04/09/2024

Key findings of the "Sufficiency strategy for the transport sector" project commissioned by the Federal Environment Agency
ConPolicy publishes UBA brochure "Rethinking mobility: Sustainable mobility through behavioral change"

It is evident that sustainable mobility can only succeed with changes in traffic behavior. Nevertheless, politicians have so far concentrated on increasing efficiency and replacing fossil fuels with electromobility. The success has so far not been achieved - greenhouse gas emissions from transport are not decreasing. This is why ConPolicy, together with the DLR Institute of Transport Research, has explored the potential of a sufficiency strategy for the transport sector in a project for the Federal Environment Agency. 

The central results of the project have now been published in a brochure by the Federal Environment Agency, which can be downloaded here.

The empirical studies conducted as part of the project have shown that people in Germany are open to the idea that less traffic means a better quality of life. However, when it comes to concrete action, there is low motivation to change one's own behavior. Therefore, it is particularly important for local authorities to make sustainable urban spaces tangible. To initiate change, municipalities should focus on three things in particular: a vision for the future with clear guiding principles and goals, good communication and the use of various forms of participatory democracy.

You can find more information about the project here.

04/02/2024

Conference for our AI lighthouse-project on May 14, 2024 in Berlin
Making sustainable products visible in online retail: the example of fair fashion

The importance of online trading in consumers’ everyday consumption has been growing for years. At the same time, the population's awareness of sustainable consumption and demand for corresponding offerings is increasing. But so far, sustainability information has often not been displayed systematically and in a consumer-friendly manner by online intermediaries such as search engines, price comparison portals and online shops.

In the AI lighthouse-project “ZuSiNa”, funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), the research partners used the textile sector as an example to research solutions to make it easier for intermediaries to obtain trustworthy sustainability information and to present this information in a consumer-friendly manner. At the ZuSiNa final conference, the project team presents the results and offers a platform for exchange between business, politics, research and civil society.

The conference will take place on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Fraunhofer Forum in Berlin.

The focus is on the following questions:

• How should sustainability information in online retail be presented in a reliable, understandable and consumer-friendly manner?
• How would data flows have to be organized so that the relevant actors in the “data supply chain” can access the relevant sustainability information with as little effort as possible?
• What obstacles have emerged? Which solutions are suitable for overcoming these obstacles?
• What consequences does this have for politics and the economy? How should the currently discussed instruments, including the Green Claims Directive, the Digital Product Passport and the Textile Strategy, be designed in order to provide consumers with reliable, understandable and consumer-friendly information? What expectations are derived from this for the new EU Commission, among others?

Here you will find further information about the conference, the program and how to register. We are looking forward to your participation!

The ZuSiNa project is implemented by the project partners ConPolicy Institute for Consumer Policy, DFKI, Fraunhofer ISI and Fraunhofer IAO. More information can be found here.

03/20/2024

Financial education in Germany: new beginnings or a break?
ConPolicy speaks at the GDV Insurance Summit

A panel discussion on financial education in Germany took place at this year's GDV Insurance Summit. The central questions were to what extent financial education in Germany should be expanded and how the Financial Education Initiative of the German government should be assessed.

These questions were discussed by ConPolicy Managing Director Prof. Dr. Christian Thorun together with State Secretary Jürgen Böhm (Saxony-Anhalt Ministry of Education) and Verena von Hugo (Bündnis Ökonomische Bildung). 

His key messages were:

• In an increasingly complex consumer world, consumer skills are of central importance. 
• This would not require a new school subject, but the relevant content would have to be integrated into existing subjects. This integration should also be reflected in the curricula and guidelines of the federal states. Teachers would also need to be adequately trained and they would need uncomplicated access to quality-checked teaching materials.
• In addition to school education, extracurricular education should also be taken into account. After all, all consumers need consumer skills.

However, he also warned that educational initiatives are no substitute for taking action against market failures. Inefficient and overpriced financial products or misselling of financial products should be regulated. These challenges cannot be solved with education and more consumer information.