Notes on the Climate – Germany’s Parliamentary Elections: Grand Coalition of Enviornmentalists?

Germany will elect a new parliament on 22 September. Compared to the last federal election campaign in 2009, international climate policy is only playing a minor role. Instead, the climate policy issues of the campaign are dominated by the turnaround in energy policy that has been initiated in Germany. This article compares the climate policy goals and strategies as well as proposals on selected problem areas in the energy-policy turnaround as presented in the programmes of the five parties currently represented in parliament. The comparison illustrates significantly different positions, especially in further subsides for renewable energy, the future of fossil fuels and in the area of renovations to make buildings more energy efficient.