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Search our website for in-depth analysis (Dossiers), background info (Factsheets) or the latest News, interviewees (Experts) or 鶹 Events. Please use AND/OR to find more terms in one document, NOT to exclude terms, quotation marks “…” to find precise terms or use the filters below. Under “Show today’s news” you will find the very latest on the energy transition.

  • 16 Oct 2017 |

    Vote2017- German elections and the Energiewende

    鶹 and climate policy in Germany's election 16 Oct 2017, 00:00 Germans have cast their vote for a new federal parliament. Incurring heavy losses, Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative CDU/CSU alliance once again prevailed as the country& ...
  • News
  • Efficiency gains make eastern German city Energiewende frontrunner

    29 May 2017, 00:00 Germany’s energy transition is a vast national project that is reshaping the entire country. But it is happening on a local level, too. Here, the 鶹 looks at the path that one eastern German city is taking towards ...
  • 06 Mar 2020 |

    Govt studies find Germany's 2030 climate package fails to reach objective

    06 Mar 2020, 10:27 Germany's massive policy push to reach 2030 climate targets is insufficient, two studies commissioned by the government have found. Despite the agreement on a coal phase-out, the introduction of a CO2 price and a host of other ...
  • 20 May 2015

    In the media: "The godmother of climate" and domestic coal row

    20 May 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn Sven Egenter 鶹 鶹 Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) “The godmother of climate receives visitors” The Petersberg Climate Dialogue is Angela Merkel’s reaction to the failed climate summit of Copenhagen ...
  • 29 Jun 2016 |

    CO2 targets and coal deadline omitted from Climate Action Plan draft

    29 Jun 2016, 00:00 The energy industry and transport sector may escape specific greenhouse gas reduction targets, according to a new draft version of Germany's Climate Action Plan 2050. The proposal also omits an end date for power production from ...
  • 08 May 2015

    In the media: "risk, endurance, determination" for new energy world

    08 May 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Handelsblatt “Risk, endurance and determination” Steve Westly of the Westly Group, which has invested in numerous clean-tech firms including Tesla, says he would buy shares in the new E.ON “every ...
  • Blog: 鶹 firms discuss their role in key year for German energy transition

    22 Jan 2019, 12:46 The top brass from energy companies, regulators, ministries and political parties gather in Berlin to discuss the challenges of the energy transition at the Handelsblatt energy conference, the traditional annual kick-off for the sector. ...
  • 01 Nov 2017 |

    COP23 – ‘Outgoing government could well act more boldly in Bonn’

    01 Nov 2017, 00:00 Chancellor Angela Merkel could use her appearance at the COP to advance coalition talks on climate, says Ann-Kathrin Schneider, specialist for international climate policy at Friends of the Earth Germany. Meanwhile, Germany’s NGOs want ...
  • 04 Jun 2019 |

    “Climate action is our new foreign policy imperative” – German foreign minister

    04 Jun 2019, 13:50 German foreign minister Heiko Maas has said that climate action is the country’s new foreign policy imperative, as the security implications of its effects can already be seen across the globe. Germany aims to play a leading role in the ...
  • 20 Oct 2015

    In the media: Expensive export power; EnBW bets on gas

    20 Oct 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Fraunhofer ISE “Exported power more expensive than imported power” Germany makes billions of euros from exporting power every year, researchers at the Fraunhofer ISE found. The country made 1.7 ...
  • 05 Jul 2018 |

    Biggest German gas grid operator sees role in renewable energy future

    05 Jul 2018, 13:29 The climate advantage of natural gas can contribute to immediate CO₂ reduction by replacing coal and oil in the power sector and in heating, says Jürgen Fuhlrott, Head of Business Development at Germany’s biggest gas transmission grid ...
  • "There will be no more excuses in 2030"-SPD energy politician Westphal

    07 Feb 2018, 00:00 Agreeing on climate and energy policy was one of the simpler tasks during Germany's coalition negotiations, says Social Democratic (SPD) energy spokesman Bernd Westphal. However, he concedes that the challenges awaiting the country ...
  • 19 Apr 2016

    Vattenfall sale a lose-lose-lose? / 'EU ETS needs minimum price'

    19 Apr 2016, 00:00 Sören Amelang Kerstine Appunn Julian Wettengel 鶹 鶹 sandbag.org A “lose-lose-lose” situation The Vattenfall lignite sale to EPH is a lose for the climate, a lose for the Swedish government and a lose for German workers ...
  • 15 Jul 2021 |

    German reactions to EU “Fit for 55” plans to overhaul climate and energy laws

    15 Jul 2021, 09:30 The German environment ministry has called new EU proposals to reform the bloc's climate and energy policy “nothing less than a new industrial revolution in the European Union.” The European Commission's comprehensive proposal ...
  • 16 Jan 2015 |

    Merkel's capacity market scepticism seen as signal in reform debate

    16 Jan 2015, 00:00 鶹 experts say the German chancellor's secpticism over extensive payments to conventional power plants as back-up for renewables sends a strong signal that capacity markets may not be on the cards in the upcoming power market ...
  • Just transition in Germany could help counter populism- state sec

    28 Nov 2018, 15:20 If Germany manages its coal exit in a socially fair way, this will not only prevent the success of populists in the country, says Jochen Flasbarth, state secretary in the German environment ministry. It could serve as a model for other ...
  • "Mammoth" energy transition key to German climate efforts- minister

    18 Mar 2016, 00:00 Renewable energy sources already play a key role in keeping Germany's carbon emissions in check, the country's environment minster told an international conference on Friday in Berlin. However, completing the energy transition ...
  • Sharp drop in German emissions sign of Energiewende turnaround- think-tank

    07 Jan 2015, 00:00 Greenhouse gas emissions in Germany dropped in 2014 to the second-lowest level since 1990, a sign that the country’s ambitious Energiewende project is back on track, German think-tank Agora Energiewende* said on Wednesday. Kerstine ...
  • Govt energy transition commission calls for CO2 price, mobility action

    01 Nov 2017, 00:00 Germany is likely to miss several of its energy transition goals by 2020, including greenhouse gas and energy consumption reduction, writes an expert commission tasked with monitoring the progress of the German Energiewende in a short ...
  • 01 Dec 2014

    In the media: E.ON spins off fossil power, energy minister on coal, fracking and German angst

    01 Dec 2014, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 E.ON / Bloomberg / Reuters “EON Banks on Renewables in Split From Conventional Power” Germany’s biggest utility, E.ON, announced that it is to split in two, spinning off its coal, gas and nuclear ...
  • 07 Jul 2015

    In the media: Environmentalists oppose environmentalists on wind power

    07 Jul 2015, 00:00 鶹 鶹 Süddeutsche Zeitung “Headwind” The rapid increase in the number of wind turbines is leading to rising resistance in many rural areas in Germany’s north, reports Süddeutsche Zeitung in a full-page report on the ...
  • 20 Jan 2016

    Coal exit ‘requires masterplan’ / Cheap oil has ‘high costs’

    20 Jan 2016, 00:00 鶹 鶹 Frankfurter Rundschau “Gabriel needs a masterplan” The Paris Agreement has shown that coal will need to be phased out faster than currently planned, writes Joachim Wille in a commentary for Frankfurter Rundschau. ...
  • 21 Dec 2016 |

    Preview2017- "A top-down approach won’t get us very far"

    21 Dec 2016, 00:00 2017 will be a year filled with a multitude of seminal events for Germany's energy and climate policy. Apart from presiding over the next G20 summit, Germany will be the venue for the UN's COP23 and see legal reforms of ...
  • 鶹 transition start-ups shake up the business world

    11 Jul 2019, 13:33 The shift to a low-carbon future is turning the economy inside out. Policy has a crucial role to play, but ultimately it is businesses that will make the energy transition happen. In Energiewende home country Germany, many start-ups are ...
  • 15 Oct 2018 |

    Renewables surcharge set to fall by six percent in 2019

    15 Oct 2018, 14:44 Germany’s renewable energy surcharge that is paid by consumers with their electricity bill and supports wind, solar, biomass and hydro power installations, is to fall by 5.7 percent in 2019, transmission grid operators have calculated. ...
  • 30 Dec 2015

    Municipal utilities under pressure / PV support stable

    30 Dec 2015, 00:00 Sven Egenter 鶹 鶹 Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung “Government puts pressure on municipal utilities” Germany’s municipal utilities have criticised the federal government’s plans for digitalising the Energiewende and its ...
  • 22 Mar 2019 |

    EU omits reference to climate neutrality by 2050, as media reports German resistance

    22 Mar 2019, 16:00 European leaders did not call for climate neutrality by 2050 at today’s summit in Brussels, despite several countries including France suggesting it to be included. Germany is among a group of countries rejecting a tougher wording on ...
  • 04 Oct 2018 |

    Germany’s 'huge step' to solve diesel crisis leaves NGOs unconvinced

    04 Oct 2018, 17:11 Germany’s government has decided to reduce emissions from diesel cars in polluted cities by swapping old models for new ones and retrofitting some older cars. Transport minister Andreas Scheuer and environment minister Svenja Schulze ...
  • 21 Dec 2015

    German CO2 emissions up in 2015 / Call for e-car subsidies

    21 Dec 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 AG Energiebilanzen German CO2 emissions rise in 2015 Germany’s CO2 emissions have increased slightly in 2015, according to preliminary calculations by energy market research group AG ...
  • 23 Nov 2016 |

    Businesses should make proposals to reach climate goals- govt official

    23 Nov 2016, 00:00 Germany’s industry should work with the government to reach the goals in the country’s newly adopted Climate Action Plan 2050 rather than criticise the plan or individual measures, energy state secretary Rainer Baake told a conference ...
  • 27 Aug 2019 |

    Leading from behind – Germany's government sparks green finance to drive climate policy

    27 Aug 2019, 16:42 Addressing climate change and the pros and cons of renewable power have dominated German public debate for almost two decades, but the role of the finance sector in emissions reduction has taken a back seat. Many countries have already ...
  • 22 May 2017 |

    Germany, China urge US to remain in climate agreement

    22 May 2017, 00:00 Germany and China increased pressure on the US government to stay in the Paris Climate Agreement ahead of the G7 and G20 summits. The continuing uncertainty about the US position puts Germany’s aim to agree on a G20 energy and climate ...
  • 23 Mar 2015

    In the media: Worries over costs of nuclear clean-up

    23 Mar 2015, 00:00 鶹 鶹 Wall Street Journal “Germany’s Nuclear Costs Trigger Fears” German taxpayers may end up footing the bill for decommissioning the country’s nuclear power plants and storing radioactive waste, according to a study ...
  • 19 May 2016

    Industry pays less for energy / Nuclear called 'economic madness'

    19 May 2016, 00:00 Sören Amelang Julian Wettengel 鶹 鶹 German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) / Institute for Applied Ecology / European Climate Foundation (ECF) “Industry’s energy bills fall by a tenth” German manufacturing ...
  • 29 Oct 2015 |

    COP21 Interview: Paris deal "no guaranteed home run"

    29 Oct 2015, 00:00 The final negotiations for a global climate treaty in Paris are just weeks away. What is the German perspective on an international climate agreement and what has the energy transition (Energiewende) got to do with it? The Clean 鶹 ...
  • 20 Dec 2019 |

    Germany's coal exit is a done deal- or is it?

