Bundestag Climate protection in Fast track

Status: 06/24/2021 4:41 a.m.

The Bundestag wants to pass the stricter climate protection law today. The opposition speaks of a quick shot – and doubts the effect.

From Martin Polansky, ARD capital studio

The federal government hastily got the new climate protection law in motion. At the end of April, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled: The previous Climate Protection Act of 2019 must be improved because the measures to reduce emissions from 2031 are inadequate. After the decision in Karlsruhe, there would actually have been time until the end of next year to remedy the deficiencies. But the Union and the SPD wanted to prove their ability to act again in terms of climate protection.

Environment Minister Svenja Schulze from the SPD speaks of a “very important week for climate protection in Germany”. “This means that climate neutrality will become law in Germany in 2045. And with this, we will fulfill the mandate of the Federal Constitutional Court in the shortest possible time and ensure a fair balance between the generations.” The Karlsruhe judges had emphasized that future generations could be burdened too much in their freedoms by climate protection measures, if not changed in time.

2045 greenhouse gas neutral

The amendment now stipulates that Germany is to become greenhouse gas neutral as early as 2045 – i.e. from then on it will not emit more carbon dioxide than is absorbed primarily through forests. To achieve this, the annual savings targets for power plants, industry, traffic, agriculture and buildings are tightened.

And after a long turmoil, the federal government has agreed on some immediate measures: for example, additional wind turbines and solar systems in the coming year and simplified repowering, in which old wind turbines are replaced by new and higher ones. Communities should also benefit financially when they provide open space for solar systems.

And: The federal government has launched an eight billion euro investment program to accelerate the energy transition. “We want to involve the citizens with us. We want to get people excited about climate protection. That is why we rely on the promotion of environmental technologies,” says the chairwoman of the Union in the Bundestag Environment Committee, Anja Weisgerber from the CSU. “And we want to prevent jobs from being relocated due to excessively strict climate protection requirements. We achieved that in the agreement.” Some in the Union and the SPD are concerned that voters’ enthusiasm for climate protection could wane as soon as it becomes concrete and costly. Therefore, the SPD has blocked plans of the Union to increase the CO2 price for fuel, heating oil and natural gas, which has been in effect since the beginning of the year, more quickly.

Costs for the tenants?

At the same time, the CO2 costs for heating remain entirely with the tenants. The Union did not want to burden the landlords additionally. And: CDU / CSU have blocked the SPD’s plans for a significantly faster expansion of renewable energies. Because new wind turbines and power lines are unpopular in many places.

Criticism comes from the environmental expert of the Greens Oliver Krischer: “We have agreements in the smallest details that hardly make a difference in the matter,” he says. “And there is no progress at all with the major measures such as phasing out coal, refurbishing buildings, or switching off combustion engines.”

“A quick shot”

The Left and the FDP speak of an election maneuver. The federal government does not have a clear plan for climate protection, says the FDP environmental expert Lukas Köhler: “What the federal government is doing now is a quick shot that is neither coordinated at European level nor in any way really stipulates that it works efficiently and purposefully. ” With the government majority of the Union and SPD, the tightened climate protection is likely to pass the Bundestag today. The current federal government no longer has to achieve the new climate targets. To this end, future governments will be bound to the goal of greenhouse gas neutrality in 2045

Volume of eight billion euros Immediate climate program decided

Status: 23.06.2021 12:01 p.m.

The federal cabinet has launched an emergency program for climate protection. The program has a volume of eight billion euros – the promotion of energy-efficient buildings is the largest item. The federal government has decided on a so-called immediate program for climate protection worth a good eight billion euros. The program is part of the federal budget for 2022, presented by Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz. The climate finance plan is intended to help promote the switch to climate-friendly technologies and to achieve the federal government’s new climate targets.

Largest amount for energy-efficient buildings

The package of measures includes around three dozen funding programs for investments, for example in the building, energy and transport sectors, most of which will be allocated to the years 2022 and 2023. With 4.5 billion euros in the next two years, the largest sum is to go into promoting energy-efficient buildings. A total of one billion euros will also be earmarked for climate-friendly social housing in the coming years; 150 million euros should be available for this in 2022. The plan also includes the plan to raise the minimum energy standards for new buildings.

