Ordinance in 2001 the spectrum of facilities where the design must consider such limit values was extended significantly. The values are no longer only binding for nuclear power plants, but also for e.g. research reactors and laboratories. These broad precaution measures are a speciality in Europe. The Öko-Institut is now defining new standards for the extended range of facilities.

Limits for radiation exposure after incidents have in the past, for historical reasons, been only defined for the more recent nuclear power plants with pressurized water reactors,. In practice, though, licensing authorities have applied these values also to other nuclear power plants, interim storage facilities for spent fuel at reactor sites, and final disposal facilities. With section 49, the German Radiation Protection Ordinance was modified according to administrative practice.

By section 50, the German Radiation Protection Ordinance now also requires protective measures at additional nuclear facilities, including their shutdown, and for facilities that do not need a licence according to the Atomic Energy Law. Such facilities are for example nuclear research reactors, laboratories, waste storage facilities and irradiation facilities, if a certain quantity of radionuclides is exceeded.

With the new German rules an important gap in the protection against radioactive releases was closed. But the safety goals, especially the exposure limits, are not defined in the Radiation Protection Ordinance in detail. Instead, this is left to a future administrative guideline for the definition of safety goals. The Öko-Institut was commissioned by the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) to develop the basic elements of the new administrative guideline. The Gesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit mbH (GRS) in Cologne is involved in the work by a subcontract.

In a first step, the experts found out, by asking the Länder authorities, which facilities in Germany must be considered by the new guideline. Following this, the risk potential of those facilities will have to be investigated. Taking into account the probability of incidents and the possible extent of damage, radiation exposure limits shall be proposed. The chance to get orientation from existing regulations, e.g. of the European Union or other countries, is very limited, because detailed rules on accident prevention in nuclear plants, such as waste storage facilities and radionuclide laboratories, are missing there as well. A German standard could therefore encourage also other countries to define in more detail safety goals for other facilities than nuclear power plants. ck/kk

Contact:

Christian Küppers
Öko-Institut e.V., Darmstadt Office
Nuclear Engineering & Plant Safety Division

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RARE Project goes online

Research results and information on Corporate Social Responsibility

It has become a challenge for companies to endorse the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). But how effective is CSR really? This question is tackled by a research team of seven European partners, coordinated by the Öko-Institut within the tree years EU project „Rhetoric and Realities - Analysing Corporate Social Responsibility in Europe” (RARE). The project aims at helping to develop a European approach to Corporate Social Responsibility. It seeks to find out more about the effectiveness of CSR as a policy instrument, and how CSR can in practice benefit sustainable development in the EU. Information on RARE is now available online at www.rare-eu.net.

The project includes:

  • understanding and researching CSR,
  • developing a CSR Impact Assessment tool,
  • analysing and researching CSR in four sustainable development areas: environmental protection (climate and chemicals policies), resource management, gender equality and countering bribery;
  • surveying CSR in three business sectors: the oil industry, the banking sector and the fisheries and fish processing industries;
  • developing a model and in-depth case studies on CSR drivers;
  • carrying out a study on CSR in small and medium-sized companies,
  • assessing the political and public policy dimensions of CSR,
  • providing recommendations to the EU, national governments and companies.

The new website www.rare-eu.net gives information on the project’s objectives, its design, expected results and funding. Background information is provided on the trend towards CSR and the necessary contribution to sustainable development of all sectors of society, including business. This information is supplemented by project news and event notes. Also, the seven research partners are presented. Furthermore, interested parties can directly contact the project partners via the contact details given. The website provides for the free download of project documents. Under the heading of “News” short reports on current affairs will be put online. A further section informs about project-related events.

Within the next weeks, the researchers will finalise the analytical framework for the CSR Impact Assessment. By dint of this tool the researchers will analyse to what extent CSR standards in corporations lead to changes both in corporate strategies and practices, and whether they subsequently create tangible impacts on the environment, on resource management, gender equality and the fight against bribery. Furthermore, a model of CSR impact drivers will be finalised that aims to explain why some companies achieve substantial improvements regarding these four areas of sustainable development, while others are less successful. The research team will embark on the empirical phase in late spring, starting with sector surveys of CSR in the European oil industry, the banking sector and the fisheries and fish processing industries.

The project “Rhetoric and Realities – Analysing Corporate Social Responsibility in Europe” (RARE) started in June 2004. It is funded within the EU’s Sixth Framework Programme, Sub-programme ‘Citizens and governance in a knowledge-based society’ (CIT2-CT-2004-506043). The research consortium consists of: Öko-Institut e.V. (coordinator, Germany), Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI, Norway), Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI, Sweden), Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM, Italy), Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BUTE, Hungary), the Institute for Socio-ecological Research (ISOE, Germany) and Peter Wilkinson (United Kingdom), Project Consultant to Transparency International for the “Business Principles for Countering Bribery”. fw

Contact:

Regine Barth (Project Manager)
Franziska Wolff (Deputy Project Manager)
Öko-Institut e.V. Darmstadt, Berlin Office
Environmental Law Division

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Biomass: An interesting Option for Developing Countries

Öko-Institut presents scoping study

More and more, biomass not only plays an important role in Germany, but also internationally. In following up the International Conference for Renewable Energies in June 2004 in Bonn, a global increase in biomass use can be expected. As costs of fossil oil rise, and tax incentives for biofuels used in the transport sector in the EU are significant, also biofuel exports become economically interesting for developing countries. An example for this is bioethanol from Brazil. In a scoping study commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Öko-Institut developed criteria for biofuels as a sustainable import option for Germany.

