Entries tagged with "Political Parties"

German Political Parties

The following parties provide insights into the political landscape of the German Energiewende

Free Democrats (FDP)

The party Free Democrats is a neoliberal party in Germany. It takes a liberal view based on economic competition and market self-regulation. The Free Democrats are against further subsidies for renewable energies in Germany.

Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD)

The SPD (Social Democratic Party) represents the interests of the German working class, especially unions. It is the largest left party in Germany but has lost voters to “die Linke” (the Left) and the Green Party.

German Green party

The German green party (in German: Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) is dedicated to climate protection. The guidelines of the party are environmental policies based on ecological, economic and social sustainability.

Alternative for Germany (AfD)

The party “Alternative für Deutschland” (AfD) is a right-wing political party. It opposes the German Energiewende and its environmental platform is that climate change does not exist.

Challenges

Switching to 100 percent renewable energy and moving towards zero greenhouse gas emissions is a complete societal shift. Germany is made a lot of progress, but it still has a long way to go. Here are some of the stumbling blocks for the Energiewende.

History of the German Energiewende

Germany’s transition to renewable energy has its roots in the environmentalist movements of the 1970s. Conservation was embraced by conservatives and liberals alike, and churches were an important part of the Energiewende.

German Coal Commission

The German Coal Commission was meant to provide a road map on how Germany will phase out coal. It has officially recommended that Germany phase out coal by 2038.