Sustainability to have your say: You should know these 12 terms
We have collected the most important information about sustainability for you. Image: © nataliaderiabina – stock.adobe.com 2021
Climate change and sustainability are among the most important issues of our time. If you would like to have a say, but have not yet found access due to the complexity of the whole thing: We explain what is behind the most important terms relating to climate change – from “energy efficiency class” to “Sustainable Development Goals” to “greenhouse gases”.
1. Climate change
The term “climate change” usually refers to man-made global warming . Since the beginning of industrialization, the earth has been getting hotter and hotter. This is because people today emit many greenhouse gases, such as CO2 and methane – primarily in the generation of electricity and heat, in transport and manufacturing, and in construction.
The warm solar radiation easily penetrates the atmosphere and the heat can leave the earth with increasing difficulty due to the greenhouse gases – so the earth warms up more and more. This often leads to extreme weather such as storms and heat waves. And there are fears that the climate could reach ” tipping points ” if there are too many greenhouse gases. Crossing some tipping points would likely lead to irreversible changes. Almost all coral reefs could die out with global warming of just 1 to 3 degrees.
Practically every nation on earth would like to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases in order to protect the climate. Germany wants to become climate-neutral by 2045 – this is even stipulated in a law. This means that Germany does not want to emit any more greenhouse gases from 2045 onwards . To this end, renewable energies such as solar cells and wind power are being expanded, e-cars are being promoted, the power grid is being expanded and investments are being made in new storage technologies.
2. Sustainability
Innovations can contribute to sustainability. Image: © tomertu – stock.adobe.com 2021
Sustainability is a principle according to which no more may be consumed than can be regrown, recovered or made available again in the future. The idea is that we shouldn’t use up raw materials and energy supplies recklessly. We better deal with them in such a way that they are also available for future generations. For example, we should not cut down more wood than trees can grow back. Otherwise we will run out of wood in the future.
3. Ecological footprint
Your ecological footprint, or carbon footprint, is the surface area used on Earth to produce and dispose of everything you need for your personal way of life. You can calculate it using the Bread for the World footprint test . It is given there in the number of earths that would be needed if everyone lived like you .
With a footprint of 2.9, almost three earths would be needed to make your lifestyle sustainable – and that is the average ecological footprint of Germans in 2021 according to overshootday.org via Statista . For comparison: In the USA it is 5.0, in India it is only 0.7. For sustainable living, the ecological footprint would ideally have to be 1 or below.
There are many ways to improve your ecological footprint. For example, you could eat less meat and throw away less food. Drying laundry better on the line than in the tumble dryer also has a positive effect. Basically everything that saves energy and resources.
4th energy efficiency class
The EU energy label helps to find energy-efficient devices. Image: © viperagp – stock.adobe.com 2021
The energy efficiency class reveals how economically a device uses electricity . On the EU energy label there are levels A for high energy efficiency to G for low energy efficiency. They each refer to devices in the same product category. So apples are not compared to pears, but televisions to other televisions, washing machines to other washing machines. You can find out more about the current EU energy label for 2021 in our article New EU energy label for 2021: This is changing in terms of energy efficiency .
5. Product Life Cycle
The Product Life Cycle describes the stages that a product goes through in the marketplace . In connection with sustainability, the subdivision into these phases is common:
- raw material extraction
- manufacturing
- transport
- use
- End of life (disposal / recycling)
Various factors can contribute to a more sustainable product life cycle, including more sustainable production and consumption. Better repairability of electronic products is one example of how use and end-of-life could be optimised. The EU reportedly plans to tighten the eco-design directive to improve durability and repairability for smartphones and tablets, according to heise.de .
SATURN offers a repair service for electronic devices , which can be accessed both online and in local stores.
6. E-waste
You can reduce e-waste by repairing, giving away and selling. Image: © Adobe Stock / geographic 2020
E-waste refers to electronic devices that are no longer used. According to a UN report, 50 million tons of electronic waste are generated in the world every year, 20 percent of which is recycled. According to the E-Waste Monitor, the largest proportion of electronic waste is made up of large appliances such as stoves and washing machines, followed by refrigerators and air conditioning systems.