    20 Dec 2019, 16:30 Preview 2020: The fate of coal-fired power production in Germany has been sealed with the agreement of a government-appointed commission to phase-out the fossil fuel no later than 2038. But the proposal so far has not been translated ...
  • German industry says protecting climate can benefit economy

    18 Jan 2018, 00:00 German industry believes the world’s fourth largest economy can boost its status as a manufacturing powerhouse by protecting the climate. Reducing emissions by 80 percent by 2050 is good for the economy under the right policy framework ...
  • 14 Aug 2015

    In the media: Legal doubts about the coal reserve

    14 Aug 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Federal Network Agency / German Renewable 鶹 Federation (BEE) 33 successful bids in second PV auction round Germany’s second-ever photovoltaic tendering round has resulted in 33 successful bids ...
  • 24 Mar 2017 |

    Saarland election first test on road to next Energiewende government

    24 Mar 2017, 00:00 All eyes are on the federal state of Saarland kicking off Germany’s election year on 26 March. An otherwise unremarkable campaign started to engage national politics when the Social Democrats put forward their new federal election ...
  • Govt must support green start-ups to "strengthen economic immunity"- report

    29 Apr 2020, 13:49 Government help for Germany’s green start-ups is vital to overcome the economic crisis while also fighting climate change, a new survey of the lively sector showed. Current policies do not do enough to honour the "double dividend ...
  • 09 Aug 2016 |

    Drop in fossil fuel prices could derail Energiewende- study

    09 Aug 2016, 00:00 A study identifying potential risks for the energy transition in Germany finds the project to be overall “robust and resilient”. However, falling fossil fuel prices could pose a serious threat to the decarbonisation of Germany’s economy ...
  • 24 Nov 2014

    In the media: government plan to meet climate targets, household power cut-offs

    24 Nov 2014, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Süddeutsche Zeitung "Gabriel’s quiet reserve" Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel is set to present a plan targeting emissions from the power sector that could allow Germany to achieve its ...
  • 11 Nov 2014

    In the media: Companies can save more energy, Solar auction plan criticised

    11 Nov 2014, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn Spiegel Online "鶹 efficiency in companies: Hidden chances for climate protection" Greater energy efficiency efforts by companies could help Germany save nearly a quarter of the CO2 emissions necessary to ...
  • 10 Sep 2019 |

    Carmakers highlight climate ambitions at auto show in response to protest wave

    10 Sep 2019, 14:27 Facing an unprecedented wave of climate protests, Germany's trio of car groups, BMW, Daimler and VW, put their sustainability ambitions at the centre of their presentations at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA). In an unprecedented ...
  • 18 Nov 2019 |

    Tesla gigafactory in Germany hailed as gamechanger for lagging e-mobility transition

    18 Nov 2019, 12:34 Tesla's announcement to build a "gigafactory" for e-car production in Germany is likely to speed up the slow shift to electric mobility in the country, politicians and mobility experts have said. Media called the ...
  • Minister set to ease climate levy burden on old coal plants- draft proposal

    19 May 2015, 00:00 UPDATE: Angela Merkel weighs into the dispute about the proposed climate levy on old fossil-fuelled power stations and summons ministers to the chancellery on Wednesday. The climate levy could be reduced and special rules applied to ...
  • 05 Jan 2017 |

    Preview2017- “Transport remains problem child of the Energiewende”

    05 Jan 2017, 00:00 The year 2017 will be filled with a multitude of seminal events for Germany's energy and climate policy. In addition to presiding over the next G20 summit, Germany will be the venue for the UN's COP23 and see legal reforms of ...
  • 27 Apr 2015

    In the media: Demonstrators fired up over coal

    27 Apr 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Süddeutsche Zeitung “Resistance at the bucket wheel” 10,000 coal workers demonstrated  in Berlin on Saturday  against energy minister Sigmar Gabriel’s planned climate levy. These were supported by ...
  • Ministry to tweak climate levy to ease industry concerns- reports

    24 Apr 2015, 00:00 [Updates explanation of climate contribution] The Ministry for Economic Affairs and 鶹 (BMWi) has signalled it might make changes to its climate levy to ease concerns over potential job losses, media report on Friday as supporters ...
  • 20 Apr 2015

    In the media: Unions at odds over coal levy

    20 Apr 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Süddeutsche Zeitung “Metal vs coal” Unions are deeply split on the issue of the proposed coal levy, according to an article by Michael Bauchmüller in the Süddeutsche Zeitung. Germany's  IG ...
  • 28 Sep 2017 |

    All must compromise in coalition talks, also on climate- Merkel ally

    28 Sep 2017, 00:00 A ‘Jamaica’ coalition between the CDU/CSU, the FDP and the Greens is currently the only realistic scenario for a stable government in Germany, and all parties must compromise to prevent “dreadful” new elections, says long-time Merkel ...
  • 22 Dec 2021 |

    Germany to push for international climate club during G7 presidency

    22 Dec 2021, 13:50 Germany’s new government coalition is set to markedly strengthen the country’s European and international climate policy efforts and use the presidency of the G7 next year to advance the establishment of a global “climate club” and new ...
  • 04 Nov 2015

    Government passes power market reform / More renewables in energy use

    04 Nov 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Ministry for Economic Affairs and 鶹 (BMWi) “Gabriel: The basis for the power market of the future is established” The German government has approved wide-reaching reforms of the power market ...
  • New German finance minister must strike balance between climate spending & solid budget

    13 Dec 2021, 13:51 Few nominations for Germany’s new government cabinet have caused as much international uproar as that of FDP leader Christian Lindner as finance minister. Critics have warned that the head of the pro-business party could thwart ...
  • 15 Mar 2021 |

    German state votes deal blow to CDU's post-Merkel hopes while Greens get boost

    15 Mar 2021, 13:33 "Super election year" 2021 in Germany has been kicked off with a resounding defeat of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative CDU in two state elections that saw the party incur historic losses. For the rivalling Green ...
  • Merkel backs national CO2 price, cites Greta-effect on policy

    19 Jul 2019, 14:04 Chancellor Angela Merkel has backed the introduction of price on CO2 emissions as part of a package to reach the country’s 2030 climate targets. In her annual mid-year press conference, Merkel said experts had made a convincing case for ...
  • 23 Sep 2019 |

    Reactions to government agreement on climate strategy, CO2 pricing

    23 Sep 2019, 09:41 The German government coalition has reached an agreement on the country's climate action strategy, including a pricing system for carbon emissions in all major sectors. The 鶹 presents reactions to the deal. Sören ...
  • German gov’t advisors call for CO2 price to revamp inefficient climate policy

    13 Jul 2019, 13:04 Germany should introduce a price on carbon emissions for sectors such as transport and buildings currently not covered by the EU Emissions Trading System, the government’s top economic advisors have proposed. This would work as an ...
  • German draft power market law sticks to lignite reserve

    09 Sep 2015, 00:00 The government is sticking to a controversial plan to pay power operators for keeping old coal plants in reserve in case wind and solar power are not available to meet demand, details of a draft electricity market law show. Clean 鶹 ...
  • 10 Nov 2021 |

    Activists take fight against climate change from streets into courts

    10 Nov 2021, 13:00 A string of landmark rulings forcing governments to step up emission cuts have turned the courts into a new and powerful line of defence in the fight against climate change. An increasing number of judges now consider global warming a ...
  • 07 Dec 2016 |

    Merkel shuns energy, climate at party conference focused on security, migration

    07 Dec 2016, 00:00 Chancellor Angela Merkel and her party left energy and climate policy on the sidelines at the Christian Democratic Union’s (CDU) conference in Essen. The centre-right party laid the groundwork on Tuesday for its 2017 federal election ...
  • 17 Nov 2016 |

    Vote2017- Hofreiter: “We have to deliver on the Paris targets”

    17 Nov 2016, 00:00 Germans will elect a new federal government in autumn 2017. Security, economic stability and refugees are likely to dominate election campaigns, but keeping the Energiewende on a steady course and fulfilling Germany’s international ...
  • 09 Nov 2016 |

    Coal exit dispute delays Germany’s Climate Action Plan

    09 Nov 2016, 00:00 Disagreements over the future of coal in Germany have blocked adoption of a long-awaited government roadmap for making the country almost greenhouse gas neutral by 2050. In a surprise move capping several days of uncertainty about the ...
  • 16 Dec 2015

    Wind power gets cheaper / Electricity consumption up

    16 Dec 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 VDMA / BWE Costs for wind power reduced Power from wind turbines in 2016/2017 will be 12 percent cheaper than in 2012/2013, according to a study commissioned by the German Engineering Federation ...
  • 24 Sep 2021 |

    “Support direct air capture like Germany supported wind and solar”- Climeworks

    24 Sep 2021, 11:20 Their goal is to create an entirely new industry, one that will become as important as today’s oil and gas giants, because the world will be in desperate need of removing carbon to mitigate climate change. Swiss company Climeworks has ...
  • 13 Nov 2015

    EnBW's stable development / No bonus for e-cars

    13 Nov 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 EnBW “Stable development and progress with restructuring” Germany’s third largest utility EnBW has achieved revenue of around 15.3 billion euros and an operating result (adjusted EBITDA) of around ...
  • 30 Jul 2019 |

    Bavarian Merkel ally says climate action belongs in German Basic Law- media

    30 Jul 2019, 10:30 Markus Söder, Bavaria’s conservative state premier, has called for climate action to be enshrined in Germany’s Basic Law, according to German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung. Söder has thus embraced a long-standing demand by the Green Party, ...
  • 10 May 2019 |

