In Germany, the energy transition continues

ABSTRACT

In 2010, German Chancellor Angela Merkel followed the cue of previous national leaders in announcing that the country would reduce its overall greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2020. But consumer revolt about electricity prices, inaction by the country’s powerful auto industry, and technological hurdles made that goal look increasingly unreachable – until the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year. Now, in the equivalent of a come-from-behind goal just before the final whistle, it looks like Germany did reach its target. According to a new analysis (https://www.agora-energiewende.de/en/press/press-releases/corona-year-2020-record-declines-in-carbon-emissions-and-coal-power/) by the German energy think tank Agora Energiewende, it cut overall emissions by 42 percent from 1990 levels. But as the climate crisis intensifies, is even one of the world’s most disciplined and hard-working climate players ambitious enough?

KEYWORDS:

• Energiewende
• Agora Energiewende
• German energy transition
• Angela Merkel
• carbon dioxide emissions

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. See https://www.agora-energiewende.de/en/press/press-releases/corona-year-2020-record-declines-in-carbon-emissions-and-coal-power/

2. See https://insideclimatenews.org/news/13112012/germany-energiewende-clean-energy-economy-renewables-solar-wind-biomass-nuclear-renewable-energy-transformation/

3. See https://insideclimatenews.org/news/01102013/ww-ii-era-law-keeps-germany-hooked-brown-coal-despite-renewables-shift/

4. See https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15102020/germany-coal-transition/

5. See https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/11/world/europe/eu-climate-emissions.html

6. See https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/renewables-produce-more-power-fossil-fuels-germany-first-time

7. See https://insideclimatenews.org/news/11062020/germany-transportation-auto-industry-volkswagen-tesla-clean-energy/

8. See https://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/natur/waldsterben-in-deutschland-foerster-warnen-vor-klimakrise-a-1279002.html

9. See https://www.faz.net/aktuell/gesellschaft/deutscher-wetterdienst-annulliert-temperaturrekord-17106796.html

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Peter Friederici

Peter Friederici is a professor in the School of Communication at Northern Arizona University, where he teaches science communication. He is the author, with photographer Peter Goin, of the book A New Form of Beauty: Glen Canyon Beyond Climate Change (https://uapress.arizona.edu/book/a-new-form-of-beauty), and is completing a new book on climate change and narrative.