5 – Germany’s Energy and Climate Policy: Secure and Sustainable?

BerlinsideOut

This episode looks at how Germany long ignored the strategic and geopolitical implications of its energy policy. Whether it was the Russian gas of the past, the Qatari gas Germany has now replaced it with, or German dependence on China for many of the materials it needs for its transition to renewable energy - heating and powering Germany has long been dependent on authoritarian regimes that even pose a security threat to the country and its stated values. Meanwhile, the need to quickly replace Russian energy – on the back of its longer-standing decision to ditch nuclear power - has seen Germany turn to coal, jeopardizing its climate commitments. All of this has also affected Germany’s allies and so we look at the hard choices Berlin now has to make on energy – for both national security and the climate.

Guests:

• Loyle Campbell, Energy & Resource Policy Research Fellow, DGAP (@LoyleCampbell)
• Claudia Kemfert, Professor of Energy Economics & Energy Policy, German Institute for Economic Research (@CKemfert)
• Simon Vaut, Senior Policy Officer, German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (@simonvaut)
• Wiebke Winter, CDU Bremen Deputy Chair and Founder of Klima Union (@wiebkewinter)

Resources:

• Schockwellen: Letzte Chance für sichere Energien und Frieden (In German), Claudia Kemfert
• Russian war crimes: The end of German illusions?, Appearance on Deutsche Welle’s “To the point” by Claudia Kemfert
• Emissions Mitigation as a National Security Investment, Tim Bosch, Loyle Campbell & Dr. Kira Vinke, DGAP
• Renewable Energy, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action
• Klima Union
• OPINION: How many massacres will it take before Germany turns off Russian gas?, Brian Melican, The Local Germany
• Timothy Snyder: Germany’s Historical Responsibility for Ukraine, Euromaidan Press, YouTube

This podcast is an original production of the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP). It was created as part of DGAP's Action Group Zeitenwende.

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