The Transformation Update regularly provides information on the Wuppertal Institute’s latest research activities, projects and publications. Be it news on climate, energy transition, resources, circular economy, cities in transition, mobility, digitalisation, consumption, food, industry transformation, education, health or social justice: the newsletter sums up all of the Institute's latest findings.

On 2 September 2026, representatives of the Wuppertal Institute and Tsinghua University – China’s leading technical-scientific university – signed a Memorandum of Understanding, strengthening their collaboration and establishing a solid framework for further joint research activities. In recent years, both research institutions have made significant contributions to high-quality, practice-oriented research, complementing one another perfectly: for example, both operate their own research units that address the diverse challenges associated with coal phase-out.

Trade barriers and conflicts, the reshoring of supply chains and industrial nationalism raise the question: are established quantitative modelling tools for assessing climate and trade policy options still reliable in light of the changed geopolitical situation? Or do we need new or adapted models? Ten researchers, including Dr. Lukas Hermwille, Co-Head of the Transformative Industrial Policy Research Unit at the Wuppertal Institute, have investigated this and published their findings in a perspective paper in the journal iScience. In their article, the researchers describe how global trade influences emissions – and highlight how different trade regimes can either hinder or promote climate targets.

For homeowners without a technical background, the wide range of isolated advisory and funding schemes presents a significant hurdle when it comes to determining the appropriate renovation measures and the optimal sequence in which to carry them out. Against the backdrop of current efforts to establish so-called "one-stop shops" in accordance with Article 18 of the EU Buildings Directive, Anja Bierwirth, Jan Kaselofsky and Felix Suerkemper from the Wuppertal Institute outlined a modular advisory and support programme for sustainable buildings in their paper "Make it simple to simply make it: drafting a whole-building approach policy". The holistic approach takes into account efficiency, energy supply, sufficiency, climate adaptation, resource conservation and the occupants’ needs.