© Cesar Hernandez

Bringing about the global energy transition by working with partners

Ever more countries are beginning to transform their energy supply. In order to provide support, Germany – as one of the global leaders on the energy transition – is sharing its experience with these countries. The energy partnerships’ main goals: to expand renewables and improve energy efficiency.

The energy transition is not a project that is confined to Germany. Under the Paris Climate Agreement, countries around the world have pledged to transform their energy supply. Only by using renewable energy and implementing energy efficiency measures will it be possible to limit the global rise in temperatures to well below two degrees Celsius. In order to meet this goal, extensive, strong and swift global action is needed. This has been highlighted by an international study published this year (to learn more about this study, please click here).

The global energy transition is taking off

Ever more countries around the world are committing themselves to combatting climate change and transforming their energy supply. Emerging nations have the additional motivation of needing to meet a rising energy demand, provide people with better access to energy and reduce the impact of climate change on the environment and people’s health. The challenges these countries are facing as they expand renewables and improve energy efficiency are similar to those we are facing here in Germany – and we are addressing these by employing innovative strategies and technology solutions. It is against this backdrop that Germany has become one of the global leaders of the energy transition movement, which means that it can use its experience to support other countries as they transform their energy supply.

From Germany’s point of view, the most important goals of the energy partnerships are supporting other countries as they expand renewables and roll out energy efficiency technologies on a wider scale. This will not only help combat climate change, but also strengthen regional markets. And this in turn will improve German companies’ chances to compete on these markets and to successfully market the technologies needed to bring about the energy transition in these countries.

Energy partnerships all around the world

Germany has recently intensified its energy partnership with Mexico. This was done on the occasion of the 7th International Renewable Energy Conference – MEXIREC – which was held in September and opened by State Secretary Rainer Baake. On the margins of the conference, the steering group of the German-Mexican Energy Partnership – which was launched in 2016 – met for the second time. At this meeting, State Secretary Baake and his Mexican counterparts responsible for the energy transition and electricity – César Emiliano Hernández and Leonardo Beltrán – agreed to work together on a wide range of different issues, including the liberalisation of the electricity markets, the integration of volatile renewables into the grid, energy efficiency in the industrial sector, the elimination of inefficient subsidies for fossil fuels, and international affairs. “It is a great pleasure for me to work with my Mexican colleagues to address the global challenges of the 21st century, including combating climate change and bringing about a sustainable energy supply,” Mr Baake said. “In this context, the German-Mexican Energy Partnership is an important vehicle for dialogue.”

At the end of September, the first energy conference was held under the Moroccan-Germany Energy Partnership. The event met with a positive response, with around 350 stakeholders attending. Representatives from both Germany’s and Morocco's energy sectors used the conference to discuss ways in which they can bring about the energy transition together. One of the key messages was that in order for the energy transition to be successful, long-term planning and the involvement of civil society are needed. In addition to this, the renewable energy sector’s potential to boost job creation was also underlined. After the conference, the energy partnership working groups convened for a meeting. Among the issues discussed was the creation of a centre for computing, simulating and analysing long-term energy scenarios.
Germany does not only have energy partnerships with Mexico and Morocco, but also with a host of other nations around the world, including China, India, Brazil, Nigeria and Tunisia.