Evaluation of German sustainability policy

The German Federal Chancellor's Office (Bundeskanzleramt) commissioned the Sustainability Council (RNE) to subject German sustainability policy to a peer review by means of an independent report. The aim of the report is to review the degree of attainment of German sustainability targets and, in particular, to improve the governance of state and private-sector bodies involved. By this commission, the German Government is following the recommendation of the EU that member states should subject their strategies to such a review.

For the review, a number of leading foreign experts with comprehensive political and scientific expertise were invited to assess German sustainability policy. The experts were requested to draw up recommendations for improvement, which were presented to the German Federal Government in autumn 2009 in the so-called Peer Challenger Report. The peer review process was supported substantively and organisationally by adelphi and the partners. One of the principal tasks was to draw up a foundation report as the basis for further peer discussion, to compile the final report after the peer consultation, and to moderate the process.