Hundreds of millions for climate protection contracts

The federal government intends to provide another larger amount – 650.2 million euros – for climate protection agreements with industry. These contracts are state funding programs that are intended to offset the additional costs for climate-friendly production, for example for the use of green hydrogen. The steel industry is to receive 100 million euros for converting its blast furnaces to hydrogen-based production processes. The total funding for industry amounts to 860 million euros. There are also more than a billion more for traffic. For example, more than 300 million euros have been budgeted for the expansion of the cycling infrastructure.

Scholz speaks of “money well invested”

After the cabinet decision, the Federal Finance Minister spoke of a “clear signal”: Germany should “become a pioneer in climate protection”. He praised the plan as “money well spent”. Man-made climate change is “the greatest challenge of our time”, continued Scholz.

In the past two years, the federal government had already invested more than 80 billion euros in climate protection projects. The financial plan that has now been adopted is a template for the coming legislative period. Only then can the Bundestag deal with it again within the framework of budget deliberations and adopt the program

Growing industry Billion dollar business with environmental protection

Status: 23.06.2021 10:45 a.m.

Environmental protection is increasingly becoming an economic factor, especially in manufacturing. According to the Federal Statistical Office, sales are increasing and hundreds of thousands of jobs have been created in Germany. Environmental and climate protection are increasingly proving to be a lucrative business for industry and service providers. As the Federal Statistical Office announced, the industry achieved sales of 73.6 billion euros in 2019, 3.1 percent more than in the previous year.

Three quarters of this was achieved in the manufacturing sector, first and foremost in mechanical engineering (22.1 billion euros), followed by electrical equipment (6.5 billion euros) and the manufacture of cars, trucks and buses – and parts for them (5.8 billion euros) Euro).

The construction and maintenance of apparatus for air pollution control has grown particularly strongly. Here sales climbed by more than a third to 10.5 billion euros. These were mainly products for exhaust gas and exhaust air treatment, such as catalytic converters. In the area of ​​electromobility (limited to cars, trucks and buses), sales of 2.5 billion euros were reported in 2019, 24 percent more than a year earlier.

Over 300,000 employees

Energy-saving drive and control technology, the construction of onshore wind turbines, the thermal insulation of buildings, and the renovation and construction of sewer systems also ensured business worth billions.

The growing importance of environmental protection for the German economy is also leading to the creation of new jobs, so-called “green jobs”. The number of employees who contributed goods or services to the industry was 305,000 in 2019. Compared to the previous year, the number rose by almost 16,000. More than two thirds of the employees in the sector were employed in manufacturing companies

Trend reversal in local transport The train discovers the surface

Status: 06/22/2021 6:53 p.m.

Deutsche Bahn reactivates 20 disused routes and expands again into the area. The goal: Local transport should also become more attractive for people in rural areas.

Of Ulrich Crüwell, rbb

Despite all – partly justified – criticism of Deutsche Bahn AG: No other means of transport is under the same economic pressure as rail transport. “The rail is the only transport infrastructure that is shrinking. It is the only transport infrastructure that has to pay off. If we apply these standards to motorways, some roads in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania would have to be demolished immediately,” says Dirk Flege, the managing director of Allianz per rail.

The rail network is growing for the first time in ninety years

But the shrinking of the rail network has finally come to an end, says Flege and speaks of a turning point. The railway is no longer dismantling, but the network is growing – as the federal government has longed for.

In their coalition agreement, the Union and the SPD agreed to double the number of passengers by 2030. But despite political will, the rail network became smaller and smaller and the road network increasingly dense by 2020. Many smaller cities lost their rail connections. But now Deutsche Bahn is putting 20 disused routes with a total length of 245 kilometers back into operation. “This is clearly just the beginning,” announced Jens Bergmann, head of planning at the DB Netz division. For people who live in the countryside, this could be good news.

Historical undesirable developments

For Martin Henke from the Association of German Transport Companies, it is even a historic one, because it ends an undesirable development that began ninety years ago with the construction of the first motorway. In the fifties and seventies there were real shutdown programs for railway lines, according to Henke. The Germans clearly preferred the car and built one of the densest motorway networks in the world.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, it was a matter of optimizing, and politicians wanted the railway to be privatized as a stock exchange company. Rural local transport turned into a losing business. Deutsche Bahn speaks of a downward spiral: “If demand fell, little was done to make the route more attractive for passengers or freight traffic again.” According to Allianz pro Schiene, more than 15 percent of the rails were decoupled between 1990 and 2020 alone. But the mood in the country seems to have changed. The rail is experiencing broad political and social support, says association representative Henke. And this mood could also change the group.

