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Leadership change at MERICS
From 1 February 2020 onwards, Mikko Huotari and Bettina Bubnys will take over at the helm of the Mercator Institute for China Studies. Huotari will be the Director and CEO of the think tank and Bubnys remains the CFO. Together with the strong MERICS team, the two experienced professionals intend to drive forward the Europeanization and development of the institute. This was announced by Stiftung Mercator and MERICS today. Michael Schwarz, Executive Director of Stiftung Mercator, said: "Ever [...]
ECFR study: German youth are surprisingly conservative and lack a vision for Europe
In his Strasbourg speech on 17 April, French President Emmanuel Macron launched a drive to seek European citizen’s opinions on the European Union’s future. However, it is unlikely that grand ideas for change will come from young Germans. A new report by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) finds that German millennials (those born after 1980) appear to be unambitious about reforming the EU. Polls and interviews conducted for the paper, “The Young and the Restful: Why German Youth [...]
MCC and PIK to intensify research on global commons
Ottmar Edenhofer, Director of the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC), will also become Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) starting this October. There, he is presently Chief Economist. While retaining his position at the MCC, Edenhofer will hold the new position as PIK Director jointly with Johan Rockström from the Stockholm Resilience Center. This was decided on Friday by the Board of Trustees of PIK under the direction of the [...]
Reports of coal’s terminal decline are premature
While less new coal-fired power plants are now being built in China and India, the planned expansion in the use of coal in fast-growing emerging economies, such as Turkey, Indonesia and Vietnam, will in part cancel out the reduction. Only if the countries of the world actively counteract this trend, they can achieve the climate goals agreed in the Paris Agreement. These are the results of the study “Reports of coal’s terminal decline may be exaggerated,” authored by researchers from the Mercator [...]
Planetary boundaries broken down to individual countries
No country currently meets its citizens’ basic needs at a globally sustainable level of resource use. This is the result of a new research paper co-authored by the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and climate Change (MCC). The study, entitled “A good life for all within the planetary boundaries”, was led by the University of Leeds and has been published in Nature Sustainability. It is the first to quantify the sustainability of national resource use associated with meeting basic [...]
MERICS: Notification of change in management
Stiftung Mercator and the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) hereby announce that, as of 1 September 2018, the President and CEO of MERICS, Professor Dr. Sebastian Heilmann, will be returning to his professorship at the University of Trier for familial reasons. Within only a few years Professor Heilmann has built MERICS into one of the world’s leading think tanks in the field of China research. Stiftung Mercator owes Professor Heilmann a sincere debt of gratitude for his outstanding [...]
Ending tax breaks after the diesel scandal
This In response to the diesel scandal, the diesel tax advantage should be completely abandoned within the European Union (EU). In Germany, for example, diesel would then be about 20 cents per liter more expensive at the pump. In return, however, this measure would allow Germany but also France to reduce the emissions of CO2 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by about 10 percent over five years. This is because diesel drivers in particular are much more sensitive to fuel price changes than previously [...]
Importance of solar energy underestimated by a factor of three
The growth of solar energy has been grossly underestimated in the results of the models of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Costs have dropped and infrastructures expanded much faster than even the most optimistic models had assumed. A new study by the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) shows that in 2050, the percentage of photovoltaics in the global power supply could be three times higher than previously projected. According to the [...]
International foundations platform issues call to German G20 presidency
A few days before the G20 summit in Hamburg, an international network of foundations calls upon German chancellor Angela Merkel to make climate protection and sustainable development a core responsibility of G20. If necessary, this must be enforced without the agreement of US president Trump. “The Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals have ushered in a new era of international cooperation and understanding. G20 must take responsibility and set the course towards implementing [...]
G20 begins transition to low-carbon economy, but too slow for Paris Agreement goals
G20 countries have stepped up green finance, but their investment in fossil fuels remains so high that the “well below 2 degree” warming limits set in the Paris Agreement will be missed by a wide margin, says this year’s “Brown to Green” Report from Climate Transparency. The “Brown to Green Report 2017: the G20 transition to a low carbon economy” is the third annual stocktake of the G20’s climate efforts by the Climate Transparency global partnership, released today ahead of this year’s meeting [...]
