Air pollution in Germany

Last updated

Air pollution in Germany has significantly decreased over the past decade.[ when? ] Air pollution occurs when harmful substances are released into the Earth's atmosphere. These pollutants are released through human activity and natural sources. Germany took interest in reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by switching to renewable energy sources. Renewable energy use rate from 6.3% in 2000 to 34% in 2016. [1] Through the transition to renewable energy sources, some people believe Germany has become the climate change policy leader and renewable energy leader in the European Union (EU) and in the world with ambitious climate change programs, though Germany's CO
2
emissions per capita are in fact among the highest in Europe, almost twice those of e.g. France. The current goal of the German government was approved on 14 November 2016 in the German Climate Action Plan 2050, which outlines measures by which Germany can meet its greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. [2] By 2050, Germany wants to reduce their GHGs by 80 to 95% and by 2030 they want to reduce it by 55%, compared to the EU target of 40%. [3]

Contents

In order to achieve these goals, a variety of strategies and policies are used rather than legislation. The four strategies the German government bases air pollution control on are laying down environmental quality standards, emission reduction requirements according to the best available technology, production regulations, and laying down emission ceilings. [4] Through these strategies, policy instruments have been put in place that have contributed to the success of the significant air pollution reduction in Germany. These instruments include the Federal Emission Control Act and Implementing Ordinances, Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control (TA Luft), Amendment to Ordinance on Small Firing Installations, Implementation of the directive on industrial emissions, and Transboundary air pollution control policy. [5] The German Feed-in-Tariff policy introduced in 2000 led to the significant increase in renewable energy use and decreasing air pollution. [6] They have been introduced in Germany to increase the use of renewables, such as wind power, biomass, hydropower, geothermal power, and photovoltaics, thereby reducing GHG emissions causing air pollution and combating climate change. [6]

The German government has been an agenda setter in international climate policy negotiations since the late 1980s. [7] However, national and global climate policies have become a top priority since the conservative-social democratic government came into power in 2005, pushing both European and international climate negotiations. [7] Positive path dependency in Germany's climate and energy policies has occurred over the past 20 years. [7] There are three main triggers that put Germany on this positive path dependency and what led them to becoming a climate change policy leader. The first being the widespread damages to health, due to smog, and to nature, due to acid rain, caused by air pollution. [7] The second being the shock of the two oil price crises, in 1973 and 1979, that highlighted the problem of the German economy's strong dependence on unsure foreign sources. [7] The third being the growing opposition to the country's growing reliance on nuclear energy. [7] Air pollution began to be seen as a problem in Germany due to these three triggers, causing Germany to put policies into place to control air pollution. [8] This has now developed from controlling air pollution to being a leader in climate change politics.

Background

Air pollution may cause diseases, allergies, or death in humans. It may also cause harm to other living organisms, such as animals and crops, and may cause damage to the environment. Air pollution can be generated by both human activity and natural processes.

An air pollutant is a substance in the air that can have adverse effects on humans and the ecosystem.

The major primary pollutants produced by human activity include:

Secondary pollutants include:

Sources

There are various locations, activities or factors which are responsible for releasing pollutants.

Anthropogenic (man-made) sources

These are mostly related to the burning of multiple types of fuel.

  • Stationary sources include smoke stacks of power plants, factories, waste incinerators, furnaces and other types of fuel-burning heating devices.
  • Mobile sources include motor vehicles, marine vessels, and aircraft.
  • Controlled burn practices in agriculture and forest management.
  • Fumes from paint, hair spray, varnish, aerosol sprays, and other solvents.
  • Waste deposition in landfills, which generate methane.
  • Military resources, such as nuclear weapons, toxic gases, germ warfare, and rocketry.