    Merkel proposes European coalition of willing for CO₂ price in transport, buildings and agriculture

    10 May 2019, 11:33 Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel has proposed forming a coalition of the willing among European Union countries for CO₂ pricing in transport, buildings and agriculture to meet 2030 climate targets. At a meeting of EU leaders in ...
  • 04 Nov 2021 |

    Funding, burden sharing of climate action loom over quiet coalition talks in Germany

    04 Nov 2021, 14:09 Finding sources of funding for climate action and ensuring a fair distribution of benefits and costs among different groups in society look set to become the main challenges for negotiators of a new German government coalition. While ...
  • 23 May 2016

    Media reports: ministry sees likely rise in renewables surcharge

    23 May 2016, 00:00 Sören Amelang Julian Wettengel 鶹 鶹 Handelsblatt / Süddeutsche Zeitung “Energiewende gets more expensive” The energy and economy ministry believes a rise in the renewable surcharge for next year is “likely,” according ...
  • 06 May 2016

    Climate Action Plan draft backs ecological tax reform, carbon price floor

    06 May 2016, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung “Everything for the global climate” A leaked draft of the Climate Action Plan 2050 shows the path the German environment ministry wants to take to carbon neutrality ...
  • 05 Nov 2019 |

    Germany must beat Asia in hydrogen technology race- government

    05 Nov 2019, 14:43 The German government believes hydrogen is key not only for a successful energy transition, but also for the future of the country's famed industry. This is why Germany must beat Asian countries – in particular China and Japan – to ...
  • 14 Jan 2015

    In the media: The Energiewende in 2015, a bad year for solar

    14 Jan 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Dow Jones Newswires "Gabriel’s three building sites for the Energiewende" In an analysis piece for Dow Jones Newswires, Christian Grimm gives an overview of the three biggest issues of ...
  • 18 Dec 2015

    Winners and losers in green power / Concerns over costs

    18 Dec 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Federation of German Consumer Organisations “Consumers remain paymasters of the Energiewende in 2016” A new survey shows that two thirds of German consumers are sceptical that the government can ...
  • German government gets mediocre mid-term marks for climate effort

    06 Nov 2019, 09:11 鶹 and climate policy observers grade Angela Merkel's government 3.7 points out of 10 for climate efforts in a mid-term review. Industry experts, researchers and lobbyists say plans for a CO2 price in transport and heating ...
  • 18 Mar 2025 |

    Nord Stream 2: Twists and turns of a controversial gas pipeline

    18 Mar 2025, 10:20 The pipeline Nord Stream 2 connects Germany directly to Russian gas supplies, but it has never come into operation and has split opinions, both in Europe and beyond, for years. It has become a symbol of failed German energy policy, ...
  • 21 Apr 2021 |

    High stakes for Europe’s largest industrial nation – German reactions to EU climate law deal

    21 Apr 2021, 16:38 German politicians have welcomed the deal concluded by EU lawmakers on a climate law that enshrines the goal of climate-neutrality 2050 and a more ambitious 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target. However, conservatives and industry ...
  • 24 Feb 2015

    In the media: Solar set to become cheapest power source

    24 Feb 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn Sven Egenter 鶹 鶹 Süddeutsche Zeitung “EU wants to break Moscow’s energy power” A draft of the EU Commission’s concept for a European 鶹 Union (due to be published tomorrow) includes new rules for ...
  • 23 Nov 2015

    Transport still problem child of climate policy/ RWE can't get money

    23 Nov 2015, 00:00 鶹 鶹 Renewable Energies Agency (AEE) / Green Budget Germany (FÖS) “Energiewende in transport a long time coming” Fundamental political steps to relocate and avoid traffic and push alternative fuels and engines are ...
  • 06 Feb 2015

    In the media: Local utilities warn against dangers to power supply

    06 Feb 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 DIW studies “Electricity Grids and Climate Targets: New Approaches to Grid Planning” The latest assumptions that will be used in the government's grid development plan take new climate ...
  • 21 Jan 2015

    In the media: Reactions to minister's rejection of capacity markets

    21 Jan 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Dow Jones Newswires “Gabriel undermines electricity industry’s confidence in the Energiewende” Writing for Dow Jones Newswires, Christian Grimm says energy minister Sigmar Gabriel has “broken his ...
  • Mobility start-up ubitricity wants to revolutionise e-car charging

    03 Apr 2019, 13:13 鶹 is stepping up its business coverage and exploring how the commercial landscape is being transformed by Germany's energy transition. To showcase the upheaval underway in the world’s fourth largest economy, we' ...
  • 03 Nov 2017 |

    COP23- 'Bonn talks will be about the heart of the Paris Agreement'

    03 Nov 2017, 00:00 Negotiations at the upcoming climate conference in Bonn are about “the heart of the Paris Agreement”, because the delegations will shape the transparency rules on how states measure and report their progress in climate mitigation, says ...
  • 22 Oct 2015

    G7 decarbonisation efforts assessed

    22 Oct 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE) “The energy transition in Europe: initial lessons from Germany, the UK and France” The experience of Germany, the UK and France shows that the transition to a ...
  • 16 Dec 2014

    In the media: Environmentally harmful subsidies, the utilities as victims, grid extension projects

    16 Dec 2014, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Study: Federal Environmental Agency (UBA) “Environmentally harmful subsidies amount to over 52 billion euros” Even as Germany  focuses much effort and funding on climate protection measures, it ...
  • 11 Dec 2015 |

    Buying way out of nuclear cleanup / "Fear of car-driving voters"

    11 Dec 2015, 00:00 鶹 鶹 Hydrogen WirtschaftsWoche " Utilities could buy their way out of nuclear responsibilities for 49 billion euros” WirtschaftsWoche reports on a study from the German Nuclear Power Commission proposing two ...
  • IPCC land use report shows climate change threat to global livelihood – env min

    08 Aug 2019, 13:41 A new report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on land use shows that climate change is threatening the world's food supply and livelihood, making it an "existential question", said German ...
  • 16 Mar 2021 |

    Germany sees record greenhouse gas emission fall due to pandemic, renewables

    16 Mar 2021, 12:00 Germany’s greenhouse gas emissions dropped nearly nine percent in 2020- the largest annual fall since 1990- as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic pushed down the use of fossil fuels and added to the effects of the shift to renewable ...
  • 10 Jul 2015

    In the media: Experts disappointed by coal deal

    10 Jul 2015, 00:00 Sven Egenter 鶹 鶹 Handelsblatt Experts disappointed by government deal on coal, grid extension Most members of the Handelsblatt’s 鶹 Academy – a group made up of around 230 energy experts – are disappointed with ...
  • 03 Jul 2019 |

    Recent remarks suggest EU top job frontrunner von der Leyen takes climate crisis seriously

    03 Jul 2019, 14:56 The nomination of Ursula von der Leyen as president of the European Commission has come as a surprise for many political observers in Germany and across Europe. Little is known about the incumbent German defence minister's climate ...
  • 15 Jun 2015

    In the media: Costly e-cars; A coal reserve with a climate impact?

    15 Jun 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung “Merkel’s expensive targets” “Climate chancellor” Angela Merkel’s promise to put 1 million e-cars on German roads by 2020 might cost taxpayers dearly, writes Holger ...
  • 10 Oct 2018 |

    German parties fiercely debate IPCC's 1.5°C report in parliament

    10 Oct 2018, 17:18 Two days after the UN's latest IPCC report on global warming urged greater international efforts against climate change, the German parliament saw a heated debate about the implications for Germany. While the Green Party, which had ...
  • Germany to support EU climate neutrality by 2050 – leaked documents

    18 Jun 2019, 08:43 Germany will join a growing group of EU countries to support the pledge to aim for carbon neutrality by 2050, increasing the likelihood EU leaders will agree to the goal at a meeting this week (20-21 June), several media outlets report. ...
  • 26 Oct 2021 |

    鶹 price hike to leave mark on coalition talks as parties aim to help households

    26 Oct 2021, 17:29 High gas, petrol and power prices are set to play a part in the ongoing negotiations to form the next German government coalition, which will shape the country’s energy transition policy for years. The election winner Social Democrats, ...
  • Merkel endorses proposal to raise 2030 EU emission reduction target

    28 Apr 2020, 18:30 German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she welcomes the proposal by the European Commission to raise the bloc’s greenhouse gas reduction target for 2030 to between 50 and 55 percent. In her speech at the 11th Petersberg Climate ...
  • 03 Feb 2015

    In the media: Bavaria balks at controversial grid decision

    03 Feb 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Süddeutsche Zeitung “Bavaria does not need two grid extensions” The southern German state of Bavaria, one of the country’s industrial powerhouses, has completed a three-month “鶹 Dialogue” ...
  • 08 May 2019 |

    German industry ready for deep decarbonisation, but laments policy lag

    08 May 2019, 13:31 German industry heavyweights including chemical maker BASF, HeidelbergCement, gas supplier Linde and steelmaker Salzgitter say they are prepared for profound emissions cuts, but still lack the necessary market signal from policymakers. ...
  • 23 Feb 2016

    Nuclear giants 'buy their way out' / 'Germany misses climate targets'

    23 Feb 2016, 00:00 Sören Amelang Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Die Welt “Nuclear giants buy their way out for 18 billion” The expert commission on financing the nuclear clean-up will suggest to the government that utilities transfer their ...
  • 01 Feb 2016

    Crunch time for e-car incentives / Anxiety in lignite mining region

    01 Feb 2016, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Süddeutsche Zeitung “It won’t happen without buyer’s premiums” Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet car industry representatives on Tuesday to talk about incentives for e-mobility, reports ...
  • 07 Apr 2015

    In the media: Unions see 100,000 jobs at risk; wind sets new record

    07 Apr 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹   Süddeutsche Zeitung Unions – CO2 levy could erase 100,000 jobs The additional CO2 levy on old power plants, proposed by the German government to achieve climate targets, puts up to 100,000 jobs ...
  • 01 Nov 2019 |

    'Companies would not think of energy efficiency if it wasn't profitable'- KfW development bank

    01 Nov 2019, 15:35 Green and sustainable finance in Germany is not thinkable without the country's state-owned development bank KfW. The bank installed after the Second World War to finance reconstruction in Germany has become a major funder of ...
  • 17 Nov 2014

