From Green Energy to the Green Car State? The Political Economy of Ecological Modernisation in Germany

ABSTRACT

In recent years, the role of the state in sustainability transitions has received increasing attention. Germany is often perceived as a forerunner in climate and environmental politics. Building on critical theories of the state, this paper explores the role of the German state in two key fields of society–nature relationships: energy (electricity) and transportation. Whereas Germany's energy transition (Energiewende) is widely praised internationally, its mobility transition (Verkehrswende) is a more difficult endeavour, as the German car industry is at the core of the national model of capitalism, specialising in the premium market segment. Against this background, Germany's status as an environmental leader is questioned as there is a strong state–capital nexus, which admittedly leaves space for green politics in case of intense social struggles. If, in addition, technological alternatives are developed embracing the potential to renew the country's ‘accumulation strategy’, the window of opportunity for green politics widens. In contrast to the Energiewende, which was at least partially accompanied by a decentralisation of power generation and the questioning of existing power relations, there is little indication that the German state will push for a mobility turnaround that goes beyond a limited greening of the automobile.

KEYWORDS:

• Accumulation strategy
• energy transition (Energiewende)
• Germany
• green state
• mobility transition (Verkehrswende)

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Fritz Thyssen Stiftung [grant number Az 10.17.2.041PO].

Notes on contributors

Tobias Haas

Tobias Haas joined the FFU as a research fellow in November 2017, having previously studied Macroeconomics and Political Science at the Free University, Berlin. After a short stay at TU Dresden, he worked as a research fellow at the Department for Political Economy and Economic Education at Eberhard-Karls University Tübingen (2012 and 2017). His doctoral thesis deals with the political economy of the energy transition in Germany and Spain in a European context.