Energiewende can become "export hit" for Germany – op-ed by foreign minister

Many countries see Germany as a pioneer of the energy transition and the government will make greater use of this role to push action also on an international scale, writes German foreign minister Heiko Maas in an op-ed in the WirtschaftsWoche. “What we in Germany have embarked upon with the Energiewende is now taking place on a much larger scale worldwide,” writes Maas. In order to make its trademark Energiewende an export hit, Germany must continue on its own path, deal with the security policy implications of climate change, continue to offer partnerships to help countries with their transitions, support regional energy networks, and push for global standards for renewable energy production. This transition creates big opportunities, not just for pioneers such as Germany or China, but also for “many developing countries,” where energy from the sun, wind and water offers the chance to skip the fossil age, reduce dependencies and secure the energy supply of the population and the economy, writes Maas.

The German government invites high-level policymakers and other international guests to the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue next week (9-10 April) -- an annual international forum for key stakeholders from the energy sector. Germany, which started its two-year term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations' Security Council (UNSC) at the beginning of 2019, has made the security implications of the world's changing climate one of its priorities for 2019-2020. It currently holds the one-month presidency of the UNSC.