“Every kilometer of track is active climate protection”

Among other things, the railway is putting closed connections in sparsely populated regions in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Schleswig-Holstein back into operation. Whether big money can be made with it seems at least questionable. But apparently that is no longer that important – what counts is political and social will.

Bergmann, board member of Deutsche Bahn, formulates the corporate objective as follows: “We want to attract more people to the railways, get more goods on the rails. Every kilometer of track is active climate protection.”

Energy and climate package Triple steps or big litter?

Status: 22.06.2021 4:35 p.m.

Shortly before the summer break, the Union and the SPD agreed on an energy and climate package. It is intended to help achieve the goals of the new Climate Protection Act. According to this, Germany should be greenhouse gas neutral by 2045.

From Martin Polansky, ARD capital studio

Shortly before the end of the legislative period, the Bundestag is due to pass the stricter climate protection law this week. And now the Union and the SPD have agreed on a package with initial measures on how the more ambitious climate targets are to be achieved in the coming years. The chairwoman of the Union in the Bundestag Environment Committee, Anja Weisgerber from the CSU, welcomes the agreement. “It is definitely a clear step forward. And with everything we also pay attention to the effects on the economy, on jobs and people’s acceptance.”

Expansion of renewable energies – with restrictions

The government groups have specifically agreed on additional new wind and solar systems in the coming year, on simplified repowering, in which old wind turbines will be replaced by new and higher ones. CSU environmental expert Weisgerber emphasizes that the effects on species protection and noise emissions should continue to be examined. But simplified approval procedures are necessary in order to expand renewable energies more quickly and thus achieve the climate targets. The agreement also provides financial benefits for communities that provide rural open spaces for solar systems. The Union and the SPD could not agree on a faster increase in the CO2 price or the distribution of CO2 costs between tenants and landlords each half. And solar compulsory for new buildings is also off the table. This was not feasible with the Union, says the deputy SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch: “We cannot enforce this measure in such a constellation. I believe that the next government must first and foremost conclude a future pact between the federal, state and local governments , which provides for a binding expansion path for renewable energy sources. ”

Opposition and associations disappointed

Criticism of the resolutions comes from the opposition. The FDP speaks of campaign activism by the Union and the SPD, the Left calls the resolutions a sham campaign. The environmental expert of the Greens, Oliver Krischer, speaks of small, triple steps: “That is not what we need for climate protection. That is politics with our hands in our pockets and not the answer to the climate crisis.”

The BUND and the Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband also criticize the resolutions as half-hearted: they are not only unambitious, but there is also no social compensation for tenants, for example. The Bundestag is to adopt the package of measures on Thursday together with the new climate protection law. This provides for Germany to become greenhouse gas neutral in 2045 – five years earlier than previously planned. In addition, the Federal Cabinet wants to launch an eight billion euro immediate program tomorrow to promote investments in the energy transition. However, the immediate program can only be finally adopted by the upcoming Bundestag

No agreement in the coalition Tenants have to bear the CO2 price alone

Status: 22.06.2021 4:31 p.m.

The coalition seemed to be in agreement: landlords and tenants should share the CO2 costs on oil and gas in the future. But the Union no longer went along with it. Associations and the opposition are angry – and generally criticize the climate protection concept. For the time being, tenants in Germany will have to bear the additional costs due to the CO2 price on oil and gas alone. An agreement reached by the federal government weeks ago to relieve tenants has now failed. The Union faction did not want to participate, did not want to burden landlords and landlords additionally. “A division of the additional CO2 costs between tenants and landlords would be counterproductive, since the CO2 price is intended to steer behavior”, said Union faction vice-chairman Thorsten Frei of the news agency dpa.

Incentive to produce less CO2

It should be worthwhile for the consumer if he uses less CO2, said Frei. That was the reason why the Union faction rejected the division. After all, landlords are not responsible for heating costs, according to Frei.

At the same time, Frei emphasized that it had already been ensured that it was not closed “social imbalances” come “Those who receive transfer payments receive their housing costs from the state. Those who are entitled to housing benefit have received ten percent more since the beginning of the year in order to cushion the CO2 price”said Frei.

Criticism from the SPD and the tenants’ association

The SPD side, on the other hand, expressed its disappointment. The Union has refused to include the landlords and landlords in the higher CO2 costs for living. This leave you behind “bitter aftertaste”said SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich. “Now the tenants alone have to bear the additional costs”, he said. “This is not how we imagine social climate protection.”

