Paradigm shift required - The basis of the "third industrial revolution" Without economy, no sustainability

The climate crisis is taking a back seat in the coverage surrounding Covid-19 - yet its urgency remains unchanged. Finding answers to its pressing questions is vital for our planet - for us - to survive. With its unique dynamics, climate change demonstrates that all previous concepts are obsolete. We need new ideas - and we need them now! And: these ideas must be sustainable. Sustainability is more important than ever. The majority of the 175 million results on Google only focus on the "green" aspect of this term. We must reflect on the true meaning of this principle, on its comprehensiveness. Sustainability is based on three pillars: besides ecology, social and economic aspects must always be taken into account. If one of these pillars is missing, the system collapses. The current economy relies on coal, oil, or natural gas. However, the fossil-fueled economy is (almost) at its end. Something that has caused the destruction of the planet cannot serve as a basis to save it. What we need are economic ideas moving away from oil, towards a carbon-free society, towards renewable energies. Carbon-neutral living is no longer a utopia. A prime example is energy self-sufficient buildings. They generate their own heat and electricity, and even provide e-mobility - using the crisis-proof "resource" of the sun. The sustainable advantage: the use of renewable energies and guaranteed ecological residual power enables a CO2-free building operation for the first time. These uniquely innovative buildings also remain exempt from the corresponding taxation starting in 2021. The all-around alternative, ecological housing concept incorporates economic viability and thus becomes sustainable: complete self-sufficiency allows for factoring operating costs into the investment. This leads to novel lucrative business models for banks, energy providers, and housing industry: landlords can offer flat-rate rents with an energy package. The rent includes not only the housing fee but also the costs for heat, electricity, and e-mobility (all-inclusive). These energy self-sufficient buildings ensure long-term cost security for residents; they promise investors and landlords asset values that yield permanently higher and future-proof returns. The new high-low-tech approach of energy self-sufficient buildings relies on effective, innovative, and primarily minimal technology. This eliminates the "over-engineered heating technology" found in conventional buildings - and the resulting complex maintenance. While traditional buildings face the question of whether anyone will be able to carry out the necessary repair and maintenance work in the future (keyword: shortage of skilled workers) - and especially at what cost?; owners of energy self-sufficient, de-technified buildings can avoid both these concerns and costs. Ecology, economy, and social aspects unite in these sustainable homes under one roof. Their foundation is built on a new, comprehensive way of thinking that encompasses a broad spectrum of perspectives. This is the paradigm shift that, according to Jeremy Rifkin*, will make the upcoming "third industrial revolution" successful. For me, as an integral thinker, concepts of this nature are an expression of true sustainability. With such ideas, a self-determined life is not just a vision, but part of a transformation that fundamentally changes our society and ensures the survival of us all. *American economist, social theorist, and advisor to the German government