GJETC report 2020 : German-Japanese cooperation in energy research ; supporting the closure of implementation gaps ; key results and policy recommendations

The German-Japanese Energy Transition Council (GJETC) was established in 2016 by experts from research institutions, energy policy think tanks, and practitioners in Germany and Japan. The objectives and main activities of the Council and the supporting secretariats are to identify and analyze current and future issues regarding policy frameworks, markets, infrastructure, and technological developments in the energy transition, and to hold Council meetings to exchange ideas and propose better policies and strategies. In its second project phase (2018-2020), the GJETC had six members from academia on the Japanese side, and eight members on the German side, with one Co-Chair from each country. From October 2018 to March 2020, the GJETC worked on and debated six topics: 1) Digitalization and the energy transition. 2) Hydrogen society. 3) Review of German and Japanese long-term energy scenarios and their evaluation mechanism. 4) Buildings, energy efficiency, heating/cooling. 5) Integration costs of renewable energies. 6) Transport and sector coupling. The outputs and the recommendations of the second phase of the GJETC are summarized in this report

GJETC report 2018 : intensified German-Japanese cooperation in energy research ; key results and policy recommendations

The challenges and also potentials of the energy transition are tremendous in Germany, as well as in Japan. Sometimes, structures of the old energy world need "creative destruction" to clear the way for innovations for a decarbonized, low-risk energy system. In these times of disruptive changes, a constructive and sometimes controversial dialog within leading industrial nation as Japan and Germany over the energy transition is even more important. The German-Japanese Energy Transition Council (GJETC) released a summarizing report for the first project phase 2016-2018. It includes jointly formulated recommendations for politics as well as a controversial dialogue part. The Council jointly states and recommends that: Ambitious long-term targets and strategies for a low-carbon energy system must be defined and ambitiously implemented; Germany and Japan as high technology countries need to take the leadership. Both countries will have to restructure their energy systems substantially until 2050 while maintaining their competitiveness and securing energy supply. Highest priority is given to the forced implementation of efficiency technologies and renewable energies, despite different views on nuclear energy. In both countries all relevant stakeholders - but above all the decision-makers on all levels of energy policy - need to increase their efforts for a successful implementation of the energy transition. Design of the electricity market needs more incentives for flexibility options and for the extensive expansion of variable power generation, alongside with strategies for cost reduction for electricity from photovoltaic and wind energy. The implementation gap of the energy efficiency needs to be closed by an innovative energy policy package to promote the principle of "Energy Efficiency First". Synergies and co-benefits of an enhanced energy and resource efficiency policy need to be realized. Co-existence of central infrastructure and the growing diversity of the activities for decentralization (citizens funding, energy cooperatives, establishment of public utility companies) should be supported. Scientific cooperation can be intensified by a joint working group for scenarios and by the establishment of an academic exchange program

Die Energiewende – Aufbruch in die Zukunft

L'équipe TerrFerme se réunira le jeudi 11 mars au laboratoire PRODIG dans le cadre d'un atelier de travail consacré aux travaux de Marc Bernardot, Professeur de sociologie à l’Université du Havre, qui sera présent. A partir du thème Du foyer au camp, il s'agira de réfléchir à la manière dont la perspective du logement permet d’approfondir et/ou de revisiter l’analyse des lieux d’enfermement. Seront aussi abordés le positionnement scientifique de l’auteur, ses évolutions et ses pratiques ..

Die Energiewende – Aufbruch in die Zukunft

Die Energiewende ist ein Paradigmenwandel, der Politik, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft vor große Herausforderungen stellt, aber zugleich erhebliche Chancen offeriert. Kernenergie und fossile Energieträger sollen durch erneuerbare Energien ersetzt werden und die Energieeffizienz soll in einem bis dahin nicht dagewesenen Maß verbessert werden. In diesem Beitrag werden zunächst einige Missverständnisse beleuchtet, die derzeit die öffentliche Diskussion beherrschen. Anschließend werden die konkreten Ziele, die vielfältigen Maßnahmen und das Monitoring der Energiewende sowie die differenzierte institutionelle Struktur zur politischen Abstimmung und zur Einbeziehung gesellschaftlicher Gruppen dargestellt. Die ersten Schritte der Energiewende in Deutschland waren insgesamt erfolgreich. Defizite und offene Fragen bestehen hingegen insbesondere bei der Steigerung der Energieeffizienz, der künftigen Gestaltung des Strommarktes und der von allen Seiten eingeforderten Reform der Förderung von Strom aus erneuerbaren Energien. Insgesamt erfordert die Energiewende einen verlässlichen und gleichzeitig kreativen Prozess zur Einführung neuer Technologien und Strukturen, der alle Sektoren und Akteure sowie die europäische Dimension einbezieht. Summary The German ”Energiewende“ constitutes a paradigm shift. While posing challenges to politics, the economy and society, it also offers new opportunities. Nuclear power and fossil fuels will be replaced with renewable energy and energy efficiency will be substantially increased. This article first discusses several misconceptions present in the current debate. Next, concrete targets, political measures and the monitoring process of the Energiewende are outlined. This includes a description of the institutional structure for political coordination and the involvement of different societal groups. Overall, the first steps of the Energiewende in Germany are successful. However shortcomings and open questions, particularly relating to the increase of energy efficiency, future power market design, and a reform of the support scheme for renewable power generation, which is requested by all parties. The Energiewende requires a process that is simultaneously stable and flexible, facilitating the introduction of new technologies and structures, including all sectors and actors as well as the European dimension. JEL Classification: Q42, Q4

Erwartungen an die Weltklimakonferenz in Paris

Die Klimakonferenz in Paris ist mit großen Hoffnungen verbunden, den Klimawandel wirksam einzugrenzen. In einem globalen Abkommen der Staatengemeinschaft sollen nach jahrelangen Verhandlungen die Voraussetzungen dafür geschaffen werden, dass sich das Klima durchschnittlich um nicht mehr als 2êC erwärmt. Die Ausgangspositionen der einzelnen Länder sind extrem unterschiedlich. Die Autoren stellen ihre Einschätzungen zu den erwarteten Ergebnissen der Konferenz vor.While the Paris agreement is likely to be a political success, it is unclear if it will lay the foundation for a successful long-term climate policy. An effi cient mitigation policy necessitates substantial transfers. Ensuring that the debate is focused on justice claims based on needs rather than on culpability is crucial for successful negotiations. Many economists advocate price instruments such as taxes or emission trading to control greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and, at the same time, predict that no climate agreement containing such policies will ever emerge. So far they have been proven right. Nevertheless, the COP21 in Paris opens the way for a new bottom-up approach. Voluntary promises by countries to reduce GHGs have already made considerable progress towards meeting the globally agreed two degree goal, although they are not suffi cient to actually meet it. Additional effort beyond voluntary contributions will be needed to make sure that most of the fossil energy sources remain in the ground and not emitted into the atmosphere