Welcome to our third newsletter of this year! This year our newsletter will no longer be published on a monthly basis but only per quarter. That means, our newsletter will report retrospectively about our activities of the last three months. At the same time, we will announce what is coming up in the next quarter. We hope you enjoy browsing through what we have been up to lately.
Initiatives in Review | 3rd Quarter 2023
EnergyVision
With this project, we want to significantly increase the share of energy generated in Liechtenstein by 2030 and make photovoltaic electricity generated usable locally in heat generation and electromobility.
20th of July 2023 | Position statement submitted!
Regarding the amendment of the Motor Vehicle Tax Act and the amendment of the Act on the Promotion of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energies (Energy Efficiency Act; EEG), Integrity.Earth submitted a statement on the amended government consultation report at the end of July.
It should be noted that only pure electric cars (with battery or with hydrogen) do not blow any emissions in the form of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, or soot particles into the environment locally during operation. For this reason, all types of hybrid vehicles, which still have an internal combustion engine installed, should not be placed on the same level as pure electric cars. Thus, for new registrations, a share of about 20% in the first half of 2023 and a stock of about 5% can certainly not be called dominant as the government states. (Office of Statistics first registrations January to May 2023 passenger vehicles by fuel).
Integrity.Earth recommends new registrations of pure electric vehicles be exempt from the motor vehicle tax until 2030.
The basic installation (cable band to each parking lot incl. load management and conversion of main power distribution) of charging stations should be promoted as well as the individual charging station.
Since cars are parked for more than 23 hours a day and electric cars with a large battery can be used in the near future as home storage (vehicle to home) and as a grid-serving "large storage batteries" (vehicle to grid), attention should be paid, now in particular, to the expansion of the charging infrastructure so that these technologies, which are starting up now, can be used later.
Integral Way of Living
An innovative initiative to research and prototype regenerative communities.
23rd of August 2023 | Our last event at the SDG Tower in Schaan
With our event on the project Integral Living we hosted for the last time at the SDG Tower in Schaan. We exhibited Pia Rebekka Alge's models UNIT - check out our blog "Worth knowing" where Pia shares more about her master thesis - and discussed our survey with our exhibition visitors. Several positive "sticky dot pictures," like the one visible below, developed during the event!
Our survey campaign is in full swing. In addition to a campaign with the Medienhaus, a flyer with the survey details will be distributed to all Liechtenstein households in the next few weeks.
If you haven't filled out our survey yet, join in! Your feedback is important to us.
Erasmus+
Through the Liechtenstein National Agency AIBA we develop projects co-funded by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union.
DigitAgri. Training Course "Digitalisation and Innovation in the agricultural sector
In cooperation with regional educational partners in the agricultural sector, we will conduct a certified 4-day training course on Smart Farming and Sustainable Agriculture from October 19th - 22nd, 2023.
Participants needed!
This training course is part of our Erasmus+ project AGROYOUTH, which is aimed at young people interested in agriculture. In cooperation with the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), the Klaus Büchel Anstalt (KBA) and the Agricultural Center Salez, we have put together a compact and exciting program to offer young people interested in agriculture the opportunity to look a little deeper into the "agriculture of tomorrow" over the course of four days. Participants of the training course also have the opportunity to be selected for a 1-week study trip to Spain to experience modern farms in practice.
Course Program:
Thursday (19.10): Introduction to the Strategic Plan 2023-2027 of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), excursion to "Ernährungsfeld" Vaduz and Neufeldhof.
Friday (20.10): Profitability and sustainability in agricultural exploitation. Visit to Agra vegetable farm Mauren and Biohof Näscher.
Saturday (21.10): Application of digital technologies in the sector. Trip to Wädenswil for our program day with the ZHAW with the following highlights:
Orchard with solar-powered robotic mowers. Experimental agrophotovoltaic plant (solar energy combined with agriculture).
Farm-bot prototypes.
Outdoor mushroom cultivation with sensory monitoring, hands-on training: Programming a water pump, flying drones.
