The economic opportunities of climate mitigation

If climate mitigation is to be promoted in key areas of society, various climate action products and services will be necessary. This includes a broad range of complex equipment, from individual components and building parts to building and  other kinds of materials. Various studies confirm both the German climate mitigation industry’s high international competitiveness and its sustainable, strong growth – even in comparison to other German export industries. As early as 2011, climate action goods to a value of around 56 billion euros were produced in Germany. The majority of these – 58 per cent – were grossed abroad.

Even the German Federal Government has recognised the enormous importance and positive prospects for the future to be found in the climate mitigation economy; this has been anchored into the German Climate Action Programme 2020. In addition, comprehensive political measures such as EEG have contributed to the boom in the climate action sector. In the future, it will become ever more important to emphasise the economic successes and opportunities – in particular those on jobs and economic growth – alongside the factors which are beneficial to the climate. A comprehensive, systematic and German-tailored analysis of the economic opportunities to be found as a result of climate action can spread the basis for this argumentation and thus promote and legitimate political action.

The ambition of the project is to comprehensively build upon the economic opportunities brought about by climate mitigation and to lend new impetus to climate action. To this end, several factors in the larger issue of climate action   will be tackled: 1) an analysis of the status quo in the German climate action industry, 2) a study of the economic opportunities of participation in the growing world market for climate action products and services and 3) an analysis of an ambitious climate policy as a strategy for overcoming current weaknesses as regards investment.

adelphi’s remit thus focuses on the various facets of future-orientated policy and economic analysis. To this end, the economic advantages of climate action are analysed, market opportunities in selected climate action markets are weighed up and scenarios for overcoming investment weaknesses via investment-orientated climate policy are developed. In addition, adelphi organises workshops and meetings for the scientific advisory committee.