    In the media: Debate over coal phase-out, grassroots of the Energiewende, fracking

    17 Nov 2014, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn Sven Egenter 鶹 鶹 Die Welt "Why the coal phase-out was really cancelled"  In an analysis of the current debate over whether Germany should phase out coal power in order to reach its greenhouse ...
  • 02 Dec 2015 |

    COP21- Day 3: Measuring CO2, divestment and resilience

    02 Dec 2015, 00:00 Day 3 at the UN climate conference: Today's official theme is resilience, with divestment and renewables featuring in others of the many side events / Germany insists on strong monitoring mechanism in agreement / ambitious pace for ...
  • 27 Mar 2019 |

    German task force can't agree on sufficient traffic emissions cuts

    27 Mar 2019, 15:42 The German commission charged with proposing emissions cuts for the nation's transport sector has failed to agree on enough steps to reach the country’s climate targets. During what was billed as the decisive meeting, members could ...
  • Germany debates form of renewables support as levy rises

    17 Oct 2016, 00:00 Germany’s consumer surcharge to fund renewable electricity will rise less than expected in 2017. Still, discussions about the cost of the country’s Energiewende project and ways to reform the renewables support dominated the public ...
  • 29 Mar 2021 |

    More farming subsidies to be used for climate measures, but devil is in the details

    29 Mar 2021, 13:16 Germany will spend over 40 percent of the farming subsidies it expects to receive from the EU on climate, biodiversity and other sustainability-related practices, the country’s 16 state agriculture ministers have agreed after 33 hours ...
  • 19 Nov 2015 |

    COP21 Interview: Paris must send signal for global fossil fuel exit

    19 Nov 2015, 00:00 The final negotiations for a global climate treaty in Paris are just days away. What is the German perspective on an international climate agreement and what has the energy transition (Energiewende) got to do with it? The Clean 鶹 ...
  • 14 Sep 2015

    In the media: EU rules may thwart coal reserve plan

    14 Sep 2015, 00:00 Sven Egenter Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung “EU casts doubt over lignite compromise” The European Commission has doubts about whether the German government’s plan to put some old lignite power plants in a so-called capacity reserve is ...
  • 31 Jul 2015

    In the media: Auctions for all renewables; more money for insulation

    31 Jul 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Ministry for Economic Affairs and 鶹 (BMWi) Government launches suggestions for new auction design for renewables The Ministry for Economic Affairs and 鶹 (BMWi) has launched the ...
  • 17 Jun 2016

    GHG-neutral transport by 2050 / EU Commission approves e-car subsidy

    17 Jun 2016, 00:00 Julian Wettengel 鶹 鶹 Federal Environment Agency “Climate protection contributions of the transport sector by 2050” Germany's transport sector will need to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by about 98 percent to ...
  • 12 Aug 2015

    In the media: Loss in profits at E.ON; biogas farmers revolt

    12 Aug 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 E.ON Conventional power business causes E.ON loss in profits / debt reduced Half way into its “transformative year,” Germany’s largest utility E.ON has reported a reduced operating profit and ...
  • 20 May 2020 |

    Pandemic turns rush hour into public transport's “ultimate problem” – mobility researcher

    20 May 2020, 12:30 Implementing social distancing in trams, buses and underground trains at peak times creates massive problems for urban public transport, says Barbara Lenz, who heads the Institute of Transport Research at the German Aerospace Centre DLR ...
  • 29 May 2015

    In the media: Coal use drops in Q1 despite higher energy consumption

    29 May 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 AG Energiebilanzen “Demand for energy in heating increased- less coal and more power from renewables” The use of hard coal and lignite fell in the first quarter of 2015 compared to last year, ...
  • 27 Apr 2020 |

    Germany’s top politicians, companies throw weight behind green stimulus

    27 Apr 2020, 14:17 Top politicians from Germany and more than 60 large companies have warned that the climate crisis must continue to be a top priority, even as the world economies grapple with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Ahead of this week’s ...
  • 24 Mar 2016

    Finance minister sceptical about e-car support / Utilities as 'capital destroyers'

    24 Mar 2016, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn Julian Wettengel 鶹 鶹 Spiegel Online “E-car subsidies – Schäuble dampens hopes of a buyer’s premium“ There is increasing scepticism within the federal government concerning subsidies for e-cars. Vice ...
  • 24 Apr 2015

    In the media: Siemens boss swipes at Energiewende on US visit

    24 Apr 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung Siemens boss jokes about the Energiewende At a conference of oil industry executives in Texas, Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser said that anyone making energy policy for a ...
  • 25 Feb 2015 |

    Reactions to EU Commission's strategy paper on the 鶹 Union

    25 Feb 2015, 00:00 The EU Commission has published its strategy paper on the creation of a European 鶹 Union. 鶹 presents a brief summary of reactions out of Germany to the proposals. Sven Egenter 鶹 鶹 International Policy See the ...
  • Dedicated engineers have made Germany a “Green 鶹 Valley”- Start-up expert

    27 Jun 2019, 10:20 Germany’s engineering prowess and excellent support programmes have spawned a world-leading scene of start-ups dedicated to pushing the energy transition with innovative ideas, according to start-up expert Klaus Fichter. There are ...
  • 22 Jan 2016

    Taxes, fees make up bigger share of power price / Car makers go for batteries

    22 Jan 2016, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 BDEW “Taxes and fees reach a new record high” The power price remained steady at the beginning of 2016 compared to a year ago, the German Association of 鶹 and Water Industries (BDEW) reports. ...
  • How climate activists take on the German super election year

    12 Mar 2021, 14:30 Youth climate activists agree on one thing: Germany needs to adopt radical climate policies in order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. How best to push this agenda is a different question entirely. In this German “super election ...
  • 04 Mar 2015

    In the media: Greenpeace 鶹 to take legal action over UK nuclear support

    04 Mar 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) “No capacity payments to coal- and gas-fired power plants” Additional payments to operators of coal- and gas-fired power plants are currently not ...
  • 16 Sep 2021 |

    'We need climate policy that is as cost-efficient as possible'- FDP's Lukas Köhler

    16 Sep 2021, 13:52 Germany's pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) plans to argue the case for using emissions trading as the main tool for fighting climate change if they become part of the next federal government. The party wants to extend the ...
  • 16 Nov 2017 |

    COP23- Day 11: Germany ratifies Doha / Canada, UK march ahead on coal

    16 Nov 2017, 00:00 Germany ratifies Doha without joint EU move / “If the talks continue this way, we will reach our negotiation targets” – German negotiator / UK and Canada march ahead on coal exit, NGOs criticise Germany / “Move away from fossils if you ...
  • 05 May 2017 |

    Wind power course at stake in election in "cradle of Energiewende"

    05 May 2017, 00:00 Nicknamed the “cradle of the Energiewende” by its own government, Germany’s northernmost state, Schleswig-Holstein, embodies some of the most pressing challenges and solutions to the country’s energy turnaround. With their decision in ...
  • 18 Dec 2014 |

    Proposal for nuclear fund seen by some as no-confidence vote in utilities

    18 Dec 2014, 00:00 A leaked document outlines plans to transfer some provisions German utilities have put aside for nuclear decommissioning and waste disposal to a state-managed fund. The 鶹 spoke to two policy analysts about the ...
  • 09 Oct 2019 |

    German govt adopts major climate law, set of measures to meet 2030 targets

    09 Oct 2019, 17:06 The German government cabinet has adopted the country’s first framework climate law and a detailed programme of measures to reach national and European targets for 2030. Against the backdrop of climate action protests by the Extinction ...
  • Germany heads for "spectacular" 2020 climate target miss- study

    07 Sep 2017, 00:00 Germany must urgently step up its CO2 reduction efforts immediately after the upcoming elections if it wants to prevent a spectacular miss of its 2020 climate targets, according to think tank Agora Energiewende. Instead of reducing ...
  • 09 Jun 2016

    Gabriel rejects commission with coal exit focus / E.ON split approval

    09 Jun 2016, 00:00 Sören Amelang Kerstine Appunn Julian Wettengel 鶹 鶹 Federal government Gabriel rejects commission with exclusive focus on coal exit Germany's economy minister Sigmar Gabriel said he will not convene a commission ...
  • Gore says Germany faces historic step as coal commission starts work

    26 Jun 2018, 17:32 Germany has provided inspiring visionary leadership on energy and climate change for many years, but is now at risk of being left behind, former US Vice President Al Gore said on the first working day of the country’s coal exit ...
  • Natural gas could power up to 10 percent of all cars – Volkswagen

    03 Jul 2018, 15:30 Cars fuelled by compressed natural gas (CNG) could reach a share of up to ten percent of the total fleet in Germany and Europe, says Stephen Neumann, Volkswagen Group Officer for Natural Gas Mobility in an interview with the Clean ...
  • Tracking progress of Germany's 2030 climate action package

    29 Apr 2021, 12:30 With its Climate Action Law and the Climate Action Programme 2030, Germany's government coalition has presented a far-reaching climate strategy that is aimed at putting the country on track towards reaching its climate targets. The ...
  • 03 Jun 2015

    In the media: Merkel- G7 to pioneer low-carbon economies

    03 Jun 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn Sven Egenter 鶹 鶹 Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) / The Times Merkel: G7 ought to pioneer transition to low-carbon economy Climate protection is a large global challenge, German Chancellor Angela ...
  • German climate law put off as disagreements weigh on governing coalition

    18 Feb 2019, 13:24 A dispute over what is supposed to be its most important climate policy is adding to the woes of Germany’s governing coalition. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative CDU/CSU alliance and their centre-left coalition partner SPD are ...
  • 05 Apr 2016

    Industry emissions almost unchanged / Wind-powered lamps

    05 Apr 2016, 00:00 Sören Amelang Kerstine Appunn Julian Wettengel Federal Environment Agency “Emissions trading: industry’s emissions almost unchanged in 2015” The CO₂ emissions of German energy intensive industry remained virtually unchanged for the ...
  • G7 ministers: Invest in efficiency while energy is cheap

    12 May 2015, 00:00 G7 energy ministers agree on increasing efficiency as a no-regret measure to achieve energy security and greenhouse gas reductions. Joint action planned on cybersecurity for the electricity sector and a transparent gas market. Expert ...
  • 18 May 2015

    In the media: Climate Dialogue to prepare Paris negotiations

    18 May 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Tagesspiegel / Petersberg Climate Dialogue VI Merkel wants carbon trading scheme for the whole world Environment ministers from around the world meet in Berlin today and tomorrow to discuss and ...
  • German government enters crunch time on climate challenge

    21 Aug 2019, 16:00 Moment of truth for German climate policy: Right in time for the UN Climate Action Summit, chancellor Angela Merkel's government is due to present a raft of measures to drastically cut emissions. The eagerly awaited announcements ...
  • 29 Feb 2016

    Union demands lignite fund / Agreement on e-car incentives?