Of a “impending price shock” SPD parliamentary deputy Sören Bartol spoke for tenants “Editorial network Germany” (RND). The no from the CDU and CSU to the division model “exposes the social coldness of the Union”, he said. The German Tenants’ Association called the regulation in the RND newspapers one “hit in the face” of the tenants.

Additional expenses of up to 160 euros

The cabinet decision of May 12th originally provided that landlords should bear 50 percent of the costs of the national CO2 price in future tenancies. According to the current legal situation, tenants take on the costs arising from CO2 pricing, currently EUR 25 per tonne.

The consequence of the regulation: If heating continues to be mainly fossil fuel, it will be expensive. Like the portal “Check24” has calculated, the CO2 price of 25 euros for a family with a rented apartment and a consumption of 1000 liters of heating oil per year results in additional costs of almost 79 euros. A family with a house has to pay about twice as much.

Eight billion euros for climate protection

Originally, the now burst relief for tenants was noted in the so-called immediate climate protection program. The immediate program will now go into the cabinet without the corresponding passage. It essentially contains the plan for the distribution of the eight billion euros that are to be used in addition to climate protection measures in the coming years. But the coming federal government has to implement this. SPD parliamentary deputy Matthias Miersch, who negotiated the details of the climate and energy program with the Union to the end, spoke of one “Bridge to the next legislative period”. Miersch criticized the concept for the expansion of renewable energies as a failure. Here it was not possible to give the federal states binding targets, for example for the expansion of wind energy on land. Giving wind and solar energy a boost through changes in the law is now the task “Future task of the next government”said Miersch. Environment Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) referred to RTL / n-tv on concrete progress, for example in the replacement of climate-damaging oil heating systems, but also admitted: “We could do a lot more.”

The Federal Climate Protection Act is to be passed quickly

The Federal Climate Protection Act, which is due to pass this week by the Bundestag and Bundesrat, forms the framework for all measures and financial plans. This will anchor the new climate goals that the federal government had set for itself just two weeks after a ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court in May. The judges in Karlsruhe had instructed the federal government to regulate the national path to the reduction of climate-damaging greenhouse gases even beyond the year 2030.

Germany is aiming for greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045, five years earlier than originally planned. Then only as much climate-damaging gas should be emitted as can be neutralized again. Politicians argued for weeks about the right way to get there and only agreed on the final key points on Monday.

Aviation industry Corona isn’t the only problem

Status: 06/18/2021 6:46 a.m.

Aviation has been hit particularly hard by the Corona crisis. But the industry is also under pressure when it comes to climate protection. Will the change now succeed?

From Michael Immel, ARD aviation expert

The mood in the aviation industry has brightened. Because quite a few planes are filling up again, and many people are looking forward to their summer vacation. And so bookings are going through the roof almost everywhere these days: Lufthansa, Eurowings and Condor – all are experiencing a huge summer trend.

Will the first be the last?

The “National Aviation Conference”, which today is attended by top representatives from politics, business and trade unions at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport, wants to continue this positive trend. But it won’t be easy. Even if capacity utilization is now increasing sharply: over the year as a whole, the aviation industry will probably only end up at 40 to 50 percent of the pre-crisis level. Lufthansa boss Carsten Spohr had already stated last spring: “We were the first industry to be affected by this global crisis and aviation will be one of the last to leave it.”

Remove travel restrictions

In the joint declaration on the aviation conference to be signed in Berlin today, it is therefore stated: “After around 15 months of almost total standstill, the German air transport system is suffering from massive economic losses. Therefore, further decisions and measures are necessary to revive air traffic to support.”

It is primarily about travel restrictions that are to be lifted gradually. And to simplify travel, in particular through a digital vaccination certificate for proof of vaccination, recovery and test results. This should accelerate the processes at the airports.

Successful and sustainable

In the nine-page paper that tagesschau.de is available, the main focus is on a green strategy for the German aviation industry. The revival should be based entirely on sustainability. Climate protection, eco-efficiency and sustainable competitiveness: These are the future topics for the entire industry – which has also understood that lip service alone will not be enough in the future.

