An outlook on Germany’s international energy transition policy in the years to come: Solid foundations and new challenges

Germany’s ambition to promote sustainable energy globally, on the basis of its own “Energiewende,” has led to the development of a multi-faceted international energy transition policy with various activities and an agenda to promote renewables and energy efficiency abroad. While domestic energy policy developments in Germany have received substantial attention in research and public debate, this is still less true for the country’s international energy transition policy. With the new German government’s program now having taken shape and implementation starting, it is time to assess the foundations and likely direction of and the most relevant challenges for Germany’s efforts to promote sustainable energy internationally. This perspective article takes a look at the aspects shaping Germany’s outreach to partner countries outside the EU to promote sustainable energy and addresses open questions related to its agenda. Germany’s international energy transition policy builds on a longstanding track record, but in order to maintain credibility and visibility in leadership for sustainable energy, two key challenges remain: setbacks in domestic climate mitigation efforts are putting into question claims for climate leadership and struggles to expand the Energiewende beyond the electricity sector require a new spin to international collaboration efforts, more and more directed toward bidirectional exchange and mutual learning.