Publications

Online webinar

The Commission proposal on an EU 2040 climate target

Presentation for the webinar ‘The Commission proposal on an EU 2040 climate target’ by Dr. Lambert Schneider, Jakob Graichen, Dr. Johanna Cludius and Dr. Hannes Böttcher, 4 July 2025.

Assessment of the target proposal by the EU Commission

The proposed 2040 climate target for the EU

On 2 July 2025 the Commission published its proposal for the EU’s greenhouse gas emission target for the year 2040. This target and its implementation will determine the EU’s climate ambition for the next decades. We assess the proposal and compare it with the recommendations of both the previou

The critical role of bioenergy and better alternatives for fossil-free heating

Biomass is currently the most significant renewable energy sourc e for heating in the EU, accounting for approximately 20% of final ene rgy demand. And this share is rising: between 2011 and 2023, the co ntribution of biomass has grown by about 16%. Looking ahead, Member States project that one-thir

Policy Brief

Conditions for Using International Carbon Credits towards the EU’s 2040 Climate Target

On 2 July 2025, the European Commission is expected to make a proposal for an EU climate target for 2040. The proposal could involve the use of international carbon credits under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Based on our extensive research, including the recently released Oxford Principles for

Electricity market design for 100 % renewable energy in Germany – Challenges and solutions

The transition to a renewable energy system poses several challenges for electricity market design. This paper examines the structural changes required to accommodate a fully renewable-based electricity system in Germany, emphasising the integration of renewable energy sources, dispatchable power pl

The EU ETS and the 2040 Climate Target

This study analyses how to realign the EU ETS 1 and EU ETS 2 to meet the EU’s 2040 target. For that we analyse the systems’ current configurations and test three emission scenarios to evaluate the effectiveness of different reform options to recalibrate the ETS 1 and ETS 2 to ensure the continuo

38th International Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exhibition (EVS38) Go¨teborg, Sweden, June 15-18, 2025

Electrification potential of an existing heavy duty vehicle fleet – a techno-economic analysis

This work determines the techno-economic potential of electrifying the truck fleet of the “Badische Staatsbrauerei Rothaus AG”, based on the analysis of data containing two weeks of vehicle operation. The analysis reveals that overnight depot charging maximises potential, while daytime charging

EVS38 International Battery, Hybrid and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Symposium 1 38th International Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exhibition (EVS38) Go¨teborg, Sweden, June 15-18, 2025

Real-world data analysis of battery electric trucks operating in Germany

Under the influence of the European Union policies, sales of battery electric trucks (BET) are gradually increasing in Europe [1]. However, the market is still at an early stage, and the deployment of BETs is subject to a multitude of uncertainties and challenges. In order to shed light on the first

Analysis of sustainable potentials in selected countries

Ambitious GHG mitigation opportunities and challenges in the agriculture sector

Climate change is a major threat to ecosystems and livelihoods, requiring urgent cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. Food systems, including crop and livestock production, contribute significantly to global emissions. Monocultures and intense farming worsen biodiversity loss, pollution, and water stre

Chain-of-custody approaches, administrative requirements and their impact

Policy incentives for the uptake of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs)

Aviation contributes approximately 2.5% of global ⁠CO2⁠ emissions. When non-CO2 effects are taken into account, its overall climate impact is even higher. To mitigate these emissions, the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) is crucial. SAF, produced from sustainable feedstocks, can significa

Oxford Principles for Responsible Engagement with Article 6

Article 6 of the Paris Agreement creates an international framework for market-based cooperation between countries and/or entities “to allow for higher ambition in their mitigation and adaptation actions and to promote sustainable development". Article 6.2 provides a framework for engaging in coo

[Translate to English:] Task 1 & 2

Review of existing initiatives to inform potential climate-related delegated act(s) under the Green Claims Directive

As consumers increasingly demand products with a low climate impact, being ‘green’ has become a competitiveness factor for companies in the European Union (EU). However, if these products and services do not have the claimed environmental benefits, it could hamper the green transition and mislea

Original research article

What is nuclear cultural heritage? Developing an analytical framework

Nuclear cultural heritage (NCH) is a relatively new approach. It was introduced by Rindzevičiūtė (2019) and is being discussed internationally with reference to its contribution to knowledge preservation of nuclear objects and practices as well as safety aspects, especially in the context of nucl

Project Summary Report

Partnership for Responsible Battery and Metal Recycling (ProBaMet)

Lead-acid batteries continue to serve as a critical energy storage solution in Nigeria and other transitioning economies, driven by expanding vehicle ownership, decentralized energy systems, and emerging technologies. While public and media attention often focuses on Lithium-ion batteries, lead-aci

Technical Report - Extended version

Assessing the need for social support and designing social leasing as part of the transition to electric vehicles in Europe

The aim of the study is to analyse the need and potential of a social leasing scheme in the five different countries Germany (DE), France (FR), Italy (IT), Spain (ES) and Poland (PL) during the EV transition. The first objective of this study is to identify and quantify the need for social support i

Selected EU policies and measures for carbon removals

EU Climate Framework for 2040: How to Incentivise Carbon Removals?

Carbon removal is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the EU cannot achieve its climate neutrality target and net negative emissions without carbon removals. On the other hand, carbon removals can delay and deter emission reductions. Certain carbon removal technologies require substantial amounts

Agriculture and agroforestry on mineral soils

Second assessment of the draft technical specifications for certification under the EU CRCF

This document provides an assessment of the proposed draft for an EU certification meth-odology on agriculture and agroforestry on mineral soils (referred to as “draft methodology”) provided on 15 April 2025. Overall, the draft methodology, in its current form, ignores fundamental principles of

Planting of trees

Second assessment of the draft technical specifications for certification under the EU CRCF

This document provides an assessment of the proposed draft for an EU certification methodology for planting of trees (referred to as “draft methodology”), provided on 15 April 2025. Overall, the draft methodology, in its current form, ignores fundamental principles of carbon crediting and does n

Peatland rewetting

Second assessment of the draft technical specifications for certification under the EU CRCF

This document provides an assessment of the draft elements for an EU certification meth-odology on carbon farming under the CRCF regulation for the activity type peatland restora-tion through rewetting, published in April 2025. Overall, the methodology, in its current form, deviates from importan

Evaluation of current trends and compilation of an overview study for Greenpeace e.V., Hamburg

Environmental Impacts of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence is already an integral part of many areas of life – whether it’s popular applications like ChatGPT or the optimization of industrial processes. But this progress comes at a cost: The infrastructure behind AI consumes vast resources – especially energy, but also water an