Historical roots of Germany's air pollution policies

"Modern" environmental policies first began to be developed in the 1960s, with the United States, Japan, Sweden, and to some extent Great Britain at the forefront in establishing new environmental institutions, procedures, instruments, standards, and technologies. [7] Learning from these countries, Germany quickly caught up, especially in the area of air pollution control policy. [11] The largest triggers for change were:

  1. The widespread damages to health (smog) and nature (acid rain) caused by air pollution.
  2. The shock of the two oil price crises (1973 and 1979) that highlighted the problem of the German economy's strong dependence on unsure foreign sources.
  3. The growing opposition to the country's growing reliance on nuclear energy. [7]

As early as 1977, green groups participated in elections to district parliaments. [7] In the European elections of 1979, several such groups put up candidates with a "green label", attracting almost one million votes. [7] During the rise of the green party, environmental issues triggered major and partly violent conflicts. [7] Since the late 1980s, a more cooperative policy style developed between the various actor groups and institutions. [7] The high integrative capacity of the German political system and the willingness of the "organized" green movement to become more cooperative are important features explaining the mostly cooperative climate policy that followed in the 1980s. [7]

The integration of a green political party in the political-administrative system distinguishes Germany from the United States and Japan. The German election system is one of proportional representation. Once the 5% hurdle is overcome, a party achieves representation in parliament. [7] The German federal government and the electoral system tend to promote cooperation. The system of proportional representation makes it difficult for any single party to gain enough seats in the parliament to form a government by itself. [7] Therefore, coalition governments are a basic German feature. The system encourages negotiation and consensus politics on and between all levels of government because it applies to all federal, state, and local bodies. [7] These very specific political-cultural preconditions have influenced Germany's policy style in the area of climate change.

The German public has been largely supportive of the German government's initiatives. An increased perception of vulnerability to climate change appears to motivate German citizens to be willing to change in the hopes of spurring necessary global efforts. Germany's vulnerability to the physical effects of climate change is much lower than the risk to the United States, Japan, Australia and Spain. However, risk perceptions among the population are high. [7]

There is also the issue of the perceived economic costs of action. In Germany, in contrast with many other countries, climate action is not considered to be an economic burden. The additional financial burden on the average household has been rather small, although it has increased in the form of a growing tax burden. [12] Although certain measures have clear and distinct costs, there is a growing belief that the broader efforts to move to cleaner technologies have created economic "winners" as well. [7] Green technology and renewable energy sectors have created many new jobs. In addition, the dependency on the world energy market for fossil resources is decreasing, reducing Germany's economic-political vulnerability. [7] Thus, a structural change toward a climate-sensitive energy policy has been adopted with almost no social conflicts. [7] These positive employment and foreign energy policy effects of climate-related policies have played an imported role in the public's climate change discourse.

Germany's climate change policies

Germany is well on the way to meeting the standards of air pollution control set by the EU. For sulfur dioxide and volatile organic compounds it is sufficient to apply the measures already adopted and implemented in the past. [5] However, additional reductions are needed for nitrogen oxides and ammonia. [5] The necessary reductions in nitrogen oxide emissions will be achieved in the transport sector and in stationary installations. [5] The necessary reductions for ammonia emissions will be achieved in the agriculture sector. [5]

Strategies for controlling air pollution

The German government bases air pollution control on four strategies: [5]

  1. Laying down environmental quality standards
  2. Emission reduction requirements according to the best available technology
  3. Production regulations
  4. Laying down emission ceilings

Policy instruments for controlling air pollution

1. Federal Emission Control Act and Implementing Ordinances

Air quality control in Germany is mainly governed by the Act on the Prevention of Harmful Effects on the Environment caused by Air Pollution, Noise, Vibration and similar Phenomena. [5]

2. Technical instructions on air quality control (TA Luft)

A modern instrument for German authorities to control air pollution. They contain provisions to protect citizens from unacceptably high pollutant emissions from installations as well as requirements to prevent adverse effects on the environment. It lays down emissions limit values for relevant air pollutants from installations. Existing installations must also be upgraded to the best available technology. [5]

3. Amendment to ordinance on small firing installations

This instrument entered into force in March 2010 and was an important step toward reducing particulate matter emissions from small firing installations, such as stoves. The amended requirements for new installations and modernization of existing installations will especially achieve a noticeable average reduction in particulate matter emissions of 5 to 10% in the residential areas concerned. [5]

4. Implementation of the directive on industrial emissions

A significant share of the necessary emissions reductions to meet the targets proposed by Germany and the EU will be achieved by the implementation of the directive on industrial emissions. [5]