“An essential instrument for climate protection in air traffic is the rapid and continuous renewal of the aircraft fleets”, it says in the Berlin declaration. New commercial aircraft would emit up to 25 percent less CO2 than the previous generation. With the collapse of air traffic, however, the renewal of the fleet has largely come to a standstill. “That is why the federal government has initiated a funding program to provide an economic incentive for the fleet renewal. We are continuing to advocate for the rapid approval of the program under state aid law during this legislative period.”

Criticism from unions

Meanwhile, in the run-up to the aviation conference, there is massive criticism from unions. According to the ver.di survey, 16 percent of the workforce have left air transport since the beginning of the pandemic. “The numbers of downsizing are frightening,” said Mira Neumaier, ver.di federal specialist group leader for aviation, who is also taking part in the aviation conference today.

“In view of the extremely thin workforce even before the start of the pandemic and the great stress situation for the employees, it is to be feared that a regulated restart in air traffic – even at 50 percent of the pre-crisis level – will no longer be affordable.”

Securing jobs

“It is not enough to save corporations,” warns Stefan Herth, president of the cockpit pilots’ union. “The short-time work allowance was an important measure in the acute crisis. What we now need is the sustainable safeguarding of jobs. In the past year and a half, politics has shown too little commitment here,” said Herth.

As a major shareholder, the federal government also has the responsibility not to lose sight of the well-being of employees when making important business decisions. “Wage dumping and social cuts at state expense must not be accepted anywhere.”

Podcast

Podcast No Short haul flights more? So what?

Status: 06/17/2021 10:09 a.m.

Suppose there are no more short-haul flights. Is that how we save the climate? And how full does it get on the trains and on the motorway? A thought experiment.

A plane ticket for the route from Berlin to Amsterdam for 50 euros – and the cheapest train ticket for 80 euros – this is the price difference between short-haul flights and rail travel on many connections in Germany or to neighboring European countries. No wonder that short-haul flights continue to be extremely popular in Germany. Even in the pandemic year 2020 is every second passenger flight covered a short distance of less than 1,000 kilometers – although the number of flights has fallen significantly overall due to the corona.

Will everyone then switch to the car?

There is currently heated political discussion again about abolishing short-haul flights for reasons of climate protection. But would that really save the climate? What impact would it have on our everyday life, our next vacation and the economy if there were suddenly more shorter flights. And then does everyone switch to the car or rather to the train? The two correspondents answer these questions Sophie von der Tann and Kristin Becker from the ARD capital studio in Berlin and search for the future podcast of daily News together with experts for answers.

Thought experiments in the Tagesschau podcast

“let’s assume” is that award-winning * future podcast the daily News . Every week a six-person team of correspondents thinks from the ARD capital studio in Berlin a current political idea into the future and plays through the possible consequences in a thought experiment: Let’s assume that Germany would no longer export weapons – what would the political consequences be? Or suppose that cash would be abolished – what effects would that have on our everyday lives and the economy? Numerous experts help to find answers to these questions, Positive examples from other countries show what is already possible elsewhere today and thus provide new impulses in political debates. You can listen to the audio podcast “once accepted” at home or on the go on your smartphone at any time. Every Thursday a new episode appears here on our website in which Tagesschau app , in the ARD audio library and on numerous other podcast platforms. * Winner of the “Prix Europa” 2020 in the “Digital Audio Project” category

Clarification from Brinkhaus Petrol is also becoming more expensive with the Union

Status: 11.06.2021 10:40 a.m.

When it comes to the issue of gasoline prices, the focus is on the Greens. The grand coalition decided to increase the price of CO2 a long time ago. Union faction leader Brinkhaus made this clear again, but demanded an appropriate transition period. In the dispute over rising gasoline prices, Union parliamentary group leader Ralph Brinkhaus has made it clear that gasoline would also become more expensive with the Union at the head of the future federal government. “Petrol is getting more expensive, now a little bit, in the second half of this decade it will be really more expensive,” said the CDU politician in Im ARD morning magazine . This was already decided in autumn 2019. “The fight against climate change will not be for free.”

Not the “if”, but the “when” is up for debate

It is important to create realistic and fair transition periods. Germans do not have to sell their cars immediately, but they do have to be prepared to switch to electric cars or low-consumption cars in the future. The social question is not that gasoline will become more expensive. “But the social question is: Do people have a transition period that is long enough to adapt,” said Brinkhaus. This applies not only to gasoline, but also to heating. The plan is to absorb the rising prices through subsidy programs.