    29 Feb 2016, 00:00 Sören Amelang Rheinische Post “Union demands lignite fund” Mining union IG BCE argues Germany will need lignite power production until 2047 and should create a fund to finance the technology after it stops earning money in about 15 ...
  • 31 Mar 2015

    In the media: Trend reversal- German emissions decrease

    31 Mar 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹   Federal Environment Agency (UBA) “Trend reversal: Emissions decrease to lowest level since 2010” German greenhouse gas emissions have decreased in 2014 for the first time in three years, ...
  • Reactions to Germany's stimulus programme and its climate effects

    05 Jun 2020, 15:13 The German government coalition has decided to reboot Europe's largest economy with a 130 billion euros stimulus package that contains many steps to further the country's landmark energy transition. The 鶹 ...
  • 24 Mar 2015

    In the media: Good prospects for wind turbine makers

    24 Mar 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 dpa / AFP Opposition to Minister Gabriel’s power station levy – discussion postponed The debate over the levy for older power stations emmitting CO2 beyond a certain limit, proposed last week by ...
  • 11 Dec 2020 |
    EU

    EU leaders agree to raise 2030 climate target- German reactions

    11 Dec 2020, 14:14 German politicians have welcomed the EU leaders’ decision to increase the bloc’s 2030 climate target as an important decision that puts the Union on a credible path towards climate neutrality by 2050 and means the bloc is once again one ...
  • 14 Dec 2018 |

    COP24 blog: "We don't want just any outcome, we want a good one"- env min

    14 Dec 2018, 11:00 Germany is under scrutiny at the UN climate summit COP24 in Poland: the country will fail to meet its 2020 climate target and only the next year will show if a push to phase-out coal-fired power production will result in an end date for ...
  • 02 Feb 2015

    In the media: Cheap fossil fuels threaten energy transition in heating sector

    02 Feb 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Süddeutsche Zeitung “From nuclear proponent to power line opponent” In 2008 Bavarian state premier Horst Seehofer said that extending the run-time of Germany’s nuclear power stations was " ...
  • 08 Dec 2015 |

    COP21- Day 9: Finding a word between "able" and "willing"

    08 Dec 2015, 00:00 EU and African-Caribbean-Pacific group join forces / Review, finance, ambition – differentiation is key / Germany with “moderate” ranking in climate index Expert BMU- Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear ...
  • 07 Dec 2015

    COP21 success 'still up in the air' / 'Ex-Climate Chancellor' Merkel

    07 Dec 2015, 00:00 鶹 鶹 Handelsblatt “Still up in the air” There are still many hurdles to an agreement in Paris and there is a real danger of disappointment, writes Klaus Stratmann in a commentary for business daily Handelsblatt. ...
  • 18 Nov 2015

    Taking stock of the Energiewende / Resistance to smart meters

    18 Nov 2015, 00:00 鶹 鶹 Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and 鶹 (BMWi) Balance Sheet of Energiewende Germany has published an assessment of its national climate protection efforts. The government says Germany is making “good ...
  • 16 Nov 2015

    More households cut off from power; 4°C world "un-insurable"

    16 Nov 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Spiegel Online “Grid Agency: About 350,000 households had their power cut off” The number of power cut-offs in Germany rose by two percent to a new record in 2014, reports Spiegel Online. According ...
  • 02 Dec 2014 |

    Regulator says German power system stable, price rise slows

    02 Dec 2014, 00:00 An annual report from Germany's grid regulator highlights developments in the German power sector. The report shows a high degree of grid stability in 2013 and only a small increase of average prices paid by households as ...
  • German carbon tax most efficient way to meet climate goals-study

    13 Jul 2017, 00:00 Germany should implement a national tax on carbon emissions in order to meet its own emission reduction targets in the an efficient and straight forward way, the German Renewable 鶹 Federation (BEE) proposed based on a study by ...
  • 05 Nov 2015

    'Emergency repairs' to the power market / Cutting CO2 without nuclear

    05 Nov 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung Power market reforms are mainly “emergency repairs” German energy minister Sigmar Gabriel says the reforms passed in cabinet yesterday train the power market for the ...
  • EU should take lead in climate cooperation with the US- political analyst

    13 Nov 2020, 15:15 The election of Joe Biden as the next president of the United States is raising hopes that the US can be a partner again in international efforts to combat climate change. The US backed away from many climate commitments during the ...
  • 21 Nov 2014

    In the media: States want to keep coal, ministries at odds, money for climate

    21 Nov 2014, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Zeit Online "Is Sigmar Gabriel secretly burying the Energiewende?" A “progress report” from the Economics Ministry on the Energiewende shows evidence of a political struggle over the ...
  • 12 May 2016

    Offensive for energy efficiency / Germany rejects carbon floor price

    12 May 2016, 00:00 Sören Amelang Julian Wettengel 鶹 鶹 Ministry for 鶹 and Economic Affairs (BMWi) Germany aims to give energy efficiency new push The German government has launched a new offensive to increase energy efficiency. ...
  • 30 Sep 2015

    In the media: Carmakers complain about 'anti-diesel' lobby

    30 Sep 2015, 00:00 鶹 鶹 FAZ/World Economic Forum “Praise for German competitiveness” According to the World Economic Forum’s new Global Competitiveness Report, Germany is one of the most economically competitive countries in the world, ...
  • 28 Sep 2015

    In the media: Hypocrisy in the VW scandal; Merkel's push for climate action

    28 Sep 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 AFP “More companies are making their peace with the energy transition” An increasing number of companies in Germany are supporting the country’s move to replace conventional energy sources with ...
  • 14 Apr 2016

    Dispute over renewable development / More e-car charging stations

    14 Apr 2016, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn Julian Wettengel 鶹 鶹 dpa / Frankfurter Rundschau “Christian Democrats put the breaks on renewable development” Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party wants to make changes to the ...
  • 01 Apr 2016

    Tesla's new 'electric invader' / RWE's 'most daring project'

    01 Apr 2016, 00:00 Sören Amelang Julian Wettengel 鶹 鶹 Bild “People’s e-car” The premiere of Tesla’s new e-car “Model 3” might not only decide the future of the company, but the future of e-mobility, according to mass-daily Bild. “With ...
  • 15 Mar 2016

    An unconstitutional nuclear phase-out? / Vattenfall's 'coal chaos'

    15 Mar 2016, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Süddeutsche Zeitung “Was the nuclear phase-out unconstitutional?” Germany’s Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe will on Tuesday and Wednesday hear parties in the case of the country’s nuclear phase ...
  • 22 Feb 2016

    Industry softens Energiewende bashing / New support for PV storage

    22 Feb 2016, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Die Welt Industry softens Energiewende-bashing At the latest meeting of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative CDU party’s economic council (CDU Wirtschaftsrat), business leaders softened their ...
  • 08 Apr 2016

    New renewables law threatens wind power – Green Party

    08 Apr 2016, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn Julian Wettengel 鶹 鶹 Berliner Zeitung “The federal government is shifting into reverse gear concerning Energiewende” The federal government’s plans to reform the Renewable 鶹 Act (EEG) will lead to ...
  • Germany’s aspiring coalition parties disagree over coal exit speed

    15 Nov 2017, 00:00 The German coalition talks on climate and energy policy stumble over a dispute over the reduction of coal fired power production. Just days before exploratory talks are scheduled to finish, the Green Party and its negotiating partners ...
  • 22 Feb 2019 |

    Environment ministry draft law aims to tighten Germany's climate targets

    22 Feb 2019, 18:00 German environment minister Svenja Schulze is calling for an ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goal of “at least 95 percent” by the year 2050 compared to 1990, in a draft of the highly anticipated Climate Action Law, seen by Clean ...
  • 07 Nov 2017 |

    COP23- Day 2: Conference agenda accepted / More ambition needed

    07 Nov 2017, 00:00 Conference off to a reassuring start, final agenda passed / Developing nations want to talk about pre2020 climate action by industrialised states / German companies call for a coal exit path and climate friendly regulation / Emission ...
  • 08 Sep 2021 |

    Left Party rejects CO2 price for transport and heating as it aims for climate neutrality by 2035

    08 Sep 2021, 12:30 The Left Party would enter negotiations to form Germany’s next government with a demand to abolish the recently introduced carbon price on transport and heating fuels, according to MP Lorenz Gösta Beutin, a climate and energy expert ...
  • 11 Feb 2016

    No future for German ski regions / A pending wind merger

    11 Feb 2016, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Der Tagesspiegel “Government sees no future for two thirds of ski regions” The government predicts that with a 2 degree Celsius warming, 61 percent of Germany’s ski regions would not be suitable ...
  • 05 Dec 2015 |

    COP21 – Day 6: Hard work ahead, more finance, elephants in the room

    05 Dec 2015, 00:00 UPDATE (adds NGO statement on climate finance pledge) Agreement on a draft agreement – with lots of options / Climate funding pledges reach $94 billion / Climate risk insurance can help dealing with loss and damages / Climate blind ...
  • 14 Nov 2017 |

    COP23- Day 9: Technical talks approach end/ Germany Fossil of the Day

    14 Nov 2017, 00:00 Technical negotiations at COP23 in Bonn are approaching the final stage; it's important that they will be open to amendments throughout 2018, says German negotiator / Ministers arriving in Bonn will focus on finance, loss and ...
  • German coalition talks stuck over climate, energy policy

    27 Oct 2017, 00:00 Germany’s future energy and climate policy has proven the expected difficult issue in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s effort to form a government coalition of her conservatives, the Free Democrats, and the Green Party. According to media ...
  • 02 Nov 2015

    Greenpeace excluded from Vattenfall sale / CO2 pledges "Sign of Hope"?

