Dr. Corinna Fischer
Dr. Corinna Fischer
Dr. Corinna Fischer

Dr. Corinna Fischer

Deputy Head of Division
Sustainable Products & Material Flows

Special Expertise

Main areas of research: Sustainable products and consumption

Topics:

  • Sustainable consumption: Consumer perspective and consumer behaviour; sufficiency
  • Ecodesign Directive and EU Energy Label
  • Energy efficient products
  • Energy saving in private households

Methods:

  • Policy analysis
  • Qualitative social research
  • Transdisciplinary sustainability research

Key Projects

  • Preparatory Study for the Eco-design Working Plan 2020-2024 (European Commission, DG GROW)
  • Market observation of sustainable consumption (German Federal Environment Agency, project management)
  • Civic engagement for sustainable public welfare. Sub-project: Sustainable common good through national participation procedures and opportunities for decentralised engagement in groups remote from participation (BMBF, project management)
  • Citizens’ participation and social inclusion as a building block for the implementation of the National Programme for Sustainable Consumption: New impulses for civic engagement (German Federal Environment Agency, consortium management)
  • Thinking ahead regarding sustainable consumption: Evaluation and further development of measures and instruments (German Federal Environment Agency, consortium management)
  • Living Spaces. Instruments for a needs-based use of living space in municipalities (BMBF; consortium management)
  • Instrumentation options for reducing energy consumption through behavioural changes (German Federal Environment Agency, project management)
  • Strengthening the ecological design as a purchasing criterion for consumers (German Federal Environment Agency, consortium management)
  • Developing a concept for the overall reduction of energy demand: Potentials, general conditions and tools to achieve energy saving goals of the National Energy Concept (BMUB; project management)
  • Sufficiency in everyday life – concept, necessity, potentials, and political steering options (own project)

Professional Training and Career

  • Since 2019: Head of Sustainable Products & Consumption Subdivision
  • Since 2010: Researcher at Öko-Institut, Sustainable Products & Material Flows Division
  • 2008-2009: Policy Officer Energy-Efficient Products and Standardisation at the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband – vzbv), Berlin
  • 2002-2008: Researcher at Freie Universität Berlin, Environmental Policy Research Centre (FFU)
  • 1996-2002: PhD studies on „Mobilisation of East German youth for environmental activism“, Freie Universität Berlin and TU Chemnitz, degree: Dr. phil.
  • 1999-2000: Researcher at Deutsches Hygiene-Museum Dresden; organisation of the conference ”New paths towards sustainable consumption“
  • 1996-2005: Freelance trainer and moderator in environmental policy research and consulting as well as in political education for youth and young adults
  • 1990-1998: Studies in Political Science and Psychology, Philipps-Universität Marburg and Freie Universität Berlin; degree (1995): Dipl.-Pol. (Diploma in Political Science)

Language Skills

English, French, Spanish