Energy policies of IEA countries. Germany 2002 review.

Annotation This report reviews the German government's energy policy and makes recommendations for improvements under the following headings: general energy policy; energy and the environment; energy demand and end-use efficiency; research and development; as well as for the oil, coal; natural gas; renewable energy; and electricity sectors. The report finds that Germany is pursuing a challenging agenda for its energy policy, including the gradual phasing out of nuclear power; the liberalisation of the electricity and gas markets, and the adoption of ambitious national targets for further reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Energy security is an important issue as the country has limited indigenous energy resources, and the nuclear phase-out will increase reliance on imported coal, gas and oil. The German Energy Agency was established in 2000 to promote a sustainable energy policy, and a range of measures introduced under the National Climate Protection Programme, including an eco-tax, are being used to improve energy efficiency and to increase the share of the renewables sector Germany is pursuing several ambitious objectives in its energy policy, notably cutting greenhouse gas emissions and fully liberalising the electricity and gas markets, while phasing out nuclear power