    02 Nov 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Greenpeace “Greenpeace excluded from Vattenfall bidding process” Citigroup has excluded Greenpeace from the sale process of Swedish utility Vattenfall’s German lignite operations. The bank said the ...
  • 30 Oct 2015

    Climate pledges for 2.7°C warming / industry energy use up

    30 Oct 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 UN Climate Change Secretariat “Global response to climate change keeps door open to 2 degree C temperature limit” A report assessing the 140 climate action plans submitted to the United Nations ...
  • 20 Jun 2016

    Law reform delays energy transition- study / Utilities fear collapse

    20 Jun 2016, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn Julian Wettengel 鶹 鶹 University of Applied Sciences Berlin (HTW) “New study: EEG 2016 thwarts Paris climate agreement” If Germany continued the deployment of renewable energies at the average pace of ...
  • 18 Sep 2015

    In the media: Greenpeace says lignite reserve illegal; staggering utility giants

    18 Sep 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Osnabrücker Zeitung / Dow Jones Newswires E.ON CEO compares cheap renewable power to “unpaid slaves” Current power market structures are not geared to taking up large amounts of renewable energy, E ...
  • 01 Jun 2016

    Agreement on renewables reform / Utilities' nuclear liability

    01 Jun 2016, 00:00 Sören Amelang Kerstine Appunn Julian Wettengel 鶹 鶹 Federal government “Federal and state governments agree on key points of the Renewable 鶹 Act reform” State premiers and the federal government have agreed on ...
  • 14 May 2019 |

    Merkel says climate cabinet to discuss how Germany can reach net-zero emissions by 2050

    14 May 2019, 16:28 Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel said that her new climate cabinet will debate how Germany could reach climate neutrality by mid-century. Should the ministers find a “sound” way to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, ...
  • 17 Apr 2015 |

    Welfare groups urge power cost relief for German poor

    17 Apr 2015, 00:00 Amid all the broad support for Germany's energy transition, rising electricity costs have added to the pressures for the weakest in society. The issue rarely makes front-page news, but soaring power prices have squeezed Germans who ...
  • Feed-in tariffs for British nuclear power rile German politicians and renewables industry

    09 Oct 2014, 00:00 Resistance to Germany’s subsidies for the renewables industry have left politicians questioning why financing for the UK’s Hinkley Point nuclear power station has been granted EU approval. Expert BEE- German Renewable 鶹 Federation ...
  • Battery-electric trucks will win race against fuel cells and e-fuels- researcher

    25 Nov 2020, 12:19 Battery-electric trucks are set to take over heavy duty road freight because they are much cheaper to run than other low-emission technologies, says green vehicle expert Auke Hoekstra, a researcher at Eindhoven University of Technology. ...
  • 29 Apr 2015

    In the media: Reactions to E.ON split; first solar tender results

    29 Apr 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Süddeutsche Zeitung “Residual Risk” There are worrying parallels between the current E.ON split into two separate companies and the finance industry’s spinning off of risky assets into bad banks in ...
  • “The Energiewende is a big democratic project”

    26 Mar 2015, 00:00 Encouraged by federal legislation such as the Renewable 鶹 Act, the governments of many German states have worked hard to make the Energiewende a success, as well as a business opportunity for their citizens. Others have been slower ...
  • 04 May 2015

    In the media: Tesla plans energy revolution

    04 May 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Bild/Lichtblick “Tesla and Lichtblick plan energy revolution” Hamburg-based renewable electricity provider Lichtblick is cooperating with Tesla to integrate the e-car company’s new “Powerwall Home ...
  • 27 Jul 2020 |

    Europe must take ambitious lead in green hydrogen – German govt advisor

    27 Jul 2020, 09:50 Europe's economy is well placed to benefit from the fledgling global hydrogen economy and should decisively follow through with its hydrogen strategies, says Veronika Grimm, a member of Germany's council of economic experts, ...
  • 19 Oct 2015

    In the media: Germany as a future power model?

    19 Oct 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 National Geographic “Germany Could Be a Model for How We’ll Get Power in the Future” In a long feature for National Geographic, Robert Kunzig takes an in-depth look at the “epochal transformation” ...
  • 22 May 2019 |

    Can Salzgitter cut Germany's CO2 emissions with low-carbon steel project?

    22 May 2019, 11:33 Volker Hille’s passion project could cut Germany’s entire CO2 output by almost one percent. He is head of corporate technology at Salzgitter Group, one of Europe’s largest steelmakers, which currently emits around eight million tonnes ...
  • 09 Nov 2017 |

    COP23- Day 4: EU CO2 market deal signal for Bonn / Climate Risk Index

    09 Nov 2017, 00:00 German state secretary for environment says ETS reform shows EU can work together on climate policy / Negotiators progress on technical details of Paris rulebook / COP president Fiji was world's third most climate-impacted country ...
  • 13 Oct 2015

    In the media: FAZ- "EU says goodbye to binding climate goals"

    13 Oct 2015, 00:00 鶹 鶹 (Modifies headline to clearify sourcing)   Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung “The VW scandal calls Brussels into action” Even after the VW emissions cheating scandal, it appears the German government is trying to ...
  • 12 Oct 2015 |

    COP21 Interview: Germany must commit to brown coal exit before Paris

    12 Oct 2015, 00:00 The final negotiations for a global climate treaty in Paris are just weeks away. What is the German perspective on an international climate agreement and what has the energy transition (Energiewende) got to do with it? The Clean 鶹 ...
  • 08 Mar 2016 |

    Looking back: Germany five years after Fukushima

    08 Mar 2016, 00:00 (UPDATE- adds quote from WWF's Günther in paragraph 5, more external content)- The nuclear meltdown in Fukushima, in the wake of a tsunami five years ago on 11 March, was a key turning point in German energy policy. Chancellor ...
  • 12 Dec 2014

    In the media: 鶹 efficient buildings and CEO on Vattenfall's future

    12 Dec 2014, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Data-Project: Fraunhofer-ISI / Öko-Institut / Enerdata et al. "Research for more climate protection through buildings" Around 60 percent of the EU’s total energy consumption comes from ...
  • 16 Sep 2015

    In the media: Utility shares slump; criticism of coal plant export financing

    16 Sep 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 /sites/default/files/files/article/media-utility-shares-slump-criticism-coal-plant-export-financing/clew-reporters-guide-2015.pdf Süddeutsche Zeitung “Why shares of E ...
  • COP23- 'Our guests will be surprised how much Germany relies on coal'

    23 Oct 2017, 00:00 Germany is hosting this year’s international climate summit (COP23) in Bonn while in Berlin ongoing coalition talks will shape the future of national climate actions. Annalena Baerbock, climate spokesperson of the Greens, which are ...
  • Slump in EU election raises pressure on Merkel's coalition as Greens surge on climate worries

    27 May 2019, 15:43 Germany’s ruling parties have taken another blow in the European elections, further rattling the fragile government coalition, as voters increasingly turn away from the established forces in the political centre. Against the backdrop of ...
  • First reactions to Renewable 鶹 Act reform proposal

    27 Jan 2016, 00:00 The centrepiece of Germany's Energiewende in the power sector is to undergo a profound revision this year. The government has tabled a draft law for the reform of the Renewable 鶹 Act, which has stirred a heated debate. The ...
  • 20 Sep 2019 |

    Germany bets on slow-starting CO2 price, slew of incentives to reach 2030 climate goals

    20 Sep 2019, 20:00 Chancellor Angela Merkel's so-called "climate cabinet" has put together the bedrock for future climate action legislation in Germany, just in time for UN Secretary-General António Guterres' Climate Action Summit in ...
  • 15 Jun 2020 |

    The heat is on to make German buildings 'nearly' climate-neutral

    15 Jun 2020, 10:30 A mainly fossil energy guzzler, heating in Germany has taken a back seat to the Energiewende's poster child, the power sector. But the “Wärmewende”, or heating transition, has significant potential to curb emissions and is ...
  • 17 Aug 2015

    In the media: RWE fighting reality; solar power strains the grid

    17 Aug 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 dpa / Süddeutsche.de “Raid on Garzweiler” Hundreds of activists entered the open cast lignite mine of Garzweiler, in North-Rhine Westphalia, on Saturday, the German press agency dpa reports. Some ...
  • 25 Jun 2015

    In the media: "Coal levy- finally gone"

    25 Jun 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Süddeutsche Zeitung “Gabriel takes on the energy sector” 鶹 minister Sigmar Gabriel was given a chilly reception by the Chairwoman of the Association of 鶹 and Water Industries (BDEW) in ...
  • Fresh Green upset in Hesse state election may derail Merkel government

    26 Oct 2018, 10:47 As Germany’s federal government parties, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative CDU/CSU camp and the Social Democrats (SPD), suffer from voter flight due to the coalition’s constant quarrels, the Green Party emerges as one of the big ...
  • 27 Sep 2018 |

    "Demonizing global trade" no fix for agri-food emissions

    27 Sep 2018, 10:04 Germany’s farmers, just like their fellow citizens working in other sectors, must reduce greenhouse gas emissions to enable the country to adhere to the national and international climate targets. But curbing emissions from crop ...
  • 05 Mar 2015

    In the media: Energiewende indices show progress

    05 Mar 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Die Welt /McKinsey Germany “McKinsey: Energiewende indices improve“ The McKinsey Energiewende Index, a bi-annually published analysis of how well Germany is achieving its energy transition targets, ...
  • 20 May 2019 |

    Markets still bet Paris Agreement will not be honoured, German finance researcher says

    20 May 2019, 16:29 Financial markets are excellent processors of information- and they currently don't seem to expect that the global economy will be geared towards respecting the Paris Climate Agreement 's goals and give up fossil fuel ...
  • 23 Jan 2015

    In the media: North Germany aims to outpace national climate targets

    23 Jan 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Die Welt / sh:z „The North focuses on wind power“ Germany’s northern state of Schleswig-Holstein wants to increase its share of renewables in the power mix and for heating and wants to lower energy ...
  • Putin and Merkel meet to find solution on gas pipeline Nord Stream 2

    18 Aug 2018, 20:13 Russia and Germany are set to proceed with the completion of a second natural gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea between the two countries. At a meeting with Russian President Putin near Berlin, German Chancellor Merkel sought to dispel ...
  • 27 Apr 2016

    Incentives to reach at least 400,000 e-cars / 23.3 billion euro proposal for nuclear fund

