Archive press releases

Introduce mandatory minimum lifetime information, strengthen purchasers’ rights, improve conditions for repairs – these and other strategies for greater durability and longer use of electrical and electronic devices are recommended by the…

The need for transdisciplinary research is growing. At the same time, structures and places for the further development and dissemination of transdisciplinary methods, concepts and competencies are lacking both in research and teaching. This gap is…

The German government has announced that it will unveil plans tomorrow for another major package of measures to boost the country’s economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis. Ahead of the announcement, there was debate about the possible…

The aviation industry proposes to change the international agreement to address CO2 emissions from international aviation (CORSIA). Oeko-Institut’s assessment of the proposal shows that it could reduce the climate mitigation or offsetting…

Some sellers of electronic equipment from non-EU countries such as China who market their products on the Internet do not contribute to the costs incurred in Germany for the collection and disposal of packaging and what will later be end-of-life…

Most trucks running on liquefied natural gas (LNG) emit about the same amount of greenhouse gases as diesel trucks. Depending on the drivetrain technology, emissions from LNG trucks range between 969 and 1051 gCO2e/km; the figure for diesel trucks…

On 1 October 2019 Jan Peter Schemmel became the Oeko-Institut’s new Chief Executive Officer, based at its Berlin office. A political scientist, he was previously director of the Funding Programmes division and director of the Programme Office of…

Using products for longer reduces pressure on the environment and the climate. In collaboration with the Centre for Consumer Research and Sustainable Consumption (Verbraucherforschung und nachhaltiger Konsum, vunk) at Pforzheim University of…

A joint study by Agora Verkehrswende, Agora Energiewende, the Oeko-Institut and the Freie Universität Berlin shows how a CO2 price of 50 euros per ton can lay the foundation for climate protection. Social balance is achieved by refunding the whole…

Our Chief Executive Officer Michael Sailer retires on 1 August 2019 after 39 years at the Oeko-Institut. During these four decades, he made a major contribution to the Oeko-Institut’s development as an independent sustainability research institute…

Fuels produced from electricity – known as power-to-X (PtX) – are not necessarily sustainable or climate-friendly. They have a positive climate protection effect only if they are produced using additional renewable power and CO2 that is captured…

In 2050, 80 per cent of all newly registered passenger cars on the road worldwide could be powered by alternative drivetrains, with the figure even rising to 100 per cent if ambitious climate targets are met. The increase in e-mobility is driving…

Poor collection rates for portable batteries, inadequate targets for lithium-ion batteries and a lack of incentives for those responsible to collect more waste batteries. An Oeko-Institut led study – in collaboration with Trinomics – for the…

Road freight transport in Germany emits about 40 million tons of CO2 annually, accounting for about a quarter of the total greenhouse gas emissions from transport. A further increase in road transport is forecasted. In order for freight transport…

Should you repair your broken vacuum cleaner or buy a new one? Should you replace your 10-year-old washing machine with a more efficient model? What about that faulty fridge – should you hand it in for recycling or have it repaired? The…

The German Football Association (DFB) today unveils its sustainability strategy for the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship, with environmental performance as one of its cornerstones alongside diversity, fair play and respect. The strategy,…

The European Court of Justice ruled yesterday that new genetic engineering techniques such as genome editing and the resulting organisms that are created are covered by the GMO Directive. In a new position paper, the Oeko-Institut emphasises that…

The topic of manipulated testing results, or “circumvention” is currently exposed to the highest attention of the public and media, not only for the emission of cars (dieselgate) but also with regard to other EU legislation. For this reason the…

If products are not licensed for use in the European Union because of possible risks to human rights and the environment, German firms should not be selling them in other countries either. However, a new case study from the Oeko-Institut reveals…

The Chinese government recently issued new rules on the disposal of electric vehicle batteries. Among other things, they require manufacturers to ensure that transparent information is available about batteries’ charging capacity and component…