Germany´s Transformation Towards a Circular Economy Backgrounder Policy makers in Germany are increasingly aware that the transformation towards a circular economy is a crucial necessity: From an environmental point of view, the Paris climate targets will only be achievable by drastically increasing the circularity of the German economy. At the same time, Germany’s future competitiveness will depend on new circular business models that offer results and services instead of simple products. By Henning Wilts
What are Germany's Traffic-Light government’s plans for accelerating the country's energy transition? Spotlight Germany has ambitious targets to drastically cut its greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years and to achieve climate neutrality by 2045. This Spotlight takes a closer look at the German government’s plans announced so far to move forward the Energiewende, a task that has become even more urgent in light of the fossil fuel price increases and security of supply concerns that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. By Sascha Samadi
What is the German “Energiewende”? Backgrounder “Energiewende” (German for “energy transition”) is the term used in Germany to describe the country’s efforts to transition away from an energy system dominated by fossil and nuclear fuels towards an efficient and sustainable energy system based predominantly or entirely on renewable energy sources. This text provides an overview of the “Energiewende”, whose roots can be traced back to the first large protests in Germany against the use of nuclear power in the 1970s. By Sascha Samadi
Energy efficiency in Germany - What is at stake? Explainer As Germany has few natural resources, energy efficiency helps its industry to lower energy costs and reduce dependency on countries that export fossil energy. Also the long-term goal of reaching 100% renewable energy produced in Germany can only be met if energy efficiency is optimized. By Senta Schmatzberger
State support for energy efficiency in buildings - A view from Germany Commentary One of the most influential European practice schemes to support energy efficiency investments in the building sector with public funds, was developed jointly by the German government with the KfW bank in 2006. Notwithstanding the program's scale, the annual renovation rate is still only around 1%, while around 3% is needed for a decarbonization of the building stock by 2045. By Senta Schmatzberger
What are Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and what is their status in Germany? Commentary Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) allow energy consumption of buildings to be compared, turning their energy efficiency into a selling argument when selling or renting out a building. This analysis looks at the status of EPCs in Germany. By Senta Schmatzberger
Fashion Sustainability: Achieving Circularity in Clothing Consumption Explainer The staggering amount of waste generated by the disposable fashion model has become a major problem over the years. Newer business models utilize systems thinking and aim to move away from a linear system and towards a closed loop scenario. By Olga Cieslak
What role could off-shore wind energy play in Europe's energy transition? Explainer In May 2022, four EU member states, Denmark, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, held the North Sea Summit in Denmark’s leading offshore harbor. They signed the Esbjerg Declaration, that will make the North Sea the green power plant of Europe, focusing on offshore wind and green hydrogen. By Karin Jensen
What is Germany's cleantech strategy? Backgrounder Since the 1970s, Germany has been a leader in cleantech and environmental protection, initially focusing on pollution control across water, air, soil, and waste. In the 1980s, attention shifted towards ending nuclear power and boosting renewable energy. With the millennium, the Energiewende, or energy transition, began affecting many sectors. Germany's strong high-tech and engineering background has increasingly concentrated on energy issues in recent decades, underlining the importance of understanding the evolution of its environmental policies. By Severin Beucker
The great decarbonization: An unforeseen catalyst for Enhanced integrity in the public sphere Explainer Corporate power in shaping public policy now faces a transformative challenge: the urgent decarbonization imperative. As businesses are propelled to the forefront of climate action, new frameworks emerge, elevating corporate accountability to align political engagement with global sustainability goals. By Dieter Zinnbauer