    27 Apr 2016, 00:00 (CORRECTION- In first paragraph on e-car premium: Government and industry will invest 600 million euros each, not 600,000 million euros; government will invest an additional 400 million euros in charging stations, not 400,000 million ...
  • German coalition negotiators want to postpone 2020 climate goal

    08 Jan 2018, 00:00 The negotiation partners in Germany's ongoing coalition talks have agreed to postpone the country's 2020 emissions reduction target until "the early 2020s". Party negotiators also agreed on introducing a climate ...
  • 29 Oct 2019 |

    Sustainable start-up builder econnext links social, green and finance worlds

    29 Oct 2019, 08:40 鶹 is stepping up its business coverage and exploring how Germany's energy transition is transforming the commercial landscape. To showcase these big changes in the world’s fourth largest economy, this new series ...
  • EU Climate agreement gets mixed reception in Germany

    24 Oct 2014, 00:00 The framework for energy policy until 2030 failed to meet all Germany’s ambitions but government says the agreement is in line with the energy transition. Expert BDEW-German Association of 鶹 and Water Industries Bundesverband der ...
  • “Utility in a box”- Start-up Lumenaza enables disruptive power trading

    20 Mar 2019, 11:49 鶹 is stepping up its coverage of how business is being transformed by Germany's energy transition. To showcase the upheaval underway in the world’s fourth largest economy, we are launching a series on start-ups that ...
  • 27 Jun 2018 |

    Climate goal failure warrants high Energiewende priority- gov advisors

    27 Jun 2018, 16:59 Germany will likely fail on many of its self-imposed energy transition targets, says the government-appointed expert commission tasked with monitoring the progress of the German Energiewende in its opinion on the federal economy ...
  • 09 Sep 2019 |

    Patchy counselling holds German citizens back from investing climate friendly

    09 Sep 2019, 12:00 Citizens have been a crucial driver of Germany's energy transition and many regard sustainability and especially environmental action a crucial feature of sound investments. Yet, the vast majority of savings in the country are not ...
  • 07 Dec 2015 |

    COP21- Day 7/8: A German facilitator, a climate action plan 2050

    07 Dec 2015, 00:00 Day 7/8 at the UN climate conference: Environment state secretary Flasbarth becomes facilitator / EU fights for new differentiation / Germany plans decarbonisation by 2050 Expert BMWi- Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and 鶹 ...
  • Germany faces challenges to its triad of targets at European climate negotiations

    22 Oct 2014, 00:00 Germany is to push for a triad of targets for 2030 at the EU climate summit on 23-24 October with broad backing from the public, and some concerns on the part of industry. Expert BDI- Federation of German Industries Bundesverband der ...
  • 17 Sep 2015

    In the media: Havoc for utilities; a push for robot cars

    17 Sep 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Bloomberg “Why Germany’s nuclear power exit is causing havoc for utilities” Financing the nuclear phase-out is the biggest challenge yet for Germany’s large utilities, which explains this week’s ...
  • Env min Hendricks: "Nothing less than transforming our society"

    31 Jul 2017, 00:00 Environment minister Barbara Hendricks has been at the helm of Germany's climate protection efforts for the past four years. During her tenure, the country has contributed substantially to brokering the Paris Agreement and put ...
  • Reactions to government decision to adopt alternative to coal levy

    02 Jul 2015, 00:00 The German government finally buried plans for a levy on old coal-fired power plants. Instead, Chancellor Angela Merkel, energy minister Sigmar Gabriel and leading politicians from the ruling coalition adopted a union proposal to pay ...
  • 31 May 2019 |

    Start-up e.GO Mobile hopes to speed up transport transition with cheap subcompact

    31 May 2019, 12:16 鶹 is stepping up its business coverage and exploring how the commercial landscape is being transformed by Germany's energy transition. To showcase the upheaval underway in the world’s fourth largest economy, we' ...
  • 'Green wave' vs right-wing populism: Europe faces climate policy polarisation

    05 Jun 2019, 16:00 The European elections delivered major gains for Green parties in several countries, as voters signalled a strong desire for more aggressive action on climate change. In Germany, the Green surge was especially strong. The party doubled ...
  • Germany laggard in assessing fossil investment risks- Deutsche Börse

    04 Oct 2018, 14:16 The financial sector in Germany needs better regulation to fully incorporate sustainability criteria in its business practices, says Kristina Jeromin, head of sustainability at the German stock exchange Deutsche Börse and managing ...
  • 21 Apr 2016 |

    "Nuclear power wouldn't have stood a chance- even without Chernobyl"

    21 Apr 2016, 00:00 On 26 April 1986 a nuclear meltdown at a Soviet reactor in today’s Ukraine sent radioactive particles across Europe and shockwaves through the political debate over nuclear safety. 30 years on from the Chernobyl accident, Germany is in ...
  • Germany bets on green hydrogen in quest for climate neutrality

    27 Apr 2020, 13:10 In the fight against climate change, hydrogen made with renewable electricity is increasingly seen as a silver bullet for sectors with particularly stubborn emissions, such as heavy industry and aviation. As a result, the emission-free ...
  • 02 Dec 2014

    In the media: E.ON and the age of dinosaurs, climate action ready for government approval

    02 Dec 2014, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Süddeutsche Zeitung “The end of dinosaurs“ In the end, the large dinosaurs who had ruled the world disappeared – Germany’s big energy companies face a similar fate, writes Markus Balser in the ...
  • 27 Feb 2018 |

    Reactions to Germany's court ruling on diesel driving bans

    27 Feb 2018, 00:00 Germany's Federal Administrative Court has ruled that cities can ban dirty diesel cars to improve local air quality. The 鶹 presents reactions to the landmark ruling from NGOs, politicians and industry associations. ...
  • SPD's Westphal: "Conditions to set coal exit date lacking"

    26 Jul 2017, 00:00 The SPD, Germany's oldest party, has been a junior partner to Angela Merkel's conservative union in the grand coalition since 2013. The Social Democrats have traditionally been the country's "labour party" and ...
  • 14 Nov 2016 |

    Reactions to Germany's Climate Action Plan 2050

    14 Nov 2016, 00:00 After a public consultation process of over a year and months of political wrangling, the German government agreed on a climate action plan 2050. While this roadmap to a nearly carbon-emission free economy contains detailed targets for ...
  • Heating start-up Thermondo aims to be leading energy supplier

    27 Mar 2019, 11:14 鶹 is stepping up its coverage of how business is being transformed by Germany's energy transition. To showcase the upheaval underway in the world’s fourth largest economy, we have launched a series on start-ups that ...
  • PV auctions: More competition, but critics warn of target shortfalls

    26 Aug 2016, 00:00 In August, Germany held the fifth tender in its new auction pilot scheme for payments to large-scale solar projects. While officials overseeing the programme continue to praise its results and declining price levels, critics warn that ...
  • 12 Dec 2018 |

    COP24 blog- Germany's environment minister rejects hypocrisy criticism

    12 Dec 2018, 17:52 Germany is under scrutiny at the UN climate summit COP24 in Poland: the country will fail its 2020 climate target and only the next year will show if a push to phase-out coal-fired power production will result in an end date for the CO2 ...
  • Fear of public backlash and complexity hold back German CO2 price

    03 Dec 2018, 11:28 Politicians across party lines, environmental and industry groups and researchers alike are in favour of a price on carbon emissions in all sectors. There is debate on details such as the pros and cons of a carbon tax versus a trading ...
  • 13 Nov 2017 |

    COP23- Day 8: German climate responsibility/ Protest against US event

    13 Nov 2017, 00:00 Chancellor Angela Merkel calls on developed nations to advance technology and make investments to combat climate change / Protesters interrupt US event on "cleaner fossil fuels" / Peruvian farmer effected by climate change ...
  • 16 Sep 2020 |
    EU

    New EU climate target proposal concern for German industry and NGOs

    16 Sep 2020, 12:50 German industry, politicians and environmental NGOs have criticised first details of the European Commission proposal for a more ambitious 2030 climate target. Plans for more stringent passenger car emission rules and the inclusion of ...
  • 10 Jun 2015

    In the media: Merkel's risky G7 promise; coal dispute drags on

    10 Jun 2015, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn 鶹 鶹 Handelsblatt “Great aim, little deed” When it comes to decarbonising the economy, Germany is nowhere near as ambitious as the government likes to say, writes Silke Kersting in a commentary for the ...
  • PV auction designer hopes to keep citizens' projects on board

    08 May 2015, 00:00 Feed-in tariffs set by government or parliament have supported rapid expansion of renewable power production, along with falling costs. Now the government wants to move to a more market-based approach. With this is mind, the 2014 ...
  • 05 Sep 2019 |

    Germany's finance industry struggles to marry climate action and business strategy

    05 Sep 2019, 12:00 Banks, insurers and investment funds in Germany look back at nearly two decades of energy transition – but many of the biggest actors still struggle to embrace its potential as a core business area. While most are well aware of the ...
  • 15 Apr 2016

    [Update] Ministry releases new draft version of renewables law

    15 Apr 2016, 00:00 Kerstine Appunn Julian Wettengel 鶹 鶹 Ministry for Economic Affairs and 鶹 New draft version of Renewable 鶹 Act released The Ministry for Economic Affairs and 鶹 has released a new draft of the Renewable ...
  • Tracking the CO2 price debate in Germany

    17 Sep 2019, 13:28 After shying away from the debate for a long time, Germany's political leaders are finally considering putting a price on CO2 to help reach the country's climate targets. Chancellor Angela Merkel and her " climate cabinet ...
  • 17 Dec 2018 |

    COP24 reactions from Germany: “A victory for multilateralism”

    17 Dec 2018, 10:11 Nearly 200 nations agreed on a rulebook for implementing the landmark 2015 Paris Climate Agreement at the UN climate change conference COP24 in Katowice, Poland. The deal on climate action rules was immediately hailed as a victory for ...
  • 07 Dec 2018 |

    Climate and energy views of candidates to follow Merkel at helm of CDU

    07 Dec 2018, 09:13 With her decision not to seek re-election as party chair and chancellor, Angela Merkel has kicked off what is a novelty for her conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU): an organised internal election campaign for the party’s ...
  • 28 Jul 2017 |

    Why the German diesel summit matters for climate and energy

    28 Jul 2017, 00:00 On 2 August, the CEOs of Germany’s major car manufacturers will meet with federal and state government representatives to discuss ways to reduce pollution from diesel cars. Recent cartel allegations shed a new light on the meeting’s ...
  • 28 Apr 2020 |

