According to the German Packaging Act, the target for reusable beverage packaging is 70%. With a recent figure of 43.1%, this target is still far from being met, and political targets for increasing the proportion of reusable packaging are increasingly becoming the focus of public debate.
On behalf of the Association of German Private School Associations (VDP e.V.), DIW Econ has investigated whether and how stable the financing system of independent schools in Germany is with regard to extreme increases in energy costs.
The vending industry is currently facing a variety of challenges. Rising operating costs, the decline in floor space in the hospitality industry, the COVID-19 pandemic, and increasing digital competition are putting providers of slot machines under increasing pressure. At the same time, there is only limited legal room for manoeuvre for the vending machine industry to counteract the changed economic conditions by adjusting prices, the quantity offered and via changes to product characteristics.
On behalf of the Verband der Deutschen Automatenindustrie e.V. (Association of the German Amusement Machine Industry), DIW Econ examines the key economic figures of the amusement machine industry against the background of the applicable regulations and the development of economic trends over the past 30 years.
The discourse on climate policy to achieve internationally agreed climate targets in Germany is often narrowed down to the instrument of CO2 pricing. A price for the emission of climate-damaging carbon dioxide is an essential building block for achieving the long-term decarbonisation of all sectors.
However, the current study by DIW Econ with Prof. Dr Claudia Kemfert, Head of the Department of Energy, Transport and Environment at DIW, commissioned by Greenpeace, shows that a price on CO2 by itself is by far not sufficient to achieve Germany’s agreed climate goals. This can only be achieved with the help of a policy mix of CO2 pricing and complementary regulatory instruments and measures.
DIW Econ GmbH was commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection (BMJV) to evaluate the “buyer principle” introduced in 2015 for the marketing of rental properties. Since then, this principle has obliged the initiator of a brokerage service to pay for it (“whoever orders, pays”). The evaluation examines whether the law’s objectives have been achieved and additionally identifies potential needs for an amendment to the law.