Furthermore, the study recommends the practical implementation and refinement of the sustainability criteria in at least two real-world projects of bilateral development or environmental aid. The scoping report is based on a comprehensive study on options for sustainable bioenergy in Germany carried out by the Öko-Institut with support from the Federal Ministry for Environment. The report in German can be downloaded here. More information on the theme is given here. In mid-February, an English translation of the study will be made available here.

Contact:

Uwe R. Fritsche
Öko-Institut e.V., Darmstadt Office
Coordinator of Energy & Climate Division

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renewables 2004: Evaluation of International Action Programme now completed

1.2 billion tonne CO2 reduction in prospect worldwide by 2015 / Conference follow-up in China 2005

Thanks to the expansion of renewable energies, global carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by 1.2 billion tonnes in 2015 - more than Germany’s total CO2 emissions in 1990. This is the result of a fresh analysis now presented of the International Action Programme agreed on in June last year at the International Conference for Renewable Energies - renewables2004. Headed by Uwe R. Fritsche, Coordinator of the Energy & Climate Protection Division at the institute’s Darmstadt office, the Öko-Institut has completed an analysis, on behalf of the German Environment Ministry, of the 200 actions set out in the Programme.

In the International Action Programme, governments, international organizations, financial institutions, companies, associations and many others confirmed their willingness to promote renewable energies in the coming years in order to advance the urgently needed transformation in energy systems. The different contributions range from concrete expansion commitments and changes in policy frameworks to the intensification of research and development.

More than 100 contributions have been submitted by individual governments. Almost 30 states worldwide have introduced targets for the development of renewable energies. The most effective individual action with regard to the reduction of CO2 emissions is China’s announcement to generate 10 per cent of its electricity from solar power, wind and small hydropower stations by 2010. The new capacities required to meet this goal correspond to the output of about 200 coal-fired power plants. The Philippines are striving to become the world`s biggest producer of geothermal energy. By 2013, they will double their energy production from water, solar and geothermal energy. For Germany, the goal of generating 20 per cent of electricity from renewable energies by 2020, stipulated in the Renewable Energy Sources Act, will contribute to reducing CO2 emissions by 42 million tonnes as early as 2015.

The German Government is advocating a review of the International Action Programme within the framework of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. It is planned to make the necessary preparations at a conference in China at the end of 2005. The Öko-Institut’s energy experts will once more join the German delegation as consultants, and will help to prepare the conference. As they did for renewables 2004, they will participate in elaborating the conference papers, and will evaluate the outcomes in the conference follow-up process. The newly published analysis and the whole Action Programme are available at www.renewables2004.de/en/2004/outcome_actionprogramme.asp. bmu

Contact:

Uwe R. Fritsche
Öko-Institut e.v., Darmstadt office
Coordinator of Energy & Climate Protection Division


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Genetic Resources and Benefit-sharing

Negotiations in Bangkok / Öko-Institut presents study on certificates of origin

Mid-February 2005, international negotiations will start in Bangkok on the question of a new treaty in the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). One of the three goals of the Convention is the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources. For years, access and benefit-sharing (ABS) has been one of the most disputed issues in the framework of the Convention. Besides the framework of the CBD, so far, there exist internationally only voluntary guidelines under the CBD on the main principles for ABS. At the CBD Conference of the Parties in Kuala Lumpur (COP7) in 2004, the decision was taken to negotiate an „international ABS regime“. However, it remains unclear whether this will be a new binding international treaty and what shall be the content of such an instrument.

On behalf of the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, the Öko-Institut analysed the possible future aspects that the ABS of genetic resources could have under the CBD in a new study, which is now available. The study examines possible elements of the future international treaty on access and benefit-sharing of genetic resources. It focuses on certificates of origin/source/legal provenance for genetic resources. The different concepts and possible frameworks of a certificate are discussed as well as the legal implications. Finally, the authors outline a model of a system of certificates for genetic resources and examine its impacts on German economic and research actors. The study can be downloaded here. md

Contact:

Miriam Dross
Öko-Institut e.V., Berlin Office
Environmental Law Division

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Michael Sailer to chair German Reactor Safety Commission for further two years

Christian Küppers newly appointed to German-French commission / Institute’s nuclear experts advise federal government on key safety issues

Federal Environment Minister Jürgen Trittin has reappointed Michael Sailer, deputy director of the Öko-Institut and coordinator of its Nuclear Engineering & Plant Safety Division, to the German Reactor Safety Commission (Reaktor-Sicherheitskommission, RSK) for a further two-year term. Michael Sailer continues to chair the commission, to which he has belonged since 1999. Sailer also chairs the RSK committee on the supply and disposal of nuclear material. His colleague and nuclear expert Beate Kallenbach will also continue to work in this committee for a further two years. Nuclear expert Stefan Kurth has also been appointed for a further two years to the RSK committee on reactor operation. The RSK comprises 13 eminent experts, advising the German Environment Ministry on an honorary basis on questions relating to the scientific-technological assessment of nuclear facility safety, and on questions relating to disposal.

