Germany's energy transition lags behind other European countries
Dec 28, 2022
Due to climate change, European countries are committed to the transition to green power. A joint study by the UK's New Energy and Clean Technology Association (REA) and energy management company Eaton shows that Germany is not progressing as fast as other countries, although it wants to be a pioneer in this area. Experts have comparatively assessed the framework conditions for the energy transition in 13 European countries. On a scale of 1-5, Germany is ranked 3rd, with Ireland, Italy, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and the UK in the same league. Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden are ranked at level 4, with only Finland reaching the highest level of 5. Germany, despite a strong consensus on the energy transition, has been slow to implement political and regulatory reforms. One reason for this is that decision-making is subject to different local interests.
Experts believe that in order to achieve the energy transition goals, Germany needs more resources to increase the flexibility of the electricity market. Germany is the largest electricity market among the countries surveyed. 41% of Germany's electricity consumption will be green in 2021, rising to 49% in the first half of 2022. The federal government plans to increase the share of green power to at least 80% by 2030.
