Schmidt / Nuttall Contributions Towards a Sustainable World

In Dialogue with Klaus Töpfer
1. Auflage 2014
ISBN: 978-3-86581-601-6
Verlag: oekom
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 0 - No protection

E-Book, Englisch, 320 Seiten

Klaus Töpfer, Executive Director of the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam, former UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme as well as Minister for the Environment in Germany, turned 75 in 2013. His outstanding achievements inspired us to assemble this volume. Klaus Töpfer has been at the forefront of sustainability efforts for several decades, with a long track record of turning vision into reality, and a firm conviction that knowledge can be a crucial building block for transitions towards sustainability. Our world is shaped, more than ever before, by human activities. The scope of technology, to systemically alter nature in ways impossible for previous generations to comprehend, requests and requires a new relationship with 'planet Earth.' Such a relationship may speak, in the end, not just of profit and loss but also of a new meaning of wealth, including a sense of ethics, stewardship, and responsibility. For the time being, it seems paramount to face these new challenges, striving for new ways of understanding and, subsequently, new modes of response.

Falk Schmidt is the Personal Assistant to Klaus Töpfer at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), in Potsdam. He has worked at the interface of science and policy for the past decade. Nick Nuttall is currently Director of Communications at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, in Bonn. He was Klaus Töpfer's spokesperson and speechwriter at the UN Environment Programme from 2001 to 2006.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Schmidt, Falk

Nuttall, Nick

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS A

SUSTAINABLE WORLD;1
2;Contents;7
3;Ernst Th. Rietschel:
Foreword;11
4;Achim Steiner:
Foreword;13
5;Falk Schmidt, Nick Nuttall:

Sustainable, Transformative, Democratic: Klaus Töpfer’s Contributions for Transitions Towards Sustainability;15
6;Governing Sustainability;21
6.1;Paul J. Crutzen: The Anthropocene: When Humankind Overrides Nature –

Atmospheric Chemistry, Biosphere, Climate in the Anthropocene;23
6.1.1;Thus, what is the Anthropocene? Current Definition and Status;25
6.1.2;Nature Is Us;26
6.1.3;LITERATURE CITED;28
6.2;Maheswar Rupakheti and Mark Lawrence:

From Buddha Air to Dirty Air to Clean Air: The ABCs of South Asia;31
6.2.1;The Himalayas: Beauty, Compromised by a Brown Cloud Burden?;31
6.2.2;To the Rescue;35
6.2.3;Mitigation Potentials;37
6.2.4;Back to the Origins of the Buddha: the Case of Nepal;38
6.2.5;SusKat;39
6.2.6;LITERATURE CITED;41
6.3;Veerabhadran Ramanathan:

The Two Worlds We Inhabit: The Top Four Billion (T4B) and the Bottom Three Billion (B3B);43
6.3.1;Preamble;44
6.3.2;Setting the Stage;46
6.3.3;The Two Worlds We Inhabit;47
6.3.4;The B3B Perspective;48
6.3.5;The Co-dependence of B3B and T4B;48
6.3.6;The T4B Perspective;49
6.3.7;Transition from B3B to M5B;50
6.3.8;Proposal for a Way Forward;51
6.3.9;LITERATURE CITED;51
6.4;Hans Joachim Schellnhuber:

Climate Change, the Monarch Butterfly, and Intergenerational Contracting;53
6.4.1;Introduction;53
6.4.2;Global Warming;54
6.4.2.1;The Fundamentals;54
6.4.2.2;The Impacts;55
6.4.2.3;A Diabolical Management Problem;57
6.4.2.4;Treating the Intractable;58
6.4.3;The Monarch;59
6.4.4;A Social Tele-contract;60
6.4.5;Acknowledgements;61
6.4.6;LITERATURE CITED;61
6.5;Reinhard F. Hüttl: Caring for the "Skin of the Earth"
—Soils as a Critical Component of Global Development;63
6.5.1;Soil as a Scarce Geo-resource;63
6.5.2;Linking the Compartments of "System Earth": The "Critical Zone" Concept;65
6.5.3;The Role of Science;66
6.5.3.1;Remote Sensing and Imaging Spectrometry;66
6.5.3.2;The TERENO Network;71
6.5.4;The Soil–Water Nexus: Experiences from Central Asia;71
6.5.5;A New Global Challenge: Bioenergy and Diverging Claims on Soil Utilization;73
6.5.6;A New Research Agenda and the Course of Action;74
6.5.7;Acknowledgements;75
6.6;Joachim von Braun:

Guiding Urban–Rural Linkages Toward Sustainable Development;77
6.6.1;Introduction;77
6.6.2;Conceptual Frameworks;78
6.6.3;Mega-trends and Policy Domains Facilitating Urban–Rural Linkages;81
6.6.3.1;Flows between Rural and Urban Spaces,and Implications for Rural Transformation;81
6.6.3.2;Resource and Environmental Flows: Urban Ecological Footprint;81
6.6.3.3;Labor, Financial, and Knowledge Flows;82
6.6.3.4;The Rural–Urban Divide is Still Relevant;85
6.6.4;Policy Domains for Facilitating Urban–Rural Linkages for Sustainable Development;86
6.6.4.1;R&D and Technology;87
6.6.4.2;Agricultural R&D Knowledge-flows;87
6.6.4.3;Information and Communication Technologies;88
6.6.4.4;Infrastructure;88
6.6.4.5;Market Institutions;90
6.6.5;Policies Facilitating Transformation;90
6.6.5.1;Diversification of Rural Economies;90
6.6.5.2;Development of Small Towns;91
6.6.5.3;Decentralization for Poverty Reduction;92
6.6.6;Conclusions;92
6.6.7;LITERATURE CITED;93
6.7;Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker:

Klaus Töpfer at 75;99
6.7.1;LITERATURE CITED;103
6.8;Mario Tobias:

Translating Knowledge into Action: How Do Innovative Technologies Enable Sustainability?;105
6.8.1;Introduction;105
6.8.2;A Path to a Circular Economy;106
6.8.3;A Path to Sustainable Technologies;107
6.8.3.1;Sustainable ICT Solutions:

Transforming e-waste into Valuable Resources;107
6.8.3.2;Carbon Dioxide Utilization Technologies:Rethinking from Waste to Feedstock;108
6.8.4;Involving People in Sustainability Pathways;110
6.8.5;An Innovative Pathway of Transdisciplinary Research and Action;111
6.8.6;LITERATURE CITED;112
6.9;Matthias Kleiner, Caroline A. Lodemann:

Science in Democracy—Knowledge Exchange in an Informed Society;113
6.9.1;Knowledge—A Basic Principle of Life;113
6.9.2;Information in Democracy;114
6.9.3;Science and Research in Democracy;115
6.9.4;Exchanging and Sharing;119
6.9.5;LITERATURE CITED;121
7;Initiating Transitions;123
7.1;Carlo Rubbia:

Innovative Scientific and Technological Developments for a Coherent Energy Policy;125
7.2;Laurence Tubiana, Andreas Rüdinger, Thomas Spencer:

Evolution of the Energy Transition in Germany, France, and Europe: A Process in the Making;129
7.2.1;Political Debates and Strategies on Energy and Climate Policy in France and Germany;129
7.2.1.1;The Energy Transition: A ‘Moving Target’ in the Policy Debate;129
7.2.1.2;The Role of Public Debates for the Energy Transition;130
7.2.1.3;The German Energy Debate in the Context of the Nuclear Issue;131
7.2.1.3.1;The Ethics Commission:A Novelty in the German Energy Debate;132
7.2.1.3.2;Qualifying the German Debate in its Historical and Current Dimension;133
7.2.1.4;The General Context of French Energy Policy;133
7.2.1.4.1;The 2012–2013 National Debateon the Energy Transition;134
7.2.1.4.2;The Institutional Set-up of the Debate;134
7.2.1.4.3;The Framing of the French Energy Transition Debate;135
7.2.1.4.4;Process and Outcome of the French Debate;136
7.2.1.5;The French and German Energy Debates in Perspective;137
7.2.1.6;Implications for European Energy and Climate Policy;138
7.2.1.7;Conclusions;140
7.2.1.8;LITERATURE CITED;141
7.3;Pekka Haavisto:

Global Contract for Sustainability;143
7.3.1;Green Economy: What is there for Us?;143
7.3.2;From Sustainable Development to Eco-efficiency;144
7.3.3;From Eco-efficiency to Green Economies;145
7.3.4;What is there for Me?;146
7.3.5;New Levels of Participation;146
7.3.6;Poverty and Environment;146
7.4;Klaus Milke and Christoph Bals: Acting–Negotiations–Alliances: The "Energiewende" in Germany and its Relevance to the Great Transformation and a Global Contract;149
7.4.1;Introduction;149
7.4.2;The Environment Minister in the Lion’s Den;150
7.4.3;Copenhagen: An Exceptional Lesson;151
7.4.4;Politicians Should Talk to Each Other, Create a Common Understanding—and Finally Act;152
7.4.5;The Discovery of Civil Society;153
7.4.6;Developing Countries form the Majority;155
7.4.7;Politics Rather than the Economy may Decide;155
7.4.8;Energiewende in Germany: Laboratory for the world!;157
7.4.9;Global Contract: Acting–Negotiating–Alliances;158
7.5;Karsten Sach:

IRENA A Story of Conviction, Perseverance, and Transformation;161
7.5.1;The Case for Renewable Energy;162
7.5.2;Early Developments;164
7.5.3;Pushing the Paradigm;166
7.5.4;A New Beginning;169
7.5.5;Coming of Age;172
7.5.6;Transforming the Future;173
7.6;Manfred Konukiewitz:

International Climate Finance for Developing Countries: The Green Climate Fund aims for Transformative Ambition;175
7.6.1;Introduction;175
7.6.2;Building Ambition for Transformative Action into the Operation of the GCF;177
7.6.2.1;Mitigation Specifics;178
7.6.2.2;Adaptation Specifics;179
7.6.3;Funding Windows and Resource Allocation;180
7.6.4;Basic Elements of the Allocation Process;181
7.6.5;Resource Allocation for Mitigation;182
7.6.6;Resource Allocation for Adaptation;185
7.6.6.1;Impact-based Allocation for Transformative Proposals;185
7.6.6.2;Special Consideration of the Urgent and Immediate Needsof the Most Vulnerable Developing Countries;186
7.6.7;Final Remarks;188
7.6.8;LITERATURE CITED;189
7.7;Uwe Schneidewind and Mandy Singer-Brodowski:

Enabling the Great Transformation: Transdisciplinarity as Individual and Institutional Challenge;191
7.7.1;Introduction;191
7.7.2;The Great Transformation: A New Social Contract for Sustainability;191
7.7.3;A New Social Contract between Science and Society;194
7.7.4;How Do We Reach the Great Transformation in the Science System?;197
7.7.5;Transformative Individuals, Institutions, and Infrastructures as Catalysts for a Science System Shift;199
7.7.6;Conclusion;200
7.7.7;LITERATURE CITED;201
7.8;Günther Bachmann:

Steam Engines, Renewable Energies & Co.;203
7.8.1;Executive Summary;203
7.8.2;Transformations;204
7.8.3;The Industrial Revolution and What it tells us About Transformation;206
7.8.4;The Legacy of the Steam Engine;207
7.8.5;Is There a TransGov Engine?;208
7.8.6;The Governance of Risk as Moving Target;210
7.8.7;Transformative Technology Agents?;211
7.8.8;The Virtue of the Plural;212
7.8.9;Planning Exercises;214
7.8.10;Art of Transformation;215
7.8.11;Towards "Extractive" Studies on Historical Science and Transformation;216
7.8.12;Tentative Assumptions;218
7.8.13;LITERATURE CITED;219
7.9;Volker Hauff:

Governance: The Deficit on the Way to Sustainability;223
7.9.1;The Culture of Alertness;224
7.9.2;The Role of Nation-States;225
7.9.3;New Diplomacy for International Agreements;227
7.9.4;Governance Across Borders;228
7.9.5;The TransGov Report: A Prelude—Not a Recipe Book;229
7.9.6;The IASS: A Beacon in the Era of Sustainability;230
7.9.7;LITERATURE CITED;231
8;Addressing Diversity;233
8.1;WAN Gang:

Professor Klaus Töpfer: Promoter of Scientific Cooperation;235
8.1.1;UNEP–China–Africa Cooperation Program on the Environment;235
8.1.2;The 2008 Beijing Green Olympics;236
8.1.3;The 2010 Shanghai World Expo;236
8.1.4;The Chongming Eco-Island Project;237
8.1.5;Suzhou Creek Pollution Control Project;237
8.1.6;Key Laboratory of the Yangtze River Water Environment;237
8.1.7;Acknowledgements;238
8.1.8;The Way Forward;238
8.2;Fengting Li, Jiang Wu, Dahe Jiang, Dong Li, and Sun Jie: Professor Klaus Töpfer: Leading the Way to a Sustainable Future;239
8.2.1;When Tongji Met Prof. Töpfer…;239
8.2.1.1;Milestone 1:

The UNEP–Tongji IESD Partnership;240
8.2.1.2;Milestone 2:

The Klaus Töpfer Environmental Scholarship;242
8.2.1.3;Milestone 3:

Contribution to the Concept of ‘Sustainability-Oriented University’;243
8.2.1.4;Milestone 4:

Promoting International Student Exchange byInitiating and Supporting Student Events;243
8.2.1.5;The Way Forward to a Sustainable Future;244
8.3;Juan Mayr Maldonado:

Klaus Töpfer: A Visionary Leader, Charismatic, and Humanist;245
8.3.1;Cartagena de Indias, Colombia;245
8.3.2;75 Years of Permanent Changes and Unique Challenges;247
8.3.3;The End of Complex Negotiations;248
8.3.4;The Coffee Region;248
8.3.5;CSD-8 and the Big Apple;249
8.3.6;UNEP Governing Council, Cultural Diversity and Biodiversity;250
8.3.7;Group of Like-minded Megadiverse Countries;251
8.3.8;Preparations for the Johannesburg Summit;252
8.3.9;Nairobi and Cultural Diversity;252
8.3.10;Germany and Potsdam;253
8.4;Massoumeh Ebtekar:

Klaus Töpfer: A Pioneer for the Environmental Dimension of Dialogue among Civilizations;255
8.5;James Gustave Speth:

New Economy Transformation: The Eight-fold Way;259
8.5.1;LITERATURE CITED;264
8.6;Timothy E. Wirth:

Klaus Töpfer at 75: Remarks of the Honoroble Timothy E. Wirth;265
8.6.1;LITERATURE CITED;272
8.7;Ralf Fücks:

End or Beginning?;273
8.8;Angelika Zahrnt:

On the Recapturing of Alternatives;277
8.8.1;The Struggle for Environmental Policy Alternatives;278
8.8.2;Economic Growth Causes Ecological Problems;280
8.8.3;Economic Growth Has Not Kept Its Promise;282
8.8.4;Economic Growth Can No Longer Be Maintained;282
8.8.5;An Alternative: A Post-growth Society;283
8.8.6;LITERATURE CITED;285
8.9;Claus Leggewie:

Transnational Citizenship. Ideals and European Realities;287
8.9.1;Citizenship Can Mean a Lot of Things:;287
8.9.2;Transnationalization of Citizenship via Stakeholdership and Participation;290
8.9.3;Prospects for Supranational Citizenship: The Case of the European Union;293
8.9.4;Conclusions and Recommendations;296
8.9.4.1;LITERATURE CITED;297
8.10;Ulrich Beck:

Transformations of the Social and Political: Beyond Methodological Nationalism;299
8.10.1;LITERATURE CITED;309
8.11;Authors;311

Über Autor(innen)

Falk Schmidt is the Personal Assistant to Klaus Töpfer at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), in Potsdam. He has worked at the interface of science and policy for the past decade.

Nick Nuttall is currently Director of Communications at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, in Bonn. He was Klaus Töpfer's spokesperson and speechwriter at the UN Environment Programme from 2001 to 2006.