5. Transboundary air pollution control policy

A large proportion of pollution in Germany is due to transportation through the air over long distances from neighbouring countries. Therefore Germany determined it to be important to develop a transboundary air pollution control policy in order to increase the air quality in Germany. For this reason, the German government is actively involved in the constructive dialogue on air pollution control measures at both the European and international level. [5]

Feed-in tariffs

Feed-in tariffs (FiT) for electricity have been introduced in Germany to encourage the use of new energy technologies such as wind power, biomass, hydropower, geothermal power, and solar photovoltaics. [6] Feed-in tariffs are policy mechanisms designed to accelerate investment in renewable energy technologies by providing them with remuneration (a "tariff") above the retail or wholesale rates of electricity. [13] Germany was the first country to implement feed-in tariffs by passing its Energy Feed-in Law in 1990. [13] Many early FiT policies set one rate for all renewable energy technologies, more recently FiT programs are using various rates depending on the type of technology, location, size of the project, and the quality of resources, allowing FiTs to promote multiple renewable energy technologies. [14] Although Germany's FiT program began in 1990, it has been amended and revised in 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2011. [14] This allows Germany to alter the policies, as the economy and technologies for renewable energy changes. The mechanism provides long-term security to renewable energy producers, typically based on the cost of generation of each technology. [15] For instance, technologies such as wind power, are given a lower per-kWh price, while technologies such as solar PV and tidal power are given a higher price, reflecting its higher costs. [15]

As of July 2014, the feed-in tariffs range from 3.33 ¢/kWh for hydropower facilities over 50 MW to 12.88 ¢/kWh for solar installations on buildings up to 30 kWp and 19 ¢/kWh for offshore wind. [16]

In August 2014, a revised German Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) entered into force. From this revised act, specific deployment corridors now stipulate the extent to which renewable energy is to be expanded in the future and the feed-in tariffs gradually will no longer be fixed by the government, rather they will be determined by auction. [17] Wind and solar power will be targeted over hydro, gas, geothermal and biomass. [17]

The goal of the feed-in tariffs is to meet Germany's renewable energy goals of 40 to 45% of electricity consumption by 2025 and 55 to 60% by 2035. [18] The policy also aims to encourage the development of renewable energy technologies, reduce external costs, and increase security of energy supply. [19]

Future developments

German Climate Action Plan 2050

The German Climate Action Plan 2050 was approved by the German government on 14 November 2016. [2] It is a climate protection policy document that outlines the measures that Germany will take to meet its national greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals by 2050, as well as service its international commitments under the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement. [2] Projections from the ministry of environment in September 2016 indicate that Germany will likely miss its 2020 climate target. [20]

Climate targets

On 28 September 2010, Germany announced the following greenhouse gas emissions targets. [18]

Target20142020203020402050
Greenhouse gas

emissions (base year 1990)

-27%-40%-55%-70%-80 to -95%

In October 2014, the European Council decided on a target of at least a 40% reduction in domestic greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 relative to 1990 for the EU, this is less stringent than Germany's targets. [21]

Sector targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions for 2030

Sector199020142030Reduction

(2030 relative 1990)

Energy466358175-18361-62%
Buildings20911970-7266-67%
Transport16316095-9840-42%
Industry283181140-14349-51%
Agriculture887258-6131-34%
Other3912587%
Total1248902543-56255-56%
Units: million tonnes CO2eq

[22]

Commission for growth, structural change, and regional development

The Climate Action Plan 2050 establishes a commission for growth, structural change, and regional development. However, unlike earlier versions of the Germany's climate change plans, the commission will not set a date for an exit from coal. Instead, the commission will develop a mix of instruments that will bring together economic development, structural change, social acceptability and climate protection. [23] The commission will be based at the economics and energy ministry, but will consult with other ministries, federal states, municipalities, and unions, as well as with representatives of companies and regions that may be affected. [23] The commission is scheduled to begin work at the beginning of 2018 and report at the end of 2018. [23]

Related Research Articles

Emissions trading is a market-based approach to controlling pollution by providing economic incentives for reducing the emissions of pollutants. The concept is also known as cap and trade (CAT) or emissions trading scheme (ETS). Carbon emission trading for CO2 and other greenhouse gases has been introduced in China, the European Union and other countries as a key tool for climate change mitigation. Other schemes include sulfur dioxide and other pollutants.

