Increasing energy efficiency is essential for climate action reasons, but it also opens up major opportunities for German industry. An economy that is geared towards climate action has opportunities for growth on a global scale that should be taken advantage of for employment and growth in Germany. “Germany has a competitive edge in the field of efficiency technologies in particular. Increasing this competitive edge secures existing jobs and creates new ones”, commented Federal Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks today at the Federation of German Industries’ (BDI) conference on energy efficiency in Berlin.
Minister Hendricks emphasised that industry is a key partner for climate action. “We need German industry’s innovative strength in order to move forward on climate action with new, more efficient and climate-friendly technologies, products, services and procedures”.
“Climate action is a programme for growth,” Minister Hendricks stressed. She noted that energy efficiency will be a key element of international competitiveness in future and that industry worldwide needs innovative and affordable solutions. “We should seize the opportunity and be at the forefront of developments. Innovation for climate action and for greater efficiency of materials, energy and resources also means that industry and companies need to take on a leading role – a leading role that pays off both on European and global markets”.
Energy efficiency replaces the import of fossil fuels with domestic value added. In 2012, 26 billion euros worth of energy imports were avoided as a result of greater energy efficiency alone. In the past two decades Europe has clearly demonstrated that climate action and economic growth are not a contradiction in terms. Between 1990 and 2012, greenhouse gas emissions in the EU fell by 18 percent, while at the same time industry experienced growth of around 45 percent.
Minister Hendricks emphasised that the German government strongly champions German environmental standards and technologies in bilateral environmental cooperation. “With a view to protecting the environment and increasing economic opportunities for German companies, the German government has agreed to launch an export initiative on environmental technologies. It will link up, supplement and strengthen existing initiatives such as the German Water Partnership and the German RETech Partnership. It will also contribute to the success of German environmental technologies and to reaching our environmental targets”. During talks last week, the Chinese environment minister Zhou Shengxian and Minister Hendrick agreed that the 5th Sino-German Environment Forum will be held in China in 2016. As in the past, German industry will play an important role at this forum.
Further information
13.10.2014
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Press release
No. 190/14
| Energy Efficiency