Energiewende 2030: the big picture

Germany has been an early adopter and significant driver of what has now become a global trend towards energy transitions. Today, international competition and cooperation have drastically driven down the costs of wind turbines, photovoltaics and batteries, kick-starting renewable generation worldwide. These and other developments are dissolving the longstanding antagonism between economic and climate interests. In every year since 2013, more capacity has been added from renewables than from all other energy sources combined, as investors shift their focus from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

This report proposes specific steps Germany should take to reach its climate target of at least minus 55 % greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels by 2030, and it describes the challenges and opportunities that this transition holds for the 4th largest economy in the world. While this report is focused on Germany, it also offers insights that stand to benefit the rest of the world: among other things, it spotlights strategies for integrating the power, transport and heating sectors, and illuminates crucial principles that should inform energy policy, such as promoting energy efficiency and creating reliability and predictability through the means of legal frameworks.

Of course, Germany still has much to learn from other countries, too. I therefore encourage you to send us your comments and criticisms so that together we can usher in renewable, affordable and reliable energy systems across the globe.