Why Climate Policy matters for the G20 finance ministers’ agenda
In order to stay below the 2 °C guardrail set in the Paris Agreement, climate policy should be integrated with the G20 finance ministers’ agenda. Finance ministers should consider the merits of carbon pricing for sound fiscal policy and thereby stimulate investments in carbon-free infrastructure. “It is rational for G20 finance ministers to embrace climate policy, even if climate change is not their primary concern,” writes a team of authors led by the Mercator Research Institute on Global [...]
MCC Europe’s best climate think tank
The Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) is Europe's leading think tank in the field of climate change. According to the International Center for Climate Governance (ICCG), the MCC is on number one in Europe in this year's "Climate Think Tank Ranking". In consideration of its size, the MCC has been given a higher score than internationally renowned research institutes such as the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria and the [...]
Practices from REE, 50Hertz and Alpiq crowned champions at ‘Good Practice of the Year’ award [...]
The ‘Good Practice of the Year’ competition rewards those who dare to think outside the box when it comes to creating the grid for the energy transition. This year, the three distinguished innovators come from Spain, Germany and Switzerland; they have committed to protecting the Mediterranean ecosystem, developed a Mobile Citizen’s Office, and worked with self-learning algorithms to effectively integrate distributed energy resources. The champion practice in the ‘Environmental Protection’ [...]
Dahrendorf Forum awarded over 2 million euros to examine Europe’s changing political landscape
The project will consider Europe’s strategic options for facing Brexit, the migration crisis, the rise of populism across the Continent, election trends and other future challenges. Starting its research cycle in September 2017, the new phase of the Dahrendorf Forum will build on its existing network and reputation to produce new research and engage policymakers across Europe in a constructive discussion about Europe’s future in uncertain times. Four post-doctoral and three research associate [...]
Kick-off for the zenith Photo Award 2017 “Islam in Europe”
The 2017 Europe-wide edition of the renowned zenith Photo Award focuses on the topic “Islam in Europe” and will start on April 18th. On photoaward.zenith.me photographers from all over Europe can participate until August 31 to submit their photo series on Muslim life and identity in Europe. The winning series in the two categories (professionals, amateurs, plus an extra award for the winner of the popular choice vote online) will be honoured at an award ceremony in autumn 2017 in Berlin. About [...]
“By Europe we Stand”: A Call to Action by National Parliamentarians in the EU
National Parliamentarians have a critical role to play in European politics. Both institutionally, through the mechanisms of review granted by the Lisbon Treaty, and more importantly, as the elected representatives of European citizens, they shape the European debate and provide a closer link with constituents than the European Institutions. There are circa 10,000 members of parliaments across Europe, with the power to approve or reject billions worth in eurozone bailout packages and EU trade [...]
Felix Creutzig appointed professor
Felix Creutzig, head of the working group Land Use, Infrastructures and Transport at the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC), will begin teaching at the Technical University (TU) of Berlin on February 1, while continuing his work at the MCC. As part of a cooperation between the TU Berlin and the MCC, Creutzig was awarded the newly created professorship of Sustainability Economics of Human Settlements at the Institute of Landscape Architecture and Environmental [...]
Tracking the Paris goals – indicators for progress
With the new president in the White House, the climate debate is facing tough times, even if the great majority of the national community is still committed to the ambitious climate goals of the Paris Agreement. So far, a suitable method is still missing for verifying whether countries are on track to meet their emission reduction pledges. Sabine Fuss, a working group leader at the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC), alongside other researchers of the Global [...]
President Barack Obama's Climate Change Advisor to Become Senior Fellow at Stiftung Mercator
From 1 September 2017, climate finance expert John E. Morton, Senior Director for Energy and Climate Change in the White House under U.S.President Obama,will be conducting research on strategies to mobilize increased capital flows to climate change projects with support from the Mercator Fellowship Program. Stiftung Mercator is proud to announce that the Obama administration’s coordinator of energy and climate policy is to become one of its Senior Fellows. During the course of his Mercator [...]
