Energy Independence Council
Developing a feasible and ambitious strategy to reduce Germany's dependence on natural gas
Germany is dependent on natural gas. Natural gas still accounts for 26.7% of total energy consumption in 2021 and 32.8% in the first quarter of 2022, the majority of which is for heating (25.5%) and industry (25.1%). While there are clear and ambitious climate policy goals in Germany, as well as expansion targets for renewable energies, there is no clear plan on how to reduce natural gas dependency at a corresponding pace and in the long term. The geopolitical consequences of the war in Ukraine further increase the risk of strengthening Germany’s dependence on gas, undermining climate policies.
This project aims to develop and advocate for a feasible and ambitious strategy to reduce Germany’s dependence on natural gas. The Fachrat Energieunabhängigkeit (Energy Independence Council) comprises eight interdisciplinary experts, combining technical knowledge of the energy transition with fiscal, financial and macroeconomic expertise. This is a joint initiative between the ZOE Institute and the Climate Finance Fund to develop an economic policy agenda focused on the built environment and industrial use of gas. In seven meetings, the experts will create a realisable strategy to reduce natural gas dependency, focusing specifically on the role of the labour market, as well as industrial, fiscal and financial policy.
The council members are:
- Frank Peter (Director of Agora Industrie, Vice-director Agora Energiewende, industrial transformation expert)
- Prof. Adam Tooze (Economic Historian, Professor at Columbia University and Director of the European Institute)
- Kristina Jeromin (Managing Director of the Green & Sustainable Finance Cluster Germany)
- Prof. Dr. Tom Krebs (former advisor to the German government, macro- and labour economics expert)
- Caroline Herkströter (Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright, financial law expert)
- Dr. Martin Pehnt (Scientific and Managing Director at ifeu, energy transition and buildings expert)
- Tariq Noori (Head of Group Strategy & Sustainability at DZ BANK AG)
- Dr. Anna Leipprand (Senior Researcher, Future Energy and Industry Systems, Wuppertal Institute)
