Heinen-Esser: Important impetus and recommendations
Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Environment Ministry, Ursula Heinen-Esser, was presented with the 2012 OECD Environmental Performance Review of Germany by OECD Environment Director Simon Upton today. The OECD report acknowledges Germany's successful environmental policy at both national and international level. It confirms that Germany's ambitious environmental policy has contributed to reducing German industry's carbon intensity, energy and resource consumption, alleviating pollution and enhancing the ecological quality of life for the people.
The report also underlines the positive impact of environmental policy measures on economic growth, innovation and employment. It identifies renewable energies and climate protection activities as the main drivers behind the strong position of Germany's environmental sector in global competition. Germany is praised for its active role in shaping a range of EU environmental initiatives and for its leadership at international level, especially regarding climate policy.
Parliamentary State Secretary Ursula Heinen-Esser stressed: "In its critical review from an outside perspective, the OECD endorses Germany's environmental policy approach. We are promoting environmental innovation through a balanced mix of policy instruments - including stringent regulations and standards. This policy works and it pays off - it is not only good for the environment, but also for German businesses. Germany will not use this success as an excuse to relax its efforts. The recommendations made by the OECD will support us in maintaining Germany's leading role in environmental policy, and in making it even stronger in the future. I would like to thank the OECD for this important impetus."
In the performance reviews, the member states assess each other's effectiveness and efficiency in protecting the environment, as well as the integration of environmental policy issues in economic, financial and other sectoral policies. Political recommendations are being issued on this basis and successful environmental policy approaches are being publicised internationally. In 2011, Germany underwent its third environmental peer review following those of 1993 and 2001.
The report is available in English, French and German. Excerpts have been published on the German OECD Website.