    Coronavirus crisis highlights risks of U.S.-European LNG deals diplomacy

    28 Apr 2020, 10:59 The coronavirus crisis has put a spotlight on deteriorating transatlantic relations as both continents focus on the well-being of their own populations and U.S. President Donald Trump continues to push his America First strategy. Over ...
  • The Berlin 鶹 Transition Dialogue 2018

    18 Apr 2018, 00:00 German ministers and European Commissioners will be among those explaining why an energy transition is a good idea for the world, at the fourth Berlin 鶹 Transition Dialogue on 17-18 April 2018. The 鶹 will give a ...
  • 22 Sep 2020 |

    A climate-friendly post-coronavirus stimulus – tracking the debate

    22 Sep 2020, 10:30 As the coronavirus crisis drives many governments across the globe to introduce emergency plans to cushion the immediate economic effects, there are growing calls to align any mid and long-term stimulus efforts with climate targets. ...
  • 15 Dec 2015 |

    COP21- Media on Germany and the Paris Climate Summit

    15 Dec 2015, 00:00 In this factsheet, the 鶹 presents an overview of German media comments and reports on the Paris Climate Summit, which took place from 30 November to 11 December. COP21 Climate & CO2 Kerstine Appunn Süddeutsche ...
  • 27 Apr 2023 |

    Covering the EU’s “Fit for 55” package of climate and energy laws

    27 Apr 2023, 11:30 The European Union is undertaking a major revamp of its climate and energy legislation to make its member states “Fit for 55” – the bloc’s new 55 percent greenhouse gas reduction target for 2030. The European Commission presented its ...
  • 12 Dec 2015 |

    Paris climate deal – does Germany get what it hoped for?

    12 Dec 2015, 00:00 196 parties of the UNFCCC have adopted the new Paris Agreement on climate change / Transparency and the ambition mechanisms that Germany most wanted to get are in the text, but the strong long-term target had to give a little COP21 ...
  • 27 Mar 2019 |

    Limits to growth: Resistance against wind power in Germany

    27 Mar 2019, 00:00 Wind turbines have become one of the most visible components of Germany's energy transition and increasingly dominate the landscape in many parts of the country. While most people support a roll-out of the technology, Germany’s ...
  • Government opts for alternative to coal levy

    02 Jul 2015, 00:00 The government has agreed on a keenly awaited package of measures to further the Energiewende. But it gave in to pressure from trade unions and utilities and abandoned the idea of fining coal power plants for emitting greenhouse gases ...
  • 21 May 2021 |

    CO2 reduction and biofuels in Germany's transport sector- implementing the RED II directive

    21 May 2021, 14:42 No greenhouse gas reductions since 1990 – that is the unfortunate balance of Germany's transport sector. While the climate targets are clear, the way to reach them remains subject to fierce debate. One major part in decarbonising ...
  • The debate over an end to combustion engines in Germany

    28 Aug 2017, 00:00 France and the UK are planning to ban all combustion engine sales from 2040. The 鶹 provides key quotes from German politicians, their parties' national election programmes, and industry players on the future of the ...
  • Green resources, reuse and recycling are key to cleaner e-car batteries

    04 May 2021, 10:15 The shift to electric cars is crucial for cutting transport emissions. But the skyrocketing demand for e-cars has triggered growing concerns about their batteries' environmental and human costs. Production is energy-intensive and ...
  • 19 May 2025 |

    Nord Stream 2 – Symbol of failed German bet on Russian gas

    19 May 2025, 10:20 The controversial natural gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 has become a symbol of Germany's energy policy failures, after Russia weaponised its gas deliveries to Europe in order to stifle European action to support Ukraine. Construction ...
  • 20 Apr 2017 |

    Key stakeholders in Germany’s Energiewende

    20 Apr 2017, 00:00 Which groups are invested in, and impacted by, the German energy transition? Here we identify the key stakeholder groups, their positions and concerns. Energiewende Sven Egenter Julian Wettengel The German federal government Federal ...
  • Climate & energy stumbling blocks for Jamaica-coalition talks

    27 Sep 2017, 00:00 Germany might be headed towards a new chapter in its political history with a governing coalition of the conservative CDU/CSU alliance, the economic liberal FDP, and the environmentalist Green Party looming as a real prospect for the ...
  • Germany’s climate obligations under the EU Effort Sharing scheme

    06 May 2019, 13:55 Germany is often perceived as a country with stringent national climate ambitions, but many of these rules and goals are actually prescribed by the European Union’s greenhouse gas emission reduction plans. Much of what is found in ...
  • 30 Oct 2018 |

    Climate impact of farming, land use (change) and forestry in Germany

    30 Oct 2018, 22:15 Farming and land use emissions arise from a very diverse range of sources – milk cows, growing cereal, converting pastures into maize fields, producing fertiliser, driving tractors, draining moorlands, to name just a few. Other ...
  • 16 Jan 2023 |

    What German households pay for electricity

    16 Jan 2023, 12:00 The energy transition's impact on household electricity prices is a contentious issue in Germany, because surcharges to finance the renewables' rollout resulted in Europe's highest bills for many years. But since Russia& ...
  • Climate, energy and transport in Germany's coalition treaty

    07 Feb 2018, 00:00 Concluding weeks of intensive negotiations, Germany's would-be government partners have agreed on a coalition treaty. The 鶹 presents excerpts on climate, energy and transport from the agreement between Chancellor ...
  • 05 Oct 2020 |

    What a higher EU 2030 climate target means for member states like Germany

    05 Oct 2020, 12:45 The European Commission under president Ursula von der Leyen has proposed to increase the bloc’s 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target to "at least 55 percent". The European Parliament’s environment committee has ...
  • Understanding the European Union’s Emissions Trading Systems (EU ETS)

    23 May 2024, 10:05 The European Union’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), which puts a price on climate change-inducing CO2 emissions, has been a key driver of decarbonisation in energy and industry for years, and the EU is setting up a similar scheme ...
  • 25 Mar 2021 |

    BMW has tumbled from electric car pioneer to laggard

    25 Mar 2021, 00:00 BMW is best known for its racy high-performance cars, but the Bavarian company was also a pioneer in e-mobility and sustainability. But on the road to electrification, BMW has fallen behind domestic rivals VW and Daimler, as well as ...
  • EEG reform 2016 – switching to auctions for renewables

    08 Jul 2016, 00:00 Germany has reformed its much-lauded Renewable 鶹 Act (EEG), casting aside the feed-in-tariffs credited with the rapid rise in renewable energy sources since 1990. The new system of auctions aims at keeping a steady hand on how much ...
  • 08 Jun 2017 |

    From survey to harvest: How to build a wind farm in Germany

    08 Jun 2017, 00:00 Commercial wind power production requires thorough planning and preparation. Project developers have to include geographical, technological, legal and social aspects in their calculation to conclude whether a wind farm at a given ...
  • EU’s Farm to Fork strategy impacts climate, productivity, and trade

    05 Mar 2021, 13:40 The European Green Deal with its landmark Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies aims to achieve nothing less than a complete overhaul of the EU's food system to reach the bloc's 2050 target of climate neutrality. The new ...
  • Local stories from Germany's energy transition

    26 May 2016, 00:00 National media coverage of the German Energiewende mainly chronicles government activities and energy policy debates, such as reforming the Renewable 鶹 Act, the upcoming Climate Action Plan 2050, or the fate of big utilities. But ...
  • 04 Apr 2022 |

    Green and sustainable finance in Germany

    04 Apr 2022, 11:30 Integrating finance into climate and energy policy has become a central challenge for governments around the world, as emissions reduction plans need proper funding and investments that can undermine their climate goals have to be cut ...
  • Q&A – CCS makes comeback as Germany and the EU strive for climate neutrality

    07 Apr 2025, 09:50 Years of protest against industry plans to use carbon capture and storage (CCS) as a lifeline for coal power have made the technology a no-go issue for many politicians in Germany, Europe and beyond. Yet, countries' goals of ...
  • 11 May 2023 |

    Ukraine war pushes Germany to build LNG terminals

    11 May 2023, 11:15 The war in Ukraine has pushed efforts to diversify Germany’s gas supply away from Russian deliveries to the top of the government’s agenda. As part of these efforts, the government is going full steam ahead in supporting the build-up of ...
  • 25 May 2020 |

    "Dieselgate"- a timeline of the car emissions fraud scandal in Germany

    25 May 2020, 12:00 "Dieselgate" started out as a scandal exclusively affecting Germany's largest car company Volkswagen. But since it broke in September 2015, it has morphed into a global issue involving many industry giants. In Germany, ...
  • 鶹 Network Blog
  • 27 Jan 2021 |

    France eagerly awaits more detailed climate plan from China

    27 Jan 2021, 10:38 International The two countries have been solid partners throughout the Trump era and France is now watching China's investments closely, both at home and abroad. This report is part of the "Postcard from Europe" series ...
  • China’s PV exports and the impact in South Asia: A cross-border reporting collaboration

    28 Feb 2020, 16:19 Milou Dirkx Martha Otwinowski Solar Politics International How do China's PV exports impact South Asian countries? This question was the starting point for team PANIC, made up of four reporters from Pakistan, Nepal, India and China ...
  • Find a Trojan horse to get the climate crisis in the news

    12 Jul 2019, 16:54 Climate & CO2 Business & Jobs Dr. Richard Thomas is a Senior Lecturer in Journalism at Swansea University in the UK. Thomas has conducted research on the connection between the news reporting of economic growth and environmental ...
  • SPEAKERS at the Global 鶹 Transition Journalism Conference 2019 #GETJO19

    0A Conference Nickolaus Bauer Twitter: @NickolausBauer Nickolaus Bauer is an award-winning journalist for eNews Channel Africa (eNCA)- South Africa's premier 24 hour news channel. After a decade of experience as a journalist in South Africa, Bauer ...
  • Conference panellists and session chairs

      Please note: This list was compiled in preparation for the 鶹 network conference "The Global 鶹 Transition: Is Journalism Ready?" in November 2017. Abaño, Imelda- President of Philippine Network of Environmental Journalists ...
  • Privacy Policy

    Privacy Policy 2050 Media Projekt gGmbH Privacy Policy 1      Introduction In the following, we, 2050 Media Projekt gGmbH (hereinafter: “we”), provide you with an insight into what personal data we collect from you and how we process it, regardless of ...
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