Similarly, Christian Küppers, researcher with the Nuclear Engineering & Plant Safety Division at the Institute’s Darmstadt office, has been reappointed to the German Radiological Protection Commission (Strahlenschutzkommission, SSK). The SSK provides advice to the German Environment Ministry on all questions relating to protection against ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. Küppers has been an SSK member since 1999. He chairs the SSK committee on radiation protection in installations, to which his colleague Simone Mohr in the Institute’s Nuclear Engineering & Plant Safety Division also belongs. Christian Küppers is also a member of the SSK committee on radioecology.

In addition, in mid-January Environment Minister Jürgen Trittin appointed Küppers to the German delegation of the German-French commission for questions of nuclear installation safety (DFK). The purpose of the DFK is to ensure the reciprocal exchange of information on questions of safety and radiation protection, and on special events and emergency planning. This concerns particularly the nuclear power plants close to the French-German border in Fessenheim and Cattenom on the French side, and Neckarwestheim and Philippsburg on the German side. “The situation at the Fessenheim plant has caused great unease over and again in the communities close to the border in the region of south Baden. These concerns were amplified once more by the earthquake in December last year. The appointment of Christian Küppers means that the interests of the region are further represented by a competent expert” said Trittin.

Contact:

Eva Hartmann
Öko-Institut e.V., Darmstadt Office
Nuclear Engineering & Plant Safety Division

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Dr. Rainer Grießhammer appointed to Scientific Council

Analysing global environmental change and guiding policy

Dr. Rainer Grießhammer, deputy director of Öko-Institut, will be a member of the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) for the next four years. The German federal cabinet has appointed nine scientists representing the natural and social sciences to sit on the Council for its next term. The Council’s principal task is to evaluate scientific findings relating to all spheres of global change and derive recommendations for policy action and research. The Council’s findings are presented to the German cabinet every two years in the form of flagship reports.

Dr. Rainer Grießhammer is a member of the Öko-Institut’s team of directors in Freiburg, and executive director of the Legacy for the Future Foundation (Stiftung Zukunftserbe). The 51-year-old chemical engineer headed the Institute’s Sustainable Products and Material Flows Division from 1992 to 2002, and was previously the Institute’s executive director (1985 to 1991). Moreover, Grießhammer belongs since 2002 to the scientific advisory council to the German Ministry of Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture (BMVEL). He also joined the advisory council of the Stiftung Warentest consumer advocacy organization in 2003.

Further information on WBGU and its members is available at www.wbgu.de. All of the Council’s published reports are available free of charge for download at www.wbgu.de/wbgu_download.html.

Contact:

Öko-Institut e.V. Freiburg Office
Dr. Rainer Grießhammer
Deputy Director
Sustainable Products & Material Flows Division

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Sustainability management: Know-how for companies

International congress on Product Sustainability Assessment (PROSA) in July in Lausanne

New societal aspirations are presenting modern companies with new challenges. Not only economic performance counts. Customers, investors and tighter legislation are already demanding improved environmental and social performance. These demands will rise in the future. Corporate social responsibility is an increasingly important competitive factor. How can large – but also small and medium-sized – companies meet this new responsibility and, what is more, how can they harness these challenges to their own benefit? Which sustainability management methods are available? How can social and environmental concerns be analysed and integrated into management processes? These are some of the questions to which the international “Product Sustainability Assessment (PROSA)” congress will provide answers. The Öko-Institut and the International Institute for Management Development will convene the congress on 4 July and 5 July in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The congress will be used to present a range of case studies and the PROSA method developed by the Institute for Applied Ecology, as well as eco-efficiency analyses and methods for analysing social aspects. The combination of plenary sessions with break-out workshops in small groups of up to twelve persons will provide ample opportunity to debate the issues and exchange experience. The congress language will be English. To register please contact Andrea Droste, tel. ++49-761-45295-49, fax ++49-761-475437. For details on the PROSA methodology please visit www.prosa.org.

Contact:

Öko-Institut e.V. Freiburg Office
Dr. Rainer Grießhammer
Deputy Director
Sustainable Products & Material Flows Division

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C O N T A C T

Publisher
Öko-Institut e.V.
Institute for Applied Ecology (Öko-Institut)

Editorial office
Department of Public Relations & Communication
Christiane Rathmann
Katja Kukatz

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