Germany on the road to net zero: a new Web Atlas shows the options
Which technical and nature-based options as well as political decisions can support Germany in being CO2-neutral? These questions are answered by the new web atlas of the Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS) at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon. The new tool is aimed at politicians, experts and the public. The HZB has also contributed to the web atlas.
Since July 2019, the Helmholtz Climate Initiative is working to congregate all expertise in the Helmholtz Research Centers on climate issues. One result is a comprehensive web atlas on which Helmholtz researchers from all disciplines have contributed. The online atlas clearly presents the current state of knowledge and is constantly updated.
The content is presented in a comprehensible way and the depth of information can be freely selected so that relevant information can be found quickly and easily. Markings indicate the three information levels "Overview", "Practice", "Background".
The atlas is divided into four chapters: Technological Lever, Decision Support Lever, Roadmaps under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Partner Centres of Net Zero-2050.
The HZB contributions are in the chapter on technological levers. Björn Rau has compiled information on building-integrated photovoltaics and Matthew Mayer has contributed to two articles on the electrochemical conversion of CO2.
Digital knowledge transfer
"The web atlas is about digital knowledge transfer," says Daniela Jacob, director of GERICS. "It acts as a showcase for the research contributions of a total of ten Helmholtz Centres that have contributed their expertise to the Net Zero 2050 project."
"The contributions of our partners are presented in two different formats such as georeferenced maps with explanatory text or as a picture story with accompanying text," explains Swantje Preuschmann from GERICS, who heads the Web Atlas project. "On the one hand, the atlas should convey scientifically based facts, but on the other hand it should also be intuitive and playful to experience."
Triggering dialogue
The tool is intended to contribute to a broad dialogue in society and facilitate the transfer of knowledge from science to actors in politics, public administration and other "climate-relevant" decision-makers. This should help to actually make Germany CO2-neutral by the middle of this century.
Further information: https://atlas.netto-null.org
- Porous Radical Organic framework improves lithium-sulphur batteriesA team led by Prof. Yan Lu, HZB, and Prof. Arne Thomas, Technical University of Berlin, has developed a material that enhances the capacity and stability of lithium-sulphur batteries. The material is based on polymers that form a framework with open pores (known as radical-cationic covalent organic frameworks or COFs). Catalytically accelerated reactions take place in these pores, firmly trapping polysulphides, which would shorten the battery life. Some of the experimental analyses were conducted at the BAMline at BESSY II.
- Metallic nanocatalysts: what really happens during catalysisUsing a combination of spectromicroscopy at BESSY II and microscopic analyses at DESY's NanoLab, a team has gained new insights into the chemical behaviour of nanocatalysts during catalysis. The nanoparticles consisted of a platinum core with a rhodium shell. This configuration allows a better understanding of structural changes in, for example, rhodium-platinum catalysts for emission control. The results show that under typical catalytic conditions, some of the rhodium in the shell can diffuse into the interior of the nanoparticles. However, most of it remains on the surface and oxidises. This process is strongly dependent on the surface orientation of the nanoparticle facets.
- Shedding light on insulators: how light pulses unfreeze electronsMetal oxides are abundant in nature and central to technologies such as photocatalysis and photovoltaics. Yet, many suffer from poor electrical conduction, caused by strong repulsion between electrons in neighboring metal atoms. Researchers at HZB and partner institutions have shown that light pulses can temporarily weaken these repulsive forces, lowering the energy required for electrons mobility, inducing a metal-like behavior. This discovery offers a new way to manipulate material properties with light, with high potential to more efficient light-based devices.