ABSTRACT
Energy security and sustainability are twins, born in 1713. In 1713, Hans Carl von Carlowitz first spelled out the foundations for sustainability as a concept and sustainable development as an objective by establishing principles and practical rules for forest management and the rational use of forest resources. In modern terms, the defence sector and national security, and the money supply and thus economic stability were all directly dependent on mining output, and so energy security was at the heart of policy considerations. The 'oil shocks' induced by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) revealed an economic component of energy security that had been neglected in the decades before. Germany is well endowed, to varying degrees, with all forms of energy, starting with relatively abundant forest cover over about one-third of its territory. Germany is most vulnerable to the effects of climate change along the North Sea and Baltic coasts, but these are not densely populated.
