Abstract
Germany was one of the first countries in the world to embark on a process of defining concrete policy options to deal with climate change. The Parliamentary Enquiry Commission Protection of the Earth’s Atmosphere was established in 1987, and its first report (Enquete-Kommission 1990) was a milestone in the analysis of potential climate policy measures, setting the tone for subsequent discussions in Germany. Climate policy has been an issue of considerable political importance in Germany ever since. German politicians have repeatedly proclaimed that Germany is a frontrunner in climate protection (Gabriel 2006) and German Chancellors have used this claim to stake out a leading role in international climate negotiations. Despite this, research on German climate policy is surprisingly sparse (exceptions include Michaelowa 2003; Bailey and Rupp 2004), although specific elements of German policy, such as negotiated agreements and ecological taxes, have attracted more attention (Bailey and Rupp 2005; Bailey 2007).
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© 2008 Axel Michaelowa
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Michaelowa, A. (2008). German Climate Policy Between Global Leadership and Muddling Through. In: Compston, H., Bailey, I. (eds) Turning Down the Heat. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230594678_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230594678_9
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