With around 30,000 students from 125 countries, 17 faculties and 119 degree programs, TU Dresden is one of the leading technical universities in Germany. As a University of Excellence and part of the DRESDEN-concept alliance, it drives innovation and strengthens Saxony as a business location through research cooperations and spin-offs.
But what concrete contribution does the TU Dresden make to regional value creation and employment? Which economic and structural effects can be identified? In our current study, we investigate these and other questions – from direct demand stimulation to long-term growth effects. It becomes clear that TU Dresden is much more than just a university – it is an engine for the economic and social development of the region.
Whether a sustainable lifestyle is financially worthwhile for households is a matter of public debate. The high initial investment in particular reinforces the prejudice that switching to renewable energies is the morally correct but expensive alternative to a fossil-fuelled lifestyle. A cost comparison carried out by DIW Econ on behalf of Enpal B.V. suggests that the opposite is true.
The government of Baden-Württemberg has set itself the goal of making the state carbon-neutral by 2040. However, to meet this challenge, transformation efforts on an unprecedented scale are required. On behalf of the SPD parliamentary group in Baden-Württemberg, DIW Econ has analysed how much CO2 emissions need to be saved each year and what measures need to be taken in the buildings, transport, electricity and heat generation sectors to reach the goal of climate neutrality in 2040 by 2030.
The amendment to the Berlin Climate Protection and Energy Turnaround Act (EWG Bln) sets binding climate targets for Berlin: A reduction of CO2 emissions by at least 70 per cent by 2030 and by at least 90 per cent by 2040 compared to the reference year 1990, and the achievement of climate neutrality by 2045 at the latest.
The Berlin Energy and Climate Protection Programme (BEK 2030) is the central instrument for achieving Berlin’s climate targets. According to the Berlin Climate Protection and Energy Turnaround Act requirements, the BEK is to be further developed regularly, and the draft is to be submitted to the Berlin House of Representatives no later than one year after the constitution of the parliament.
The recent geopolitical developments have again shown how geographic concentration of fossil fuel production creates global dependencies and affects economies worldwide. Among the G7 countries, the European states are the most dependent on fossil gas supplies from Russia.
DIW Econ’s recent study “G7 Gas Reduction Plan”, commissioned by Greenpeace, on the occasion of the G7 Summit under the German Council Presidency, presents potential climate-neutral technology options implemented by coordinated multilateral action of the G7 states until 2025 to support a reduction of fossil gas demand in the G7 states. The analysis focuses on carbon-neutral options without substituting gas with other fossil fuels or biofuels or significantly reducing industrial production.