An emission inventory is an accounting of the amount of pollutants discharged into the atmosphere. An emission inventory usually contains the total emissions for one or more specific greenhouse gases or air pollutants, originating from all source categories in a certain geographical area and within a specified time span, usually a specific year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energy policy of Australia</span> Overview of the energy policy of Australia

The energy policy of Australia is subject to the regulatory and fiscal influence of all three levels of government in Australia, although only the State and Federal levels determine policy for primary industries such as coal. Federal policies for energy in Australia continue to support the coal mining and natural gas industries through subsidies for fossil fuel use and production. Australia is the 10th most coal-dependent country in the world. Coal and natural gas, along with oil-based products, are currently the primary sources of Australian energy usage and the coal industry produces over 30% of Australia's total greenhouse gas emissions. In 2018 Australia was the 8th highest emitter of greenhouse gases per capita in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenhouse gas emissions by the United States</span> Climate changing gases from the North American country

The United States produced 5.2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2020, the second largest in the world after greenhouse gas emissions by China and among the countries with the highest greenhouse gas emissions per person. In 2019 China is estimated to have emitted 27% of world GHG, followed by the United States with 11%, then India with 6.6%. In total the United States has emitted a quarter of world GHG, more than any other country. Annual emissions are over 15 tons per person and, amongst the top eight emitters, is the highest country by greenhouse gas emissions per person. However, the IEA estimates that the richest decile in the US emits over 55 tonnes of CO2 per capita each year. Because coal-fired power stations are gradually shutting down, in the 2010s emissions from electricity generation fell to second place behind transportation which is now the largest single source. In 2020, 27% of the GHG emissions of the United States were from transportation, 25% from electricity, 24% from industry, 13% from commercial and residential buildings and 11% from agriculture. In 2021, the electric power sector was the second largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 25% of the U.S. total. These greenhouse gas emissions are contributing to climate change in the United States, as well as worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act of 2007</span> Green industrial policy bill in the 110th Congress introduced by Bernie Sanders

The Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act of 2007 (S. 309) was a bill proposed to amend the 1963 Clean Air Act, a bill that aimed to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). A U.S. Senator, Bernie Sanders (I-VT), introduced the resolution in the 110th United States Congress on January 16, 2007. The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works but was not enacted into law.

The environmental effects of transport in Australia are considerable. Australia subsidizes fossil fuel energy, keeping prices artificially low and raising greenhouse gas emissions due to the increased use of fossil fuels as a result of the subsidies. The Australian Energy Regulator and state agencies such as the New South Wales' Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal set and regulate electricity prices, thereby lowering production and consumer cost.

Greenhouse gas emissions by Australia totalled 533 million tonnes CO2-equivalent based on greenhouse gas national inventory report data for 2019; representing per capita CO2e emissions of 21 tons, three times the global average. Coal was responsible for 30% of emissions. The national Greenhouse Gas Inventory estimates for the year to March 2021 were 494.2 million tonnes, which is 27.8 million tonnes, or 5.3%, lower than the previous year. It is 20.8% lower than in 2005. According to the government, the result reflects the decrease in transport emissions due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, reduced fugitive emissions, and reductions in emissions from electricity; however, there were increased greenhouse gas emissions from the land and agriculture sectors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Clean Energy and Security Act</span> Proposed United States climate and energy legislation (Waxman-Markey); never passed

The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) was an energy bill in the 111th United States Congress that would have established a variant of an emissions trading plan similar to the European Union Emission Trading Scheme. The bill was approved by the House of Representatives on June 26, 2009, by a vote of 219–212. With no prospect of overcoming a threatened Republican filibuster, the bill was never brought to the floor of the Senate for discussion or a vote. The House passage of the bill was the "first time either house of Congress had approved a bill meant to curb the heat-trapping gases scientists have linked to climate change."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate change policy of the United States</span> Overview of the climate change policy of the United States of America

