Research Report: Findings from a Survey among the Stakeholders of the German Energy System

Abstract

Given that coal combustion is the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in many countries, and against the background of more ambitious efforts to mitigate climate change since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015, coal mining and combustion have become increasingly contested. A number of jurisdictions around the world have either announced or already implemented a phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation. This report summarizes the results from a survey among the stakeholders of the German energy system. Germany is a particularly important case for coal transitions for several reasons: The country is not only the largest energy consumer in the European Union, but also the largest producer of brown coal in the world and among the top ten countries in terms of coal-fired power generation. As part of the country’s efforts to contribute to climate change mitigation, Germany has adopted a policy to phase-out coal in 2020. The policy was praised by a number of stakeholders, but also criticised by many others, for instance because it is likely not ambitious enough to help reaching Germany’s internationally agreed climate policy targets. This report compiles systematic insights into stakeholders’ preferences, views and activities surrounding the political process, and to better understand patterns and channels of political influence in German energy politics.

Keywords: Coal phase-out, energy transition, Germany, stakeholder perceptions

JEL Classification: H54, Q38, Q40, Q48, Q50, Q54, Q58