Sunday (22.10): Animal health, welfare and irrigation systems. Trip to St. Gallen to the OLMA, the "Ostschweizerischen Land- und Milchwirtschaftlichen Ausstellung".
AgroTalk.
On June 17th, our project kick-off activity took place. In his presentation, expert Bernd Robbert from the Salez Agricultural School gave an overview of current technologies and background knowledge on smart farming.
Register here to stream our event online (English subtitles available)...
11th - 15th of September 2023 | Second Training course in Huelva, Spain completed!
Three of our interns, namely Gloria Asare Manuele, Fabrizio Manuele and Jaline De Leon, participated in our second Erasmus+ mobility training course. The course was hosted by our partner organization Inercia Digital and was titled "Sustainable Entrepreneurship: Educational Organizations valuing Eco-Environmental and Social Dimensions of Development". On our blog, Gloria and Fabrizio created an article with the main learning points about "Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Development" that they could take away from the week.
Internship Opportunity
Are you interested in creating content for social media, video games or multimedia educational content?
Do you enjoy traveling abroad and learning something new? Do you like being creative and are interested in sustainable development and digitalization in the field of education?
Then apply with your CV and a motivational letter to the integrity.earth foundation and come with us to Spain!
1st of November | We are starting a new Erasmus+ Project with EuropAledro and So.L.E.
REC4localEU project - Promoting community approaches to renewable energy in rural and remote European areas as a backbone for sustainable socio-economic growth.
The aim of REC4localEU is to create conditions for the development of professional skills and knowledge in the field of renewable energy. To form a community of informed and active citizens empowered to participate in the promotion and dissemination of community energy initiatives, such as self-consumption communities (abbreviated ZEV or EVG, or RECs (Renewable Energy Communities)), in rural and mountainous European communities.
We look forward to our kick-off in November!
Upcoming Events
28th of October 2023 | Erasmus+ Brunch
In a short input presentation Lisa Allmayer from integrity.earth tells about our experience in the sustainable implementation of Erasmus+ projects and what we understand as best practices in the field of sustainability. For us as an association, the idea of "regeneration" is in the focus of all our activities. Regeneration goes beyond the sustainability idea of closing cycles and means giving back more than we have taken from nature.
The program:
9:00-9:30 a.m. - Arrival and welcome.
9:30-9:45 a.m. - What is Green Erasmus
9:45-10:15 a.m. - The climate crisis in Liechtenstein
10:15-10:30 a.m. - integrity.earth Best Practices
10:30-12:00 a.m. - Brunch together
What does Regeneration mean to us?
News from our Team
12th of September 2023 | Franz Allmayer's Guest Lecture in Helsinki
Franz Allmayer had the pleasure to participate as a speaker at the "DAOs - New Organizations on Web3" event in Helsinki! The redesign of traditional organizations to the development of new economic and governance systems and the application or transformative impact of DAOs were discussed.
Finland, with its vibrant technology and innovation scene, is emerging as a promising hub and starting point for the DAO (R)evolution. The thriving ecosystem of forward-thinking organizations, including Turun yliopisto - University of Turku, Xes Helsinki and Haaga- Helia University of Applied Sciences, provides an ideal setting to explore the potential of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs).
We are in transition from an era of isolated competition, where people and the planet suffer from exploitative systems, to an era of collaboration, where individuals are in harmony with the abundant systems they inhabit. This is truly a new era of entrepreneurship in which the welfare of people and the planet is the guiding principle.
Let's join efforts.
Digihub.li | Digital Innovation. Meaningful collaboration. Sustainable business models.
Your platform for inspiration, innovation and collaboration in Liechtenstein. Be part of it and actively shape the future of SMEs and the public sector!
The digihub.li is now fully launched and the website is live. We at integrity.earth are also
involved as a beneficiary with exciting projects. Check out digihub.li to learn more about what's on offer.
An Invitation
We invite you to join us in our mission to create a sustainable future for the planet. Together, we can make a real difference in our world and help protect the environment for generations to come. Contribute