The Start of the Century of the Environment

How well is the start of the "Century of the Environment" predicted by Ernst von Weizsäcker in his book "Erdpolitik" (Earth Politics) faring so far? Are the subjects and concepts which made the Wuppertal Institute well-known still of interest? Have topics such as the "Eco-Efficency Revolution", the bold outline of "Sustainable Germany", the "MIPS" concept, "Factor Four", the "Efficiency Power Plant", the "Network Railway", the "Economy of Avoidance" and "New Models of Wealth" been pushed into the background? Not at all. The demand for the products of the Wuppertal Institute is increasing. This can be readily seen by the more than 100 studies completed per year, contract acquisitions amounting to over 7 million DM annually, hundreds of publications, translations of our books into many languages, numerous media reports, and the thousands of visits to our Internet homepage each day.

The Wuppertal Institute took up its work ten years ago. It was the atmosphere of embarking in a new direction in climate protection politics coming from Bonn and the Rio conference which induced the then President of North Rhine-Westphalia, Johannes Rau, to add an ecological orientated institute to the Science Centre of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). Climate protection means structural change. This has a special meaning to a region which for a long time was a symbol of heavy industry like no other part of Germany, and which in the meantime is in the process of turning into a service society. Quite a challenge to an ecologically orientated institute!

Meanwhile, more than one third of the institute's activities take place in North Rhine-Westphalia and benefit both politics and the people there. Ideas of the Wuppertal Institute were the impulse for putting into practice such measures as municipal climate protection programmes, an energy-saving light bulb campaign in NRW ("Helles NRW"), eco-efficient activities for small and medium-sized businesses, the construction of energy-saving passive houses, ecological car-sharing models ("Combi-Car"), and new emphasis on research and development policies in NRW.

For ten years (until November 2000) the leadership of the institute was in the hands of Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker who with his visions of "Earth Politics" and "Factor Four" demanded a turnaround in energy, transport and agricultural policies, and an economically tolerable ecological tax reform in order to finally lead the way towards a new model of wealth which is compatible with nature.

Meanwhile, in the Wuppertal Institute more than 120 people work on these visions. Scientists from the most varied disciplines carry out research, plan and offer advice. The list of projects is long, the project partners reaching far beyond the regional borders. For example, scientists of the institute are working together with the governments of China, Japan, and many European countries, and are active in the Global Environmental Facility Fund of the World Bank (GEF) and in many developing countries. They are also becoming increasingly involved in the Enquete Commissions of the German Federal Parliament and in the work of the governments in Brussels, Berlin and Duesseldorf.

A keyword governing all the activities of the Wuppertal Institute is "eco-efficiency". "The eco-efficiency revolution means nothing less than heading technical advancements into a new direction," says Peter Hennicke, the Acting President of the Wuppertal Institute. "Not jobs should be abolished, but rather kilowatt hours and tons of waste. Not only labour productivity but instead resource productivity must be increased - doubled in the medium term and quadrupled in the long term."

Making visions become reality means reaching the minds and feelings of the people, and giving scientific advice to decision-makers and actors in politics and economics. In other words: it means designing concepts which do not promise castles in the air, but economic and social benefits. "Sustainability as a business area" or "Do good and earn at the same time" are central ideas also for business. Nature's barriers not only limit risk markets, but at the same time offer splendid perspectives for processes and products which are compatible with nature. Stated simply, sustainability means living well, working sensibly, manufacturing efficiently, and consuming moderately - without going beyond nature's barriers. In this respect contacts with business, e.g. within the framework of the newly organised Working Group on Sustainable Enterprises and a new area of research on "Information & Communication Technologies and Sustainability", take on a new significance.

Ten years later, the Wuppertal Institute is still a lively and innovative "think tank". (Far more young scientists would like to work with us than we can possibly take on.) Open-mindedness is part of our normal work: we remain a party to the environment, but are strictly independent of party politics in our scientific policy advice. In this respect the Wuppertal Institute will remain at the hub of action not only in NRW but also in society in the Century of the Environment.

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