Framing the mobility transition: public communication of industry, science, media, and politics in Germany

Drexler, Corinna Emmely; Verse, B; Hauslbauer, Andrea L.; López, Jorge Freddy Bolaños; Haider, Syed Arslan

doi:10.1186/s13705-022-00374-0

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…The successful implementation of the Verkehrswende is central to reaching climate neutrality. However, there is no common understanding of the problems nor shared solutions to be realized in the Verkehrswende [30]. As people differ in how they move in traffic, so do they differ in their preferences regarding the transformation of transport policy.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Two steps forward, one step back? Party competition, cooperative federalism, and transport policy reforms in Germany

Souris

Stecker

Jungjohann³

2023

Energ Sustain Soc

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Background Transport policy has regained political relevance in Germany. The successful realization of the Verkehrswende,—the extensive transition toward sustainable transport and mobility—is central to reaching climate neutrality. In 2020, the Federal Government proposed the reform of two key ordinances that have regulated road traffic so far. The amendment was aimed at implementing several provisions at the expense of car drivers and, at the same time, in favor of cyclists and pedestrians. Due to cooperative federalism, the governments of the 16 constituent units (Länder) had to adopt the amendment in the Bundesrat, Germany’s second chamber. In the legislative process, however, the reform ultimately failed in its original scope. Using it as a particularly instructive case study, we show how and why party competition and cooperative federalism hamper comprehensive transport policy reforms in Germany. Results In the German political system, political interests interact within a complex web of cooperative federalism. To understand partisan encroachment on the federal decision-making processes, this paper uses a process-tracing approach. To investigate decision-making in the Bundesrat and its outcomes, the empirical analysis combines qualitative analyses of several publicly available sources. We can empirically demonstrate that political parties influenced legislative procedures. The reform failed in its original scope because the three political parties with veto power in the Bundesrat insisted on their positions and were not willing to agree on a compromise. Conclusions For the implementation of the Verkehrswende, the German federal system proves to be both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, the institutional design of the Bundesrat constrains extreme positions and helps promote decisions most citizens may agree with. The Länder governments and administrations can also contribute their expertise and local experience to federal legislation via the Bundesrat. On the other hand, veto powers are ubiquitous in the German system of cooperative federalism. Therefore, it is prone to blockades. The actions of the political parties in the Bundesrat have hampered the comprehensive reform of road traffic regulations that was originally envisaged. Policymaking took two steps forward toward implementing the Verkehrswende, only to immediately take one step back again.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Two steps forward, one step back? Party competition, cooperative federalism, and transport policy reforms in Germany

Souris

Stecker

Jungjohann³

2023

Energ Sustain Soc

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“…His study aimed at exploring the academic and historical foundations of the energy transition, analyze relevant events showcasing urban expansion, and identify potential solutions. Drexler et al [11] employed the Multi-Level Perspective and an interdisciplinary framing approach to examine how incumbent actors in the automotive industry in Germany framed the topic of "transition of mobility and transport" in their public communication during the year 2020. The study aimed to provide insights into the framing strategies used by these actors and their implications for socio-technical transitions in the mobility sector.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability performance of rural municipalities in Germany

Karami,

Madlener

2023

Energ Sustain Soc

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Background Sustainable rural development entails efforts to enhance the well-being of rural communities while safeguarding natural resources for future generations. The thorough examination of sustainable rural development is still scarce but nevertheless crucial, as it enables to reveal the various challenges and remaining potentials in rural areas, to identify key stakeholders and their respective roles in promoting sustainable rural development, and to determine the best practices for attaining set goals along the various sustainability dimensions considered. Germany has implemented a range of policies, initiatives, and programs to foster sustainable development, extending its efforts to also encompass rural areas. This study assesses the sustainability performance of rural municipalities in Germany, proposing a novel and comprehensive sustainability benchmarking system. For this purpose, the performance of selected rural municipalities along the ecological, social, economic, and technological dimensions is examined. Results Based on the systematic implementation of methodological stages, a rigorous literature review process, a systematic indicator selection, and stringent filtering criteria, the selected indicators of our study cover environmental, energy, quality of life, economic, and technological aspects. These indicators enable to efficiently and effectively measure, compare, and evaluate the sustainability performance of rural municipalities. After normalization, weighting, and aggregation of the considered indicators, the performance is visualized in radar charts. Radar charts are handy for comparing a larger number of variables and displaying them in compact and comprehensible form in a single chart. Finally, the overall relative sustainability performance of the selected rural municipalities in Germany is compared based on an aggregated single score. The adopted methodology of aggregating indicators enables us to assess the sustainability performance of municipalities as well as to highlight variations among them. Conclusion Most databases and sustainable development reports are updated only every couple of years and often do not report the performance of small rural municipalities but only larger (more urban) ones. By conducting a detailed analysis of these specific cases, we can identify key challenges and opportunities unique to rural communities and develop targeted strategies for a more sustainable development. Adding digitalization as a technological value indicator makes our approach more comprehensive than comparable others, and accounts for the important new sustainability dimension of societal transition. This study contributes to the existing literature by proposing a novel sustainability benchmarking system specifically tailored for rural areas. From a practical standpoint, the developed sustainability benchmarking system offers a practical tool for rural municipalities to assess and monitor their sustainability performance and to reflect on variations among them. The identified dimensions and indicators can guide the development of targeted strategies and interventions aimed at enhancing sustainability in rural communities. Finally, policymakers can utilize the benchmarking results to design policies, (incentive) programs, and initiatives that address the specific sustainability challenges faced by rural municipalities and account for limitations in the local potentials.

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Transition to battery-electric and fuel cell heavy-duty trucks: A multi-level, multi-dimensional approach

Müller

2024

Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment

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Framing the mobility transition: public communication of industry, science, media, and politics in Germany

Cited by 7 publications

References 41 publications

Two steps forward, one step back? Party competition, cooperative federalism, and transport policy reforms in Germany

Two steps forward, one step back? Party competition, cooperative federalism, and transport policy reforms in Germany

Sustainability performance of rural municipalities in Germany

Transition to battery-electric and fuel cell heavy-duty trucks: A multi-level, multi-dimensional approach

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