Sven Egenter

Germany to let local utilities close gas grids where demand declines permanently Germany is preparing a draft law to enable local utilities to phase out gas grids as they plan for a climate neutral future. Utilities have voiced concerns that a lack of rules governing the phase-out remains a major obstacle in the decision-making process to decommission grids or convert them to green gas. According to the draft, utilities would have to inform affected users well in advance and provide information on alternatives and subsidies.

Germany to let local utilities close gas grids where demand declines permanently

Draft law to enable utilities to convert or decommission distribution grids as they plan for climate neutral future

German railway operator plans to use green steel tracks Germany’s railway operator is planning to use steel produced in a climate-friendly way for its infrastructure modernisation. As part of a pilot project, Deutsche Bahn (DB) signed a supply contract with Saarstahl Rail for around 22 kilometres of rail tracks made from green steel, the operator said.

German railway operator plans to use green steel tracks

Deutsche Bahn signs supply contract for around 22km of rail tracks made from green steel

Germany welcomes EU 2040 target deal "success" criticised as "very weak signal" ahead of COP30 by NGOs

Compromise aims for 90% reduction, allows carbon offsetting abroad and delays parts of the EU’s emissions trading system

www.cleanenergywire.org/news/german-...

Who would have thought given all the talk about people’s unwillingness to act on climate

Hamburg referendum backs more ambitious climate action, 2040 net-zero target

Result forces city government to toughen climate law, despite warnings about costs and feasibility

www.cleanenergywire.org/news/hamburg...

Important information to contextualise debate about job losses in German car (supply) industry & ICE ban 2035. It's about structural changes (job losses at highly-specialised companies) and profit margins (delay to ICE ban), not about a failure to understand what the future of mobility looks like.

German industrial output falls to 2005 levels as auto sector craters

Output in car industry down 18.5 percent compared with the previous month ahead of chancellor's 'car summit' in Berlin

www.ft.com/content/745f...

The 2024 CLEW Summer Academy planted seeds for big stories

Read about alumni collaborations into food systems & carbon capture:
🍽️ www.journalismfund.eu/feeding-euro...
🏭 www.journalismfund.eu/carbon-captu...
& more to come!

If you want to make a new Summer Academy possible, get in touch or donate!

Well done, Academy alumni @frnzskschwrz.bsky.social, @meriemm.bsky.social, @simonguichard.bsky.social & Carlotta Indiano!

A taxonomy ruling by the ECJ, the State of the European Union speech, a new Strategic EU-India Agenda, a high-speed rail network plan, and a global vision w/ #energy + #climate diplomacy objectives ahead of #COP30

This and more in our updated EU agenda

www.cleanenergywire.org/factsheets/w...

Germany misses out on large-scale batteries' potential to stabilise grid – report Large-scale batteries already take and provide electricity in a way that helps stabilise Germany’s grids without causing additional costs, but their contribution could be much higher, according to a report by consultancy Neon. 

Germany misses out on large-scale batteries' potential to stabilise grid – report

Grid-related price signals could increase grid-friendly behaviour, say authors

www.cleanenergywire.org/news/germany...

Majority of workers in Germany already feel affected by climate change – insurer The majority of workers in Germany feel that climate change has had an effect on their workplace, a survey by health insurer TK has found. Sixty percent of surveyed people said that climate change had impacted the job and health of employees in their company in recent years, with outdoor workers feeling most affected.

Majority of workers in Germany already feel affected by climate change – survey

Sick notes with certain diagnoses issued more than twice as often as expected seasonally during hot days, finds insurer

www.cleanenergywire.org/news/majorit...

This is materialising in #Barcelona, for example, where climate resilience is happening on a systemic level

Projects under the jurisdiction of Barcelona’s metropolitan area, like with the municipal archive pictured below, have to follow holistic #sustainability criteria

Europe’s cities step up efforts to fight heat, drought, floods

The majority of Europe’s population lives in urban areas – where the risks from heatwaves, drought, floods and rising sea levels are growing fast

For my latest deep dive for @cleanenergywire.bsky.social, I looked into what Europe’s cities are doing to increase resilience🧵

Open door once more for Canadian LNG supplies to Europe?

www.linkedin.com/posts/julian...

German firms want tough action from EU in U.S. tariff talks, DIHK says The agreement between the United States and European Union on tariffs serves only as a burden to companies due to its lack of clarity, according to a poll of German businesses calling for tougher action from Brussels.