Transatlantic survey: Europeans and Americans fearful of “Trump factor”
Fewer Europeans now rate the United States as a valuable ally than vice versa: 73% of Americans, and 67% of Europeans consider their counterpart a valuable ally. Most Europeans (55%) think Trump will damage their relations with the US. Americans and Europeans agree on the top four policy areas where they expect Trump to fail:(1) social equality for women and minorities, (2) poverty (3) climate change, and (4) human rights.Europeans and Americans are optimistic about US relations with Russia, [...]
Major new cooperation project in 2017: "Connecting Europe" with Stiftung Mercator
The project will start on the 1st of January 2017. It will connect Stiftung Mercator – a large, private, independent German foundation – and the multiple networks supported by the foundation closely to the EU decision-making processes in Brussels. The project entails joint, forward-looking activities on the future of Europe, specifically forging dialogue and exchange among policymakers and next-generation voices on youth, climate, migration and other key issues. "This is excellent news [...]
Global CO2 emissions growth nearly flat for third successive year
Global CO2 emissions growth from fossil fuels and industry in 2016 is nearly flat for a third year in a row. They are projected to be around 36.4 Gt this year, according to a study by the Global Carbon Project (GCP). They were at 36.3 Gt CO2 in 2015 and at 36.2 Gt CO2 in 2014. But GCP Scientific Steering Committee member Sabine Fuss from the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) warns: “The lower growth in emissions is not aligned with the pathways that limit [...]
Environmental tax reform for climate protection and social justice
In industrialized nations, an environmental tax reform has the chance of reducing social inequality in leaps and bounds. However, to have that impact, revenues from the taxation of carbon emissions would have to be used in full to lower the income tax. This is the result of a new study conducted by the Mercator Research Institute on Global Community and Climate Change (MCC). The researchers David Klenert, Gregor Schwerhoff, Ottmar Edenhofer and Linus Mattauch present their findings in the [...]
G20 not yet on the necessary transition from a “brown” to “green” economy
The G20 needs to make more effort to move to a green, low-carbon economy, especially in the areas of coal power expansion and climate policy, but is beginning to head in the right direction. This is the key result of a comprehensive assessment of G20 climate action, released in Beijing today ahead of the G20 summit in China this weekend. The report, “Brown to Green: Assessing the G20 transition to a low-carbon economy” has been produced by Climate Transparency, and written by a range of [...]
Foundations launch initiative for teaching and learning in a digitalized world - Education officials [...]
How can digital media be used to improve education in Germany? There are many initiatives and offerings for teaching and learning with digital media. However, a common strategy for the education system is missing. Following the lead of Deutsche Telekom Stiftung, the Forum Education and Digitalisation is being launched in cooperation with Bertelsmann Stiftung, Robert Bosch Stiftung, and Siemens Stiftung along with funding from Stiftung Mercator. The initiative establishes a platform for relevant [...]
Stiftung Mercator and European Climate Foundation extend funding of Agora Energiewende and Clean [...]
From 2017, Stiftung Mercator and the European Climate Foundation will be making available a total of around 20 million euros to fund the Agora Energiewende and Clean Energy Wire (CLEW) for a further five years. The positive evaluation results were the main reason why follow-up funding of both projects was approved. Evaluations show that the Agora Energiewende has succeeded in establishing itself as an important and acknowledged actor when it comes to illustrating possible options for [...]
Climate protection through a bonus on Christmas
A price on carbon not only protects the environment but can also, if redistributed fairly, reduce social inequality in industrialized nations. For this to happen, each and every citizen would have to receive a lump-sum payment – for example, by the end of the year for Christmas. By contrast, a redistribution of the carbon revenue by means of a uniform reduction of the income tax rates would merely widen the gap between rich and poor further. These are the key findings of the new study “How to [...]
Negative emissions no silver bullet for climate change mitigation
There are significant constraints to large-scale deployment of negative emissions technologies in the future to reach climate change targets, according to a new study including research of the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC). Published today in Nature Climate Change, it demonstrates the potential environmental, economic, and energy impacts of negative emission technologies for addressing climate change. The study comes at a time when UN climate negotiators [...]