The climate change policy of the United States has major impacts on global climate change and global climate change mitigation. This is because the United States is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gasses in the world after China, and is among the countries with the highest greenhouse gas emissions per person in the world. In total, the United States has emitted over 400 billion metric tons of greenhouse gasses, more than any country in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air quality law</span> Type of law

Air quality laws govern the emission of air pollutants into the atmosphere. A specialized subset of air quality laws regulate the quality of air inside buildings. Air quality laws are often designed specifically to protect human health by limiting or eliminating airborne pollutant concentrations. Other initiatives are designed to address broader ecological problems, such as limitations on chemicals that affect the ozone layer, and emissions trading programs to address acid rain or climate change. Regulatory efforts include identifying and categorising air pollutants, setting limits on acceptable emissions levels, and dictating necessary or appropriate mitigation technologies.

The, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began regulating greenhouse gases (GHGs) under the Clean Air Act from mobile and stationary sources of air pollution for the first time on January 2, 2011. Standards for mobile sources have been established pursuant to Section 202 of the CAA, and GHGs from stationary sources are currently controlled under the authority of Part C of Title I of the Act. The basis for regulations was upheld in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in June 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants</span>

The Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (CCAC) was launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and six countries—Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana, Mexico, Sweden, and the United States—on 16 February 2012. The CCAC aims to catalyze rapid reductions in short-lived climate pollutants to protect human health, agriculture and the environment. To date, more than $90 million has been pledged to the Climate and Clean Air Coalition from Canada, Denmark, the European Commission, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United States. The program is managed out of the United Nations Environmental Programme through a Secretariat in Paris, France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Co-benefits of climate change mitigation</span> Positive benefits of greenhouse gas reduction besides climate change mitigation

Co-benefits of climate change mitigation are the benefits related to mitigation measures which reduce greenhouse gas emissions or enhance carbon sinks.

The German Climate Action Plan 2050 is a climate protection policy document approved by the German government on 14 November 2016. The plan outlines measures by which Germany can meet its various national greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals through to 2050 and service its international commitments under the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement. The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), under minister Barbara Hendricks, led the development of the plan. The plan was progressively watered down since a draft was first leaked in early May 2016. Projections from the environment ministry in September 2016 indicate that Germany will likely miss its 2020 climate target.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental issues in Kuwait</span>

Located in the Middle East, Kuwait is a relatively small country that has been the center of many political and economic issues over the past few decades. Stemming from these tensions, Kuwait as well as other countries in the region, including Iran, Iraq, and Qatar face threats from environmental issues. A loss of agriculture due to climate change, pollution from the country's oil industry and Oil Fires of 1991 as well as damages to agriculture and biodiversity are just some of the common environmental issues. The Kuwaiti government has worked to mitigate and adapt to these issues through policy and the creation of agencies to research, educated and inform about environmental problems, their sources, and their effects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate change in Germany</span> Emissions, impacts and responses of Germany related to climate change

Climate change in Germany is leading to long-term impacts on agriculture in Germany, more intense heatwaves and coldwaves, flash and coastal flooding, and reduced water availability. Debates over how to address these long-term challenges caused by climate change have also sparked changes in the energy sector and in mitigation strategies. Germany's energiewende has been a significant political issue in German politics that has made coalition talks difficult for Angela Merkel's CDU.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green economy policies in Canada</span>

Green economy policies in Canada are policies that contribute to transitioning the Canadian economy to a more environmentally sustainable one. The green economy can be defined as an economy, "that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities." Aspects of a green economy would include stable growth in income and employment that is driven by private and public investment into policies and actions that reduce carbon emissions, pollution and prevent the loss of biodiversity.

As the most populous state in the United States, California's climate policies influence both global climate change and federal climate policy. In line with the views of climate scientists, the state of California has progressively passed emission-reduction legislation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate change in Israel</span> Climate change in Israel

Climate change in Israel refers to the effects of climate change attributed to man-made increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide in the nation of Israel. The Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection has reported that climate change "will have a decisive impact on all areas of life, including: water, public health, agriculture, energy, biodiversity, coastal infrastructure, economics, nature, national security, and geostrategy", and will have the greatest effect on vulnerable populations such as the poor, the elderly, and the chronically ill.