German firms want tough action from EU in US tariff talks, DIHK says

German Chambers of Industry and Commerce said its poll showed firms want a clear strategy from the EU even if this could impact their own business

Germany reviews “climate contract” industry transition support scheme, CCS still focus for next round

Review "w/ a view to making it unbureaucratic, technology-neutral, efficient + effective in prep. for a 2nd round" -econ min

www.cleanenergywire.org/news/germany...

Energy sector and opposition call for speedy renewables expansion as Germany awaits govt “reality check”

www.cleanenergywire.org/news/energy-... #renewables #windpower

Some healthily honest machine room talk by German env min Schneider @umweltministerium.de

He wants to get the legally binding climate action programme out of the way before a raft of regional elections could make political decisions harder to reach in Germany in 2026

Train accident after heavy rain highlights need to adapt to growing climate risks A deadly train accident in southern Germany has raised questions of how prepared the country’s transport infrastructure is to withstand extreme weather events fuelled by climate change. Authorities in the state of Baden-Württemberg said the accident near the city of Ulm was likely caused by a landslide, after heavy rainfall in the hilly region damaged the tracks, newspaper Tagesspiegel reported. 

Train accident after heavy rain in southern Germany highlights need to adapt to growing climate risks

Fatal crash likely caused by landslide as country's railway company seeks to better prepare for extreme weather

Climate activists call EU-US trade deal “disastrous signal for climate action”

- Agreement would massively increase EU imports of US fossil fuels
- Chancellor Merz says deal avoids hardship for German economy

www.cleanenergywire.org/news/climate...

Vattenfall and Germany's central bank call on government to stay the course on energy transition

“Europe will only remain competitive if it leaves fossil fuels behind. Not the other way around.”

www.cleanenergywire.org/news/vattenf...

One recent, very important topic seems adoption of American right's playbook to alter the discourse in European countries. e.g. alt-right in Germany seems to be working down the list (create alternative media-sphere, discredit public broadcaster/mainstream, force center-right media to follow etc.)

German households saved over €2 bln by switching energy providers – regulator German households are saving money on electricity and gas bills by increasingly changing suppliers or securing better contracts, the country's network agency BNetzA said. "In 2024 alone, German households were able to save around 2.2 billion euros in energy costs by switching contracts and suppliers," said BNetzA head Klaus Müller.

German households saved over €2 bln by switching energy providers – regulator

"Switching to competitive providers is currently particularly attractive," said BNetzA head Klaus Müller

www.cleanenergywire.org/news/german-...

Germany lacks coherent plan for protecting citizens in case of electricity or weather emergencies, districts say Germany is not sufficiently prepared to protect its citizens in the event of widespread power outages or large-scale natural disasters, Kay Ruge, head of the German Districts Association (DLT), told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung (NOZ). "There is no comprehensive, overarching plan," he said, adding that "civil protection has played no role in political prioritisation in recent years."

Germany lacks coherent plan for protecting citizens in case of electricity or weather emergencies, districts say

Rhine river could warm drastically by 2100 hitting ecosystems, economy – report

As a result, aquatic habitats and moorlands face increasing pressures & authorities may be forced to impose water use restrictions, authors say

www.cleanenergywire.org/news/rhine-r...

When folks ask me why @cleanenergywire.bsky.social thought our reporting on all facets of Germany's energy transition may have important lessons for others: look no further than the grid story, one we covered extensively for good reasons since our launch in 2014. www.cleanenergywire.org/topics/Grid

EU places ocean energy at heart of clean power push The European Commission has included ocean energy among the technologies eligible under the 5% innovation target.

EU places ocean energy at heart of clean power push

Von der Leyen vs. Weber: The EU’s climate fight reaches its endgame The two EU conservative heavyweights’ growing divisions are coming to a head over a crucial 2040 climate target.

Von der Leyen vs. Weber: The EU’s climate fight reaches its endgame

The two EU conservative heavyweights’ growing divisions are coming to a head over a crucial 2040 climate target.

CLEW Webinar: After two months in office - What to expect from Germany’s government in energy and climate? If not, find out what the network is about here and register as a member here. The network is an additional service to journalists that can be helpful when researching a global energy transition story.

Germany eagerly awaits convincing plans on climate & energy by the new gov't of chancellor Merz by the end of summer

Join the CLEW newsroom TOMORROW (9 July) to get their take on how this is going!

www.cleanenergywire.org/webinars/cle...