Headline: Expert Panel Discussion: The German Energiewende as a Development Prospect in the 21st Century

2015 is considered to be a ground-breaking “year of summits”, with far-reaching decisions for combining development prospects with the future protection of the climate and global resources: This autumn, the international community will readjust the Millennium Development Goals, which will then be called Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and in December, it will get together for a crucial climate summit in Paris that is to produce a succession treaty for the Kyoto Protocol.

But it is already apparent now that neither the SDGs nor the long-term protection of the climate can become a reality without the transformation of energy systems. This requires a rapid “decarbonisation of the global economy”, as G7-leaders have just stated in the final document of the summit in Elmau.

Germany has entered the path towards an energy transition already with substantial investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency. The Energiewende has triggered technological innovations taking effects well beyond Germany’s borders. The costs of power generation from renewable sources, for example, have fallen steadily in recent years and are now competitive in many regions of the world. That way the parameters for the energy sector, access to energy and for the compatibility of environmental protection and prosperity have fundamentally changed – thus opening up great new opportunities for development, particularly in poorer countries. At the same time, renewable energies increase the opportunities for climate protection in emerging and developing countries where energy consumption is set to rise for some time longer.

This expert panel discussion, organised by KfW and IASS, will deal with the importance of the German Energiewende for international development cooperation and international climate protection. What does the energy transition mean for international development and climate policy? How can the transition be organised globally to ensure that as many people as possible benefit from it and social prosperity is generally increasing? What role does it play with respect to the new SDGs? What opportunities will arise from technological progress and how can German experiences in this field be utilized in developing countries?

Panelists:

  • Rainer Baake, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
  • Prof. Klaus Töpfer, Executive Director of the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam
  • Héla Cheikhrouhou, Executive Director of the Green Climate Fund
  • Jairam Ramesh, Indian Member of Parliament and former Environment Minister

Host: Melinda Crane

Opening speech: Dr. Norbert Kloppenburg, member of KfW’s Executive Board

The Berlin Expert Panel Discussion on Globalisation takes place at the KfW office in Berlin, Charlottenstr. 33/33a, 10117 Berlin and starts at 6.30 p.m. Simultaneous interpreting between German and English will be provided.