A recent Bertelsmann study highlights Germany's mixed performance on the road to climate neutrality, ranking it seventh among 30 EU and OECD countries. While Germany is among the top ten industrialized nations, it falls short of leading positions held by Nordic countries and Spain. The study evaluates the effectiveness of policies in climate protection, energy transition, and the circular economy.
Germany's energy transition ranks only fifteenth, hindered by inadequate coordination in modernizing its power grid and a slow shift away from fossil fuels. On the circular economy front, Germany secures eighth place, needing clearer action plans and appropriate indicators. Despite these challenges, Germany's overall climate strategy is deemed "mostly ambitious" due to legally binding climate targets and sector-specific emission limits.
The study emphasizes the importance of better aligning goals and measures for the energy transition and circular economy. The new climate protection law, allowing sector goals to be offset against each other, could impact future progress. Nordic countries and Spain excel due to clear targets for climate neutrality and resource efficiency, supported by detailed action plans and comprehensive implementation metrics.
The study critiques even these leading nations for retaining environmentally harmful subsidies, with Sweden recently relaxing some environmental regulations. Denmark, however, receives praise for its coordinated approach to achieving emissions-free energy by mid-century. Meanwhile, Canada, Australia, Israel, Poland, and Hungary lag behind in the rankings.
The Bertelsmann study underscores that for climate policy to gain widespread public support, it must balance environmental goals with economic concerns. Expanding climate-neutral infrastructure like public transport is recommended to make sustainable living more accessible and acceptable to all societal sectors.