National climate ambition could be higher if actions of non-state actors were considered
Commitments by non-state actors (cities, regions, business and sectors) further reduce German greenhouse gas emissions beyond what is implied by current policies. This is found by new research undertaken by NewClimate Institute supported by Stiftung Mercator. For the first time, this study quantifies whether and to which extent these activities go beyond what governments have already agreed to do with their national policies. The example of Germany was chosen as a test case. For Germany, the [...]
EU too reliant on advice from “seven wise men”
The EU Commission intends to seek the advice of a panel of seven scientists when working on complex political issues such as the euro crisis, climate change or food security. However, this form of consultation, even if supported by academic institutions such as the National Academies, is insufficient for such issues. Rather, comprehensive assessments are needed that analyze different solutions and their practical consequences for society. Such is the finding of a recent study by Martin Kowarsch [...]
Transport policies that make people happy
People who are regularly held up in traffic on their way to work are more irritable. “Happiness research” has shown that the moments in the day when people are the least happy are those when they are on their way to work, especially if they are driving a car. Despite such findings, policy-makers in transport planning are spurring citizens to take to the road even more, by building more roads. All the while, a different transportation policy would make commuters happier, namely one that [...]
Two MCC scientists appointed professors
Two research group leaders of the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) have been appointed professors. Matthias Kalkuhl, aged 32, will be Professor on Climate Change, Development and Economic Growth at the University of Potsdam, and Christian Flachsland, aged 35, will be Assistant Professor for Climate and Energy Governance at The Hertie School of Governance. The appointments constitute the main components of cooperations between these universities and the MCC. [...]
World climate reports need more policy-relevance
More policy relevance and leaner: This is what a team of authors around the outgoing co-chair of Working Group III at the IPCC, Ottmar Edenhofer, would like to see in the much-needed reform of the IPCC. They advocate that the future IPCC should assume a greater role in presenting solutions to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Indeed, this is one way in which the political relevance of the IPCC could be enhanced following the climate summit in Paris. In the article “The IPCC at a [...]
How new coal power plants let climate goals go up in smoke
The window of opportunity for a global fossil fuel phase out is closing faster than expected. In particular poor but fast-growing developing countries are currently investing heavily in the construction of new coal power plants. However, one reason why this source of fuel is so cheap is that its price does not incorporate the social costs, such as health. This is the topic of the article “King Coal and the Queen of Subsidies” by Ottmar Edenhofer, Director of the Mercator Research Institute [...]
German think tank publishes international comparison of migration and integration policies – [...]
In its Annual Report, now out in English, the Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration (SVR) compares Germany's migration and integration policies with the policies of selected EU countries as well as with traditional immigration countries such as Canada and the USA. In its recommendations for action, the SVR advocates fair burden-sharing in the EU: collective reception measures for refugees from crisis-torn countries are needed. For the future, SVR proposes evaluating a [...]
MCC Berlin designated as the world’s second best climate think tank
The Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC), an affiliated institute of TU Berlin, was designated by the International Center for Climate Governance (ICCG) as the second best scientific think tank in the field of climate change. The first place of the ICCG’s Standardized Ranking, which measures output with respect to institute size, was given to the Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC) in Falmouth, Massachusetts, USA. A total of 244 non-university think tanks were [...]
Address Obstacles to Employment – Retain More International Students as Skilled Migrants
International students are ‘model immigrants’ for the labour markets of their host countries. But although the majority would like to stay and work after graduation, many international students fail to find adequate employment. SVR’s Research Unit presents the results from the first international mapping of local support structures for the study-to-work transition of international students in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden. The study was based on a representative sample of 238 [...]
Federica Mogherini Takes Over As Patron Of Turkey Europe Future Forum
European Union Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini is taking over as patron of the Turkey Europe Future Forum. In this role, Mogherini will be supporting a new network of young European decision-makers that is committed to strengthening Turkish-European relations. The kick-off meeting of the Turkey Europe Future Forum will take place from May 30 to June 7 in Istanbul and Ankara, where 30 participants aged between 25 and 38 will join experts and decision-makers in a discussion of the joint [...]
