ABSTRACT
The national context of climate policies Germany is a highly industrialised country with a population of 81.5 million, or 227 people per square kilometre (Statistisches Bundesamt, 2016). GDP per capita is €34,271 (2013) (Statistisches Bundesamt 2014). Total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other major greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) amounted to 912 Mt CO2-equivalents (2014) most of which was accounted for by
CO2 (Umweltbundesamt 2015). GHGE per capita in Germany are above the EU average. GHGE related to GDP are more in line with neighbouring countries. In the early 1990s the largest part of the CO2 emission reductions was achieved by the decline of energy-intensive heavy industry and the modernisation of the coal-based power companies in East Germany, the former German Democratic Republic (GDR). Later GHGE reduction improvements were, however, caused by policy interventions; this is particularly true for the time after 1998. According to the EU burden sharing agreement (see Chapter 1) about 75 per cent (259 Mt) of the EU-15 member states’ collective GHGE reduction target (342 Mt) have to be achieved by Germany alone. Coal-based power and energy-intensive heavy industry are the main domestic causes of GHGE. Germany is phasing out its (highly subsidised) hard coal mining by 2018, although it still remains the most important producer worldwide of lignite coal: this is a highly problematic issue because of its high carbon content. Even in 2014 the share of coal-based electricity was still 43.2 per cent while the share of nuclear power amounted to 15.8 per cent, which constituted a clear reduction compared with 29.2 per cent in 2002, the year when the RedGreen coalition government adopted a law to phase out nuclear power. By 2015 the share of ‘green’ electricity had climbed to 30 per cent (AGEB 2015). In the early 1970s, under Chancellor Willy Brandt (SPD), Germany developed into one of the leading European countries in environmental policy. However, during that time period Germany’s environmental ambitions remained largely focused on the domestic level. In other words, Germany acted as an environmental pioneer that adopted progressive environmental measures primarily on the national level. It was only from the early 1980s onwards when Germany adopted a more active role also on the EU and international level thus developing into an environmental leader which was keen to attract followers. Germany has a strong environmental movement (Markham 2008; Mez 2013). With five to six million members, its membership is close to that of the trade unions. Environmental reporting by the media – especially the public media – has steadily increased in its quantity, range and importance. The Green party has been represented in the German Bundestag (lower house) since 1983. Germany has several ‘green’ industry organisations such as BAUM (Bundesdeutscher Arbeitskreis für Umweltbewusstes Management) and Future as well as the most highly developed environmental protection industry in Europe (Ernst & Young 2006; BMUB 2014).
