A New Place for Sustainability Research in Berlin

"Berlin is the perfect place to explore new partnerships for research and co-operation", emphasized Prof. Peter Hennicke, President of the Wuppertal Institute, when he welcomed about 150 guests from politics, science, the press and the environmental community. This was confirmed by Jürgen Trittin, Federal Minister for the Environment: "Where could you better carry out acquisition than in Berlin, where more beautifully located than in the Hackesche Hoefe and with whom better than with Hermann Ott?", he asked rhetorically. The Minister pointed to the long-standing experience of Dr. Hermann E. Ott, Head of the new Berlin Office, in national and international climate policy.

Environment Minister Trittin welcomed the new research agenda of the Wuppertal Institute. Especially the focus on resource justice deserved much attention and energy. Supplying modern energy to 1 billion people, as it was just confirmed by the conference "renewables 2004" in Bonn, was a basic requirement for overcoming poverty. He emphasized the necessity to combine the concepts of ecology and justice because each of them could not be attained without the other. This discourse needed research and science based policy advice. Minister Trittin wished the Wuppertal Institute great success with its new office in Berlin.

Hartmut Krebs, Undersecretary of the Ministry for Science and Research in North Rhine-Westfalia and Chair of the Institutes Supervisory Board, welcomed the decision to open an office in Berlin. He also highlighted the importance of the "North-Western European Industrial Conglomeration", where Wuppertal is located, encompassing North Rhine-Westfalia, Belgium, the Netherlands and Northern France. This economic and social space was an ideal testing ground for global solutions towards sustainable development - and the Wuppertal Institute was part of it. He pointed at the innovative work of the institute regarding sustainable energy and transport as well as its creative co-operation with companies and schools. He confirmed the continued support of North Rhine-Westfalia for the independent research provided by the institute and used the traditional miners' greeting to say "good luck" (Glückauf!).

Press release by Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy

in the Science Centre North Rhine-Westphalia

Responsible: Prof. Dr. Peter Hennicke, President

Contact: Dorle Riechert, Public Relations

Tel. +49 (0)202 2492-180, Fax +49 (0)202 2492-108

E-mail: pr@wupperinst.org