Strategizing from Other Nations' Approaches - Gleaning Insights for Environmental Conservation in Social Spheres
Nabbing Ideas from Abroad for a Greener Tomorrow
Vibe Check: Germany's hunting for the coolest climate-friendly strategies from around the globe
🗓️ Berlin, June 26, 2025
Wanna Know More? - Gleaning Climate Protection Knowledge from Other Nations
The German energy efficiency check - offering free energy-saving advice to low-income households - has caught the eye of international onlookers, paving the way for a promising move in the realm of social climate protection. As talk heats up about a Social Leasing fund for subsidizing electric cars in Germany, modeled after France's program, Dr. Johanna Cludius, our in-house expert on energy and climate policy, dishes the deets on which foreign ideas could work here and the keys to making them happen in a fresh AI-powered podcast on the Oeko-Institut's "Wenden bitte!" series.
Listen Up! - The "Learning from Abroad in Climate Protection" Podcast
Thinking globally, acting locally is the name of the game, and inter-country exchange of effective social climate policies has been seen to yield major perks, particularly as we're in the process of whipping up national climate-social plans. The inspiration? The EU-level climate-social fund, designed to offset increasing costs from the EU-ETS II (Emissions Trading System II) in the building and transport sectors for susceptible groups and boost their participation in fighting climate change. Funds are requested through these national plans.
On behalf of the EU Commission, numerous examples of top-notch social climate policy practices have been shared, and regular conversation between EU members is facilitated. "Lots of room for novelty, innovation, and learning from one another!" summarizes Dr. Johanna Cludius. The Oeko-Institut is pitching in on a project in this context, linking arms with nine EU member states in their quest to create climate-social plans.
Revving Up the Green Machine - Social Leasing Style France
A potential contender? The French-flavored Social Leasing program, which took off last year, providing state subsidies to cap the monthly leasing rates for electric cars at €150 for households with limited income, making electrified motoring an affordable reality for budget-conscious eco-warriors.
Getting Cozy with Poland's Heat Transition
Over in the heating sector, Poland's "Czyste Powietrze" (Clean Air) and "Ciepłe Mieszkanie" (Warm Home) programs offer a hearty helping of renovation and fossil heating system swap-outs. The aim? Boost air quality, cut dust and greenhouse gas emissions, and improve energy efficiency. Cludius heralds these initiatives as prioritizing the needs of different income groups, a prime example of orchestrating climate policies that take income distribution effects into account from the get-go. It's all about keeping an open mind and learning from each other, Steffi stresses. If we do, we'll accelerate the evolution of existing good ideas instead of starting from scratch.
Accessible Climate Action Podcasts - The: Wenden bitte!
Folks seeking eco-aware political content with a side of environmental discussions, look no further than the "Please Yield!" podcast by the Oeko-Institut. Hosted by Mandy Schoßig and Nadine Kreutzer, it's geared to politicos, scientists, journalists, NGO types, and the public, and clocks in at around an hour per soak-worthy episode. Each episode features a deep dive with an Oeko-Institut expert on the looming transformations ahead.
Game Time - Season 5 of the "Please Yield!" Podcast
🎧 Episode 4 - "Learning Climate Protection from Abroad" with Dr. Johanna Cludius, out June 26th, 2025🎧 Episode 3 - "How to Use Wood Sustainably?" with Dr. Klaus Hennenberg, out May 7th, 2025🎧 Episode 2 - "How to Bring the Mobility Transition to Rural Areas?" with Nelly Unger, out March 27th, 2025🎧 Episode 1 - "What's Next for Climate Policy?" with Anke Herold, out January 13th, 2025No podcast is complete without a good spin, and all episodes can be found on www.oeko.de/podcast
The podcast is also available on all the usual hangout spots, like Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Link Up - Get in Touch with the Oeko-Institut
📧 Dr. Johanna Cludius, Senior Researcher, Energy & Climate Protection Department, Oeko-Institut, Berlin Office📞 +49 30 405085 375📩 [email protected]
For over four decades, the Oeko-Institut has been the go-to source for research and consulting on sustainable living in Europe. It's all about breathing life into the dream of a green tomorrow globally, nationally, and locally, with bases in Freiburg, Darmstadt, and Berlin.
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- Germany, inspired by the French Social Leasing program, is considering implementing a similar fund to subsidize electric cars for low-income households.
- The Oeko-Institut, in collaboration with nine EU member states, is working on a project to create climate-social plans, learning from each other's effective social climate policies.
- Poland's "Czyste Powietrze" and "Ciepłe Mieszkanie" programs are highlighted for their focus on improving air quality, energy efficiency, and catering to different income groups in the heating sector.