European Asylum Crisis: Towards Collective and Fair Reception of Refugees
More refugees than ever before are dying on their way to safe European ports. At the same time, the ever-increasing number of asylum applications in the European Union puts pressure on the asylum systems in some member states. Collective EU reception procedures could provide relief. SVR’s Research Unit and SWP propose joint EU contingents for resettlement and temporary protection. By means of a multi-factor model fair reception quotas for every member state can be determined. In a joint [...]
Dr Markus Piduhn to become Executive Director at Stiftung Mercator
From 1 May, Dr Markus Piduhn (45) will be joining the Stiftung Mercator Executive Board. As an Executive Director, he will be responsible for the Commercial Affairs Division; responsibility for the three core divisions of Education, Science and Humanities, and International Affairs, as well as for strategy development and communication, lies with the Executive Directors Winfried Kneip, Dr Wolfgang Rohe and Michael Schwarz. Dr Markus Piduhn was previously Area Vice President Business Industries [...]
Germany has joined the ranks of progressive immigration countries in an international comparison
The SVR’s sixth Annual Report compares Germany's migration and integration policies with the policies of selected EU countries as well as with traditional immigration countries such as Canada and the USA. Germany performs better than the current public discourse would lead one to believe. In its recommendations for action, the SVR proposes evaluating a new procedure for EU refugee policy: refugees, after their asylum petition has been approved, would be allowed to move to the EU country of their [...]
Kirsten Hommelhoff to take over as director of Stiftung Mercator’s Mercator Centre Berlin
From 1 May 2015, Kirsten Hommelhoff will take over as the head of Stiftung Mercator’s Mercator Centre Berlin (MCB). As director of the MCB, she will be a member of the Stiftung Mercator management team. In her new role she will report to Director of Communication Christiane Duwendag. Previously, Kirsten Hommelhoff held a number of positions at the foundation, most recently as head of the International Affairs division. Since 2011, the MCB has been a place of creative exchange and collaboration [...]
Together for Civil Society
Robert Bosch Stiftung and Stiftung Mercator will work closely together in future to create a network of civil society organizations from Europe and China. To this end, two existing programmes will be combined in a joint initiative. “I look forward to the cooperation between our two foundations in China”, says Robert Bosch Stiftung director Dr Ingrid Hamm. “The objective of our cooperation is to combine and thus strengthen two successful exchange programmes for non-governmental organizations [...]
Solar Energy emerging as cheapest power source
In a few years, solar energy plants will deliver the most inexpensive power available in many parts of the world. By 2025, the cost of producing solar power in central and southern Europe will have declined to between 4 and 6 cents per kilowatt hour, and to as low as 2 to 4 cents by 2050, according to a study by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems commissioned by Agora Energiewende. Solar power is already cost-effective: In the sunny, desert country of Dubai, a long-term power [...]
Jan Minx appointed professor for Science Policy and Sustainable Development
Jan Christoph Minx, head of the new working group “Applied Sustainability Science” at the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC), now also is professor for Science Policy and Sustainable Development at the Hertie School of Governance. His professorship constitutes the backbone of the cooperation “Governance of the Global Commons” of the two institutes and will allow to link research at the MCC with the teaching at the Hertie School. “Both the MCC and the Hertie [...]
Jointly Shaping the Europe of Tomorrow: Young Leaders can apply now of the first Turkey Europe [...]
The Turkey Europe Future Forum will be bringing young leaders together in Istanbul and Ankara from May 30 until June 7, 2015. Young leaders aged between 25 and 35 from Europe, especially Germany and Turkey, are now being invited to apply for a total of 30 places. The new program funded by Stiftung Mercator and organized by the Mercator Program Center for International Affairs (MPC) and Turkish Industry and Business association (TÜSİAD) provides a platform for interdisciplinary networking and [...]
Foregoing growth hardly helps the environment
Forgoing global economic growth as a means to combat climate change would prove costly: Avoiding one tonne of CO2 emissions in this way would cost nearly 2,000 euros, instead of, as is currently the case in the context of emissions trading, only approximately five to ten euros. By contrast, cost-effective emissions reduction can help to achieve other social goals, even if economic growth is not a goal per se. A new study therefore advocates the expansion and refinement of the debate around [...]
Dame Helen Wallace to be awarded 2015 All European Academies Madame de Staël Prize for Cultural [...]
