German Experience in
Environmental Policies

1. Germany as a pioneer in environmental protection

Environmental protection means the protection of air, water and soil

Examples: control of air pollutants, developing ecological products
and standards, treatment of waste water, promotion of waste
management, development of environmental politics: not only in
Germany but across all policy fields including abroad.

Why? Increasing environmental contamination due to Germany’s
rapid economic growth in the fifties and sixties (forest dieback,
contaminated rivers and lakes, air pollution, spoiled ground)

Need to strike balance between economic growth and environment
possible.

Because of its environmental regulations, research capacities, and
technological know-how Germany is often looked at for assistance,
programmatic ideas, and policy examples.
2. Aspects which have had a positive effect on the development
of the German environmental policies
4 parts:
1. Social movement and the green party
2. Social Market Economy
3. Cooperation between business, academics, and politics
4. EU
2.1 Social movement and the Green Party

With the growing environmental pollution and major conferences on
international environmental issues such as the United