Everyone can do something to reduce e-waste . According to a projection by the digital association Bitkom, Germans hoard 199.3 million old smartphones at home. It would be better if you gave away your old cell phone – after data backup and reset to the factory settings – or sold it or disposed of it in the electronic waste bin or gave it to an electronics dealer. You can find out more about this in our article: Mobile phone recycling: where to put the old smartphone?
7th Paris Climate Agreement
The Paris Agreement was adopted by 195 states and the European Union. They set themselves the goal of limiting global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial temperatures. In addition, states want to create opportunities for us to be better able to adapt to climate change. Finally, carbon-intensive investments are to be reduced. The Paris climate agreement is not legally binding.
8. Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
The Sustainable Development Goals are 17 goals for sustainable development set by the United Nations, which all participating nations should strive for by 2030. These include ending poverty, food security, education for all and peace. The goals also include sustainable energy for everyone, sustainable economic growth, sustainable consumption and production methods, and immediate measures to combat climate change. Likewise, the marine and land ecosystems should be preserved. State budgets are used for financing and the states record statistically to what extent they have come closer to the goals. The Sustainable Development Goals are not legally binding.
The Sustainable Development Goals are 17 goals for sustainable development set by the United Nations, which all participating nations should strive for by 2030. These include ending poverty, food security, education for all and peace. The goals also include sustainable energy for everyone, sustainable economic growth, sustainable consumption and production methods, and immediate measures to combat climate change. Likewise, the marine and land ecosystems should be preserved. State budgets are used for financing and the states record statistically to what extent they have come closer to the goals. The Sustainable Development Goals are not legally binding.
The Sustainable Development Goals are 17 goals for sustainable development set by the United Nations, which all participating nations should strive for by 2030. These include ending poverty, food security, education for all and peace. The goals also include sustainable energy for everyone, sustainable economic growth, sustainable consumption and production methods, and immediate measures to combat climate change. Likewise, the marine and land ecosystems should be preserved. State budgets are used for financing and the states record statistically to what extent they have come closer to the goals. The Sustainable Development Goals are not legally binding.
9. Rare Earths
Lanthanum is used in the manufacture of photographic lenses, for example. Image: © Björn Wylezich – stock.adobe.com 2021
The rare earths are 17 elements of the periodic table. These are metals such as neodymium, which is used in electric motors, lanthanum, which is used in batteries, and scandium, which is used in X-ray technology. Smartphones, notebooks and LED lights cannot do without rare earths either.
The problem: When rare earths are mined, toxic sludge and residues of toxic waste are produced. However, the “rare earths” are not really rare . Even the least abundant element of the rare earths, thulium, resides in the earth’s crust in greater amounts than gold.
Rare earths are mainly mined in China – 57.57 percent of global production takes place there. In the US it is 15.63 percent, in Burma 12.34 percent and in Australia 6.99 percent. Other countries account for much smaller proportions. This is the result of a survey by the US agency USGS (United States Geological Survey) via Statista from early 2021. The data refer to the year 2020.
10. Greenhouse gases
Greenhouse gases are gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect and thus heat up the earth – global warming. Carbon dioxide (CO2) has the greatest impact, but the concentrations of methane and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere are also increasing worldwide. The use of fossil fuels is the main cause of increasing greenhouse gases. The greenhouse effect means that the sun heats the earth and the greenhouse gases increasingly trap the heat on the earth.
11. Green electricity
Wind energy generation by a wind turbine in Schwäbisch Hall. Image: © hdg033 – stock.adobe.com 2021
There is no binding definition of “green electricity” in Germany. Ultimately, electricity always comes from the same grid and there are no different types of electricity in it. However, reputable providers use the money from green electricity customers to promote the expansion of regenerative energies . The “ok-power” seal and the “green electricity label” promise quite strict criteria for the promotion of expansion. Green electricity is also referred to as “green electricity”.
12. Carbon neutrality
Climate neutrality means that no climate-damaging gases are generated or that they are generated but saved elsewhere. The bottom line is that something is climate-neutral because it does not harm the climate . According to the Climate Protection Act, all of Germany should become climate-neutral by 2045. Companies are also increasingly setting themselves the goal of climate neutrality, and it is also an issue for individual products. “Net zero emissions” and “net zero CO2” basically mean the same thing as climate neutrality.
