While the electricity sector is making significant headway in the transition to renewable energies, the progress of the heating and transport transitions can be described as sluggish at best. In the heating sector, this holds true particularly for apartment buildings, where tenants and landlords often have conflicting interests: While most tenants have little influence on heating systems or building renovations, landlord don’t have to pay the heating bills. Solving this dilemma is far from easy, but it is crucial to the success of the heating transition on a broad scale. However, this does not mean tenants don’t have agency over heating and costs: they can actively contribute to more efficient energy use in other ways.

A recent study by the Wuppertal Institute shows that most tenants are keen to get involved. Digital heating energy feedback – essentially intelligent reports with tips and tricks directly from the boiler room – offers an initial, crucial starting point here: According to the key findings of the VISE-I project, such feedback can help optimise heating behaviour significantly, particularly in apartment buildings. When designed correctly, feedbacks can not only make heating energy consumption more transparent but also strengthen the feeling of self-efficacy through exerting control. In their In Brief "Heating Energy Feedback in Apartment Buildings," the researchers emphasise that those who recognise they can directly influence their energy consumption and costs are more motivated to implement energy-saving measures. At the same time, it is clear that such feedbacks must provide more than just consumption data: What’s needed are easy-to-understand infographics, concrete suggestions for action, and the ability to factor in personal circumstances, such as shift work or extended absences. Furthermore, the digital infrastructure should be kept as lean as possible, and data protection is a top priority. Together, these two factors create transparency and trust among users.

All this shows that the heating transition is not decided solely in the boiler room: it requires intelligent, easy-to-understand interfaces that engage tenants in technical, communicative, and participatory ways. Now it is up to politics, the housing industry, and property developers to implement these findings – for a heating transition that is not only effective, but also intelligible and accessible for everyone. Especially for those who have had little say in the matter so far.

In his new article in the Earth System Governance journal, Dr. Chris Höhne, Senior Researcher in the Global Climate Governance Research Unit at the Wuppertal Institute, explores how India is actively shaping international norms. Based on case studies from the 2007 UN climate talks, he shows how countries of the Global South are emerging as norm-shapers – not just norm-takers.

The latest Carbon Mechanisms Review takes stock of key developments in international carbon markets – from an overview on Article 6 implementation and PACM updates to voluntary market integrity efforts. The issue features insights from the Innovate4Climate flagship conference, Thailand's carbon market and an expert's perspective on capacity building and demand.

The new RurEnery flagship report compares EU and Chinese building policies and offers recommendations to help decarbonise China's residential sector. Key proposals include efficiency standards, advisory services and socially oriented incentives. The study highlights how EU experiences can support a just and effective transition of China's residential building sector.

Switching Germany's gas transmission network from natural gas to hydrogen could reduce its operational emissions by up to 90 per cent, a recent study by the Wuppertal Institute finds. The analysis, published in the journal Frontiers in Energy Research, focuses on the pure operation of the infrastructure, not the origin of the hydrogen itself.

In a deep dive based on the 2024 book "Earth for All Germany", researchers from the Wuppertal Institute and the Club of Rome outline the dilemma of raw material dependency: They examine the growing geopolitical tensions related to raw materials, the corresponding environmental risks, as well as the economic costs of increasing resource extraction – and call for a fundamental rethink of how we deal with resources in order to enable a just, sustainable, and prosperous future for all.

The German Design Award honours projects that exemplify circular design principles in an outstanding manner with the additional category “Circular Design”. Alongside other experts, Dr. Manuel Bickel, Co-Head of the Production and Consumption Systems Research Unit at the Wuppertal Institute, is part of the Circular Design expert jury. Together with the German Design Council, the Wuppertal Institute as a scientific cooperation partner has developed a comprehensive catalogue of criteria for this category.

A new study by researchers from the UN Environment Programme, One Planet Network, and the Wuppertal Institute highlights how digital solutions such as the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, or Digital Product Passports enable circular business models. Ten case studies show how digitalisation drives transparency, reuse and sustainability – and provide the proof of concept that these goals can be achieved.

02/09/2025 – online

The authors of the latest Earth4All deep dive on circular economy examine the tensions surrounding the use of natural resources, highlighting growing geopolitical tensions, economic costs of resource dependence, and the associated environmental risks. On 2 September , Dr. Monika Dittrich and Prof. Dr. Peter Hennicke will expand on their analysis, explaining how our relationship with natural resources influences the path towards a fairer economic system.

01/10/2025 in Sigmaringen

The 15th Cofresco Forum Round Table will explore circular food packaging solutions and forward-looking strategies. Leading representatives from science, industry and public initiatives will discuss innovations, policy and practice. Franziska Erbe, Researcher in the Circular Transitions Research Unit at the Wuppertal Institute, will speak on sustainable packaging certification. Participation is free of charge, registration closes on 19 September.