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Jobs, fast internet, good public transport connections – many things are unequally distributed across regions in Germany and Europe. But how can we create equal living conditions and how much equality do we need? These and other questions were discussed on 23 June 2021 by Constanze Krehl, Member of the European Parliament from Saxony, and ZEW expert Professor Sebastian Siegloch, head of the ZEW Research Department “Social Policy and Redistribution”, in the digital event series #ZEWlive. The debate was moderated by journalist Jessica Sturmberg.

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The German Real Estate Finance Index (DIFI) by ZEW Mannheim and JLL increased for the fourth time in a row and is only slightly negative in the second quarter of 2021 at minus 3.3 points (plus 10.7 points compared to the previous quarter). The current market situation as well as the market expectations for the next six months have again improved significantly. The expectations indicator jumped into positive territory with a plus of 13.9 points, reaching its highest level since the end of 2015.

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This year, the ZEW Research Department “Environmental and Resource Economics, Environmental Management” will again present its latest findings in the field of environmental economics at the annual conference of the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE). The portfolio is complemented by a presentation from the “Digital Economy” department. 13 ZEW researchers will present their results at the digital conference, which takes place from 23 to 25 June 2021.

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Fighting climate change is an enormous challenge. To avert potentially catastrophic global warming the EU intends to become climate neutral by 2050. Among other measures, carbon pricing is anticipated to play a key role. In this interview, Professor Sebastian Rausch explains how greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced in market economies.

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On 20 and 21 May 2021, around 140 energy and environmental economists from Germany and abroad participated online in the ninth Mannheim Conference on Energy and the Environment. International researchers and experts discussed various topics of the energy industry for two days. This year, the conference organised by ZEW Mannheim focused on energy efficiency, electricity markets, mobility and carbon pricing.

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The research award ‘Future of the Working World’ 2020 has been officially handed over to the laureates. In the presence of ZEW Managing Director Thomas Kohl and former ZEW President Professor Wolfgang Franz, who gave the laudatory speech, the two winners received the award from Carsten Müller, spokesman of the board of Volksbank Kurpfalz. Every year, the Volksbank Weinheim Stiftung and ZEW Mannheim honour outstanding dissertations and master’s theses in the field of economics.

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Economic experts expect the price increases in the euro area to be temporary. They have scarcely changed their forecasts for economic growth in the euro area. For the German economy, they expect only below-average growth in comparison. This is the result of the business cycle tableaus by ZEW Mannheim and the German daily newspaper, Börsen-Zeitung.

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Public debt levels have skyrocketed as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. In order to bridge the massive financing gaps in public budgets, policymakers are shifting their focus of attention on corporate taxation. However, corporate tax rates differ greatly in international comparison.

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Climate change is one of the central challenges of our time. In order to become carbon-neutral by 2050, Germany and Europe must significantly reduce CO₂ emissions in the coming years. In the tenth episode of the #ZEWPodcast ‘Wirtschaft · Forschung · Debatten’/‘Economy · Research · Debates’, Professor Sebastian Rausch, head of the Research Department “Environmental and Resource Economics, Environmental Management” at ZEW Mannheim, explains how greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced in our market-based system and outlines several scenarios for future climate policy.

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US President Biden’s push to waive patent rights for coronavirus vaccines has provoked a heated debate about ways to improve the vaccine supply, especially in developing countries. But would waiving patent rights actually be an appropriate instrument? Proponents argue that exclusive patent rights are partially responsible for the catastrophic lack of coronavirus vaccine in many countries. By contrast, opponents of a patent protection waiver insist that the vaccine shortage has nothing to do with patents, but has instead resulted from inadequate production capacity.

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