by Dr. Norbert Röttgen, Federal Minister of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety

The signs are everywhere you look: Germany is moving into a new age of renewable energy. New wind parks are being constructed throughout the country, and some towns and villages boast a solar-power system on every single roof. Many buildings’ facades are obstructed by scaffolding – but only because they are being renovated and insulated to increase their energy
efficiency.

In short, things are changing. Germany is anticipating its future.

Smoking chimneys, leaky oil rigs and dirty trucks have no place in our vision for the future. We seek to resolve the perceived conflict between having a healthy environment and a strong economy, not just in theory, but in practice. We believe in growth, but a different sort of growth: a growth based on technologies that do not degrade our planet, but rather make it more livable for future generations. We want to turn Germany into the most efficient, resource-friendly economy in the world.

This is why we are accelerating the expansion of our renewable-energy capabilities. We aim to supply at least 35% of Germany‘s electricity mix with renewable energies by 2020 and at least 80% by 2050. While these targets are ambitious, they are entirely realistic. We already generate one-fifth of our electricity from renewable sources, and the growth rates are enormous. What is more, few other projects enjoy such a high level of public support. The transformation of Germany‘s energy system is truly a citizens' project. Private initiative and private capital are the real driving forces behind these changes.

The economic benefits of environmental and climate protection have long been understood. But the transformation of our energy system also holds major opportunities for German business. Throughout the world, energy and raw-material prices account for an increasingly large share of production costs. Any company that wants to remain internationally competitive over the long term has to invest in improving efficiency in these areas. There is another aspect to this as well: technologies that protect the environment and enhance efficiency are emerging as leading markets of the 21st century. Their global market volume already accounts for around 12 trillion, and annual growth rates of 5% to 6% are anticipated.

And there is at least one more reason to celebrate this good news: By transforming Germany’s energy system, we are not only securing employment and preparing our economy for the world of tomorrow – we
are decreasing our dependence on fossil-fuel imports as well. Renewable energies in Germany can already replace energy imports totaling around 17 billion a year. This strengthens supply security and creates a domestic value add. For all these reasons, we see the transformation of our energy system as a future “Made in Germany.”