The road ahead | IKEM August 2022 Newsletter

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The road ahead

Hi ,

Meeting our climate targets will require bold strategies to reduce our carbon footprint in the short, medium and long term. In the mobility sector, catenary trucks – lorries powered by overhead power lines – provide one example of an innovative idea that can move us forward in the fight against climate change while maintaining existing infrastructure. In this newsletter, we catch up with IKEM's Giverny Knezevic about this topic and find out whether we should expect line-powered lorries to become the norm on our motorways in the future.

In this issue, we also discuss the projects we’ve been working on at IKEM over the past month, celebrate the achievements of three of our researchers, and let you know about the exciting events we’re looking forward to in the coming weeks.

We hope you enjoy the read!

Until next time,

The IKEM Communications Team

Spotlight

As the race against climate change intensifies, research on catenary trucks kicks into high gear

The growing impact of climate change has made it clearer than ever that we need to rapidly decarbonise all sectors of the economy. Decarbonisation strategies are particularly important in the transport sector, which has made little progress in cutting emissions over the past decades.

Overhead lines that supply trucks on highways with traction current have the potential to reduce emissions, especially from high-emission heavy-duty vehicles. In the AMELIE II project, IKEM is carrying out intensive research on the topic, focusing on the legal and economic implementation of this technology.

Is catenary truck technology gaining momentum? An interview with IKEM's Giverny Knezevic

‘When I started working on the AMELIE II project, I was a bit sceptical about the technology. But the more I learned about the subject, the more convinced I became that this technology represents our best chance to make freight transport climate friendly in the near term.’

News

Congratulations! Three IKEM researchers complete their doctoral programmes

Congratulations to IKEM researchers Dr Kathleen Pauleweit, Dr Michael Kalis and Dr Greta Reeh, who recently completed their doctoral programmes! We spoke to the newly minted PhDs about their doctoral research, which focused on environmental NGOs, climate lawsuits and human rights.

Study: Ammonia as a fuel

In a paper produced for the CAMPFIRE project, IKEM analyses the shore-side framework for the use of ammonia as a marine fuel and examines the prerequisites for the approval of ammonia-powered inland vessels.

IKEM investigates the Havelland district's hydrogen potential

Does the Havelland district have the potential to become a 'hydrogen region'? What roles do the local stakeholders play? In the new H2VL project, IKEM is collaborating with partners to investigate these and other questions.

Events

Future Mobility Summit

At the Future Mobility Summit 2022 on 7 and 8 September, experts from politics, science, business and civil society will exchange ideas on the future of mobility at TU Berlin. IKEM will participate in the event as a network partner.

knowH2O Annual Conference

Our partners at knowH2O – the digital knowledge portal for the water industry – will hold their first annual conference from 14–16 September in Meisenheim. Register now to attend!

Smart water governance, social strategies and regulatory approaches

On 14 September, IKEM will lead a seminar on water management in collaboration with the University Institute of Water and Environmental Sciences (University of Alicante, Spain) and the Institute of Social Sciences (University of Lisbon, Portugal).

InnoTrans 2022

InnoTrans, an international trade fair for transport technology, will take place from 20–23 September. IKEM representatives will discuss the institute’s research in a presentation on 23 September.

IKEM Annual Conference 2022

In preparation for COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, the IKEM Annual Conference on 11 October 2022 will focus on the global dimensions of climate change law and policy.

Klima und Recht

Issue 08/2022

A new edition of Klima und Recht is available now! This month's issue covers a variety of climate law topics, including:

Protecting the climate means conserving water
The Buildings Energy Act (GEG) – a necessary amendment to mitigate climate change
Multimodal transport management ecosystems in Europe
Advertising products as 'climate neutral'