Economic Evaluation of Climate Protection Measures in Germany

Year 2014, Volume: 4 Issue: 4, 693 - 705, 01.12.2014

Christian Lutz Ulrike Lehr Philip Ulrich

Abstract

The paper builds on a study "Policy Scenarios for Climate Protection VI". In the Current Policy Scenario (CPS) all measures which have been implemented by July 8 2011 are considered. In the Energy Transformation Scenario (ETS) additional measures are included to reach the climate targets of the German government until 2030. Both policy scenarios build on the same socio-economic assumptions and just differ by climate protection measures. Investment in climate protection will reduce energy consumption in the long term and shift it towards low or zero carbon energy carriers. Scenarios are implemented in the model PANTA RHEI. Results of more ambitious climate protection measures are positive: Annual gross domestic product will be 25 to 30 billion Euros higher in the ETS compared to the CPS. Positive employment impacts are in the range of 200 thousand additional jobs. Energy efficiency improvements increasingly contribute via reduced energy imports in the long term.

Keywords

Climate mitigation, energy efficiency, economy-energy-environment model, economic impacts