In honour of her highly respected and extensive scholarly work in political studies and policy in Europe, Dame Helen Wallace will be the second scholar to be awarded the All European Academies Madame de Staël Prize for Cultural Values; a prize initiated by ALLEA, the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities. The prize will be awarded to Professor Wallace at a ceremony on the premises of the Academy of Sciences of Lisbon on 23 April 2015 in the context of the ALLEA General [...]
Stiftung Mercator welcomes four new fellows
Freedom for exploratory thinking – Stiftung Mercator’s Fellowship programme is designed to foster outstanding individuals in the fields of academia and practice. They work on specific research topics at either Stiftung Mercator or a renowned partner institution. The first four Mercator Fellows of the 2015 intake have now been named. They are Laszlo Andor, Irit Bar-Kochva, Matthias Spielkamp and Michael Wrase. In fostering them, Stiftung Mercator expects to acquire valuable input when it [...]
Smart urbanization could save up to 25 percent of energy use by 2050
A new study suggests that urban planning and transport policies can limit the future increase in cities' energy use by about one-forth, from 730 EJ to 540 EJ in 2050, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. If current urbanization trends continue, urban energy use will more than triple by 2050. Cities in developing countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East have the highest potential of energy savings by urbanization - 86 persent of the world's total [...]
Why a European Carbon Central Bank
Establishing a European Carbon Central Bank is a possible pathway to tackle low political credibility of the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) among investors. Delegation of power to an independent authority could also enhance the flexibility of the system. These were the key findings of the new study “After Monetary Policy, Climate Policy: Is Delegation the Key to EU ETS Reform?” lead by Godefroy Grosjean, guest researcher at the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and [...]
Climate change mitigation only possible through fight against poverty
Berlin, October 30, 2014. Progress in climate change mitigation is hinged on the alleviation of poverty in the developing and emerging countries. For this, the international community should pursue a policy that prioritizes the global reduction of greenhouse gases just as much as the development objectives of the poorer countries. This is the result of a study on ducted by Michael Jakob and Jan Steckel from the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) together with [...]
Chief Financial Officer leaves Stiftung Mercator
Gabriele Geertz, Chief Financial Officer at Stiftung Mercator, will be leaving the foundation for personal reasons as of 1 September 2014. Rüdiger Frohn, Chairman of the Advisory Board of Stiftung Mercator: “Stiftung Mercator’s boards, and indeed I personally, would like to thank Ms Geertz for her successful work during the period of reorientation and preparation of the Mercator 2020 strategic phase, a process she enriched with many valuable ideas and suggestions. We wish her all the very best [...]
Stiftung Mercator presents new strategy: Europe is new thematic cluster alongside integration, [...]
Stiftung Mercator was able to continue its steady growth last year, approving 126 projects with a volume of around 62 million euros. The new strategy “Mercator 2020 – Creating Possibilities, Generating Opportunities” is all about continuity and involves deepening and expanding the foundation’s existing thematic clusters of integration, climate change and cultural education. Europe has long been a part of the foundation’s strategy and one of the focal regions in its projects, and has now been [...]
German-Turkish Youth Bridge launched in Istanbul with Federal Foreign Minister Dr Frank-Walter [...]
The number of young people visiting Turkey from Germany should be increased and there should be more exchange programmes for youngsters from Turkey – the idea is that a lack of information, support or funding should no longer prevent this goal from being achieved in future. With this objective in mind, Stiftung Mercator initiated the German-Turkish Youth Bridge – with immediate effect, it will be supporting, informing, advising, interlinking and training anyone interested or involved in [...]
Coal is Displacing Natural Gas, Undermining the Benefits of Renewable Energy Expansion
Germany is experiencing an "energy transition paradox": greenhouse gas emissions are on the rise, despite an increasing share of power generation from renewables. Just ahead of the publication of the IPCC's report on climate change mitigation, an analysis released today by Agora Energiewende comes to the following conclusion: Rising emissions in Germany are not attributable to the country's decision to phase-out nuclear power. Instead, this rise is caused by the increasing generation of [...]