Gasoline price hike long been a done deal

In the debate about higher fuel prices, government spokesman Steffen Seibert had recently made it clear that the prices for fuels such as gasoline and diesel would rise in the coming years anyway. The federal government has decided to scale the CO2 price up to 2025, which already has “effects on all fuel prices”, said Seibert last Friday. This applies equally to gasoline, diesel and heating oil. The background to the statements: The coalition of the Union and the SPD had introduced CO2 pricing in traffic and buildings as a central measure in the fight against climate change. Since the beginning of the year, the CO2 price has been 25 euros per ton. According to previous plans, it should rise to 55 euros by 2025. According to calculations, this would mean a surcharge of at least 15.5 cents for a liter of petrol and at least 17.4 cents for a liter of diesel.

Baerbock’s advance fueled debate

In line with the new climate goals of the federal government, the Greens are calling for the increase to be brought forward and for the CO2 price to be raised to 60 euros per ton as early as 2023. At the same time, they propose to give back 75 euros each from the state revenue from the CO2 price to the citizens in order to avoid social upheaval. Most recently, the Green Chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock fueled the debate. According to her party’s draft program, she advocated a gasoline price increase of 16 cents and, after her announcement, received a lot of criticism, especially from the ranks of the SPD. CSU General Secretary Markus Blume also accused the Greens of proceeding ideologically in the climate debate. “For Annalena Baerbock, climate protection is above all a fight against drivers,” Blume told the media. Mobility shouldn’t be a luxury. Rural areas and commuters will not be allowed to bear the burden unilaterally.

A clear majority rejects gasoline price increases

Environmental groups have long accused the parties of “dishonest election campaigns at the expense of the climate and biodiversity” and argued that the German government itself initiated the price of CO2, which is already making fuel more expensive and will continue to make it more expensive. The opinion of the Germans is pretty clear: According to the latest GermanyTrend three quarters (75 percent) of Germans reject a gasoline price increase. 22 percent think such a measure is a step in the right direction. A switch from internal combustion engines to electric drives in cars is also rejected by 57 percent. 37 percent would support such a measure.

Despite the disruptions caused by the corona pandemic, the conversion of the energy supply to more sustainable resources has made progress. Last year almost $ 500 billion was invested in the energy transition worldwide, more than ever before. 92 of 115 countries examined have made progress since 2010, reports the Foundation of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Geneva. Eight of the ten largest economies in the world have also committed to becoming climate neutral by the middle of the century, i.e. not emitting any more CO2 on balance. “All of the leading ten economies have significantly improved their ecological sustainability, especially when it comes to reducing the carbon footprint in the energy mix, supported by strong political commitment and investments in the energy transition,” writes the WEF. The number of people without electricity has decreased significantly since 2010.

Fossil fuels still dominate

But there is still a lot to be done. The authors of the study point out that in 2018 81 percent of global energy came from fossil fuels, and global emissions rose steadily in the period up to 2019. 770 million people around the world still have no access to electricity. The experts also note that the progress made in the energy transition is very uneven. High-income countries made more progress than emerging economies compared to the rest of the world. The world ranking of the countries with the greatest efforts in this area (“Energy Transition Index”) is headed by Sweden, followed by Norway and Denmark. Of the ten largest economies in the world, only Great Britain and France are in the top 10. They only cause around three percent of energy-related CO2 emissions and make up around two percent of the world’s population.

Germany does not belong to the top group

Germany does not belong to the top group. The Federal Republic has moved up from 20th place to 18th place in a year-on-year comparison, but this means that progress has been limited. The reason is the still high share of coal-fired electricity in the energy supply, while France and Great Britain benefit from the largely emission-free nuclear energy. The USA was in 24th place (after 32nd place in the previous year), China on 68 (78), India fell from 74 to 87. It remains to be seen whether the restructuring of the energy supply is really sustainable. The corona pandemic has questioned the resilience of the energy transition, the WEF states. Because many countries simply lack the necessary money to push ahead with the restructuring of their energy supply. Digitization poses a further danger for energy systems. This would create new risks that would jeopardize the “reliability, resilience and affordability” of future energy, according to the WEF. In this decade it is therefore important to guarantee the implementation of the energy transition and to push it further. For this to succeed, it is “of crucial importance” that politics work hand in hand with private actors in the economy. Of course, the prerequisite is that the global economy quickly gets back on its feet after the end of the pandemic. This is the only way to create a resilient energy transition.