Various environmental issues are facing Wales, including climate change, pollution and ecosystem loss, and the various policies to address them.

References

  1. Burger, Bruno (2017). "Power Generation in Germany". Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE.
  2. 1 2 3 "Germany's Climate Action Plan 2050". Clean Energy Wire. 2016-11-14. Retrieved 2017-03-08.
  3. Energie, Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und. "Vierter Monitoring-Bericht "Energie der Zukunft", Englische Kurzfassung". bmwi.de (in German). Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  4. "Clean Air Made in Germany". german-sustainable-mobility.de. 2014. Archived from the original on 2020-01-02. Retrieved 2017-03-08.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 BMUB, Internetseite des Bundesumweltministeriums. "General Information". bmub.bund.de. Archived from the original on 2018-03-25. Retrieved 2017-03-08.
  6. 1 2 3 "The German Feed-in Tariff - futurepolicy.org". futurepolicy.org. 2015-07-15. Retrieved 2017-03-09.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Weidner, Helmut; Mez, Lutz (2008). "German Climate Change Policy: a success story with some flaws". The Journal of Environment and Development. 17: 356–378. doi:10.1177/1070496508325910. S2CID   154728956.
  8. Winfried Huck, Jennifer Maaß, Saparaya Sood, Tahar Benmaghnia, Alexander Schulte, Sarah Heß, Marc-Anthony Walter: The Right to Breathe Clean Air and Access to Justice - Legal State of Play in International, European and National Law in 8(22) International Institutions: Transnational Networks, 2021, pp. 18-21, available at SSRN: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3808572
  9. "Causes and Effects of Smog - Conserve Energy Future". Conserve Energy Future. 2013-02-22. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  10. Canada, Government of Canada, Environment and Climate Change (3 June 2004). "Environment and Climate Change Canada - Air - 5.2.5 - Ground Level O3". ec.gc.ca. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  11. Weidner, H. (2002). Environmental policy and politics in Germany. In U. Desai (Ed.), Environmental politics and policy in industrialized countries (pp. 149-201). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
  12. Bundesminister für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit. (2008). Erneuerbare Energien in Zahlen [Renewable energy sources in figures]. Berlin, Germany: Author
  13. 1 2 Cornfeld, Josh; Sauer, Amy (2010). "Feed-in Tariffs". Environmental and Energy Study Institute.
  14. 1 2 Burgie, Brent; Crandall, Kelly (2009). "The Application of Feed-in Tariffs and Other Incentives to Promote Renewable Energy in Colorado". Department of Regulatory Agencies. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.624.7014 .
  15. 1 2 Policymaker's Guide to Feed-in Tariff Policies, U.S. National Renewable Energy Lab, www.nrel.gov/docs/fy10osti/44849.pdf
  16. "German Feed-in Tariffs 2014 (01-07)". German Energy Blog. 2014-07-29. Archived from the original on 2017-07-03. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  17. 1 2 Making a success of the energy transition: on the road to a secure, clean and affordable energy supply (PDF). Berlin, Germany: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). September 2015.
  18. 1 2 The Energy of the Future: Fourth "Energy Transition" Monitoring Report — Summary Archived 2016-09-20 at the Wayback Machine (PDF). Berlin, Germany: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). November 2015.
  19. HM Treasury (2006). Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change Archived October 24, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. p. 367.
  20. Egenter, Sven; Wettengel, Julian (7 October 2016). "Ministry projections highlight risk of Germany missing emissions goal". Clean Energy Wire (CLEW). Berlin, Germany.
  21. European Council (23 and 24 October 2014) — Conclusions on 2030 Climate and Energy Policy Framework — SN 79/14 (PDF). Brussels, Belgium: European Council. 23 October 2014.
  22. Climate Action Plan 2050: Principles and goals of the German government's climate policy Archived 2017-12-15 at the Wayback Machine (PDF). Berlin, Germany: Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz, Bau und Reaktorsicherheit (BMUB). 14 November 2016.
  23. 1 2 3 Amelang, Sören; Wehrmann, Benjamin; Wettengel, Julian (17 November 2016). "Germany's Climate Action Plan 2050". Clean Energy Wire (CLEW). Berlin, Germany.