Impact of German “Energiewende” on Gas: Responding to Marginalisation in a Politicised Environment

Abstract

Germany—the 6th largest emitter of CO₂ worldwide—considers herself a front runner on climate protection. However, massive investments in renewable energy have not resulted in a visible reduction of GHG emissions since 2010/2011, whilst the potential of gas for climate protection remains largely neglected. An increasing political desire to heavily rely on (renewable) electricity also in the heating and mobility sector puts even more focus on renewable electricity and puts further pressure on gas demand already now. The gas industry cannot sit and wait for technical/commercial issues of an “all-electric economy” to surface. It needs to be vocal: gas must prove the point of delivering solutions for the low-carbon society. Proactive communication—postulating effective and affordable climate protection through the integration of renewables and gas—is required to make an impact on all relevant stakeholders, in particular at the political level. This includes involving the interest of other key stakeholders in this debate, e.g. other industries, consumer protection groups, trade unions and the like.