All European Academies Madame de Staël Prize for Cultural Values
In honour of her exceptional scholarly work on European cultural values and European identity, Luisa Passerini will be the first scholar to be awarded the All European Academies Madame de Staël Prize for Cultural Valuesby the President of the European Commission; a prize initiated by ALLEA, the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities. Upon invitation of ALLEA, José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, will award the prize at an award ceremony on the premises [...]
Winfried Kneip, Dr Wolfgang Rohe and Michael Schwarz to become new Executive Directors at Stiftung [...]
From 15 February 2014, Winfried Kneip (56), Dr Wolfgang Rohe (53) and Michael Schwarz (36), together with CFO Gabriele Geertz, will take over the management of Stiftung Mercator. They previously headed the foundation’s Centres for Education, Science and Humanities and International Affairs. As part of the executive team, they also helped to implement the strategic plan “Mercator 2013” and to shape the work of the foundation in the overarching thematic clusters of integration, climate change and [...]
A new European approach key to global climate action
Typhoon Haiyan’s devastating impact leant even greater urgency to the past week’s UN Climate Change summit in Warsaw. The ripple effect was also felt at the 2013 Dahrendorf Symposium that draws to a close in Berlin today. Scholars, policy makers, and practitioners discussed climate change as not only an environmental problem but one with developmental, economic, social and legal dimensions which must be addressed. Europe is uniquely positioned to take action in the international fight against [...]
Fight against terrorism does not justify mass surveillance, many young people say
The recently disclosed mass surveillance programmes of the NSA and other intelligence services step over the line. That is at least the opinion of 62.3% of participants in the recent European Youth Poll. Still, differences in attitude exist between countres: In Sweden and Germany, less than a fourth of all participants think surveillance is justified by the fight against terrorism, while in Russia and Ukraine, more than half of all participants speak out in favour of surveillance. 59% of all [...]
2.3 million euros for school exchanges between Germany, China and Turkey
Over the next three years, Stiftung Mercator will be investing 2.3 million euros in school exchanges between Germany, China and Turkey, allowing the number of grants for year-long exchanges and short-term programmes to be increased from 690 to 1,080. "An international exchange should not fail due to a lack of funding. That is the core philosophy behind our grants", says Bernhard Lorentz, president of Stiftung Mercator, referring to a May 2013 study conducted by the Ger-man Institute for [...]
Mercator Salons on the subject of “Money and Happiness” –
The Mercator Salon, a series of European-Chinese events, is entering its second round: this weekend, Chinese and European guests will be discussing the subject of “Money and Happiness” at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) in Beijing. Serving as a platform for discussion, the Mercator salons offer European and Chinese participants an opportunity to pursue dialogue on topical issues relevant to culture and society. The first two Mercator salons, focusing on the subject of “Cultural [...]
German Energiewende: Cost-Optimal Expansion of Renewables Would Save Germany up to Two Billion Euros [...]
Germany could save two billion euros a year in the course of expanding its supply of renewable energies. This potential savings results from a faster expansion of wind turbines onshore and a slower expansion of offshore wind turbines. The total volume of power generated by the wind power sector as a whole would be the same in both scenarios. The savings would be about the same whether the further expansion prioritizes wind turbines primarily in the north or wind park sites in proximity to areas [...]
Stiftung Mercator appoints international commission to conduct overall impact analysis
Stiftung Mercator is having its strategic orientation, the effectiveness of its programmes and the methodology of its work analysed. To this end, an independent commission headed by Professor Otfried Jarren, vice president of the University of Zürich, has been appointed and is meeting for the first time today in Berlin. Furthermore, the results of its work are to be used as the basis for further developing the foundation’s “Mercator 2020” strategy. Members of the international commission are as [...]
Stiftung Mercator establishes new centre in Berlin to strengthen civil society
Stiftung Mercator has established a new partner organisation in Berlin, which will debut this evening: LEAD, the Mercator Capacity Building Center for Leadership & Advocacy. LEAD will, among other things, offer a programme of seminars, workshops and master classes for members of civil society organisations. The mission of LEAD is to strengthen leadership and advocacy skills across the civil society sector. Tobias Leipprand, who until the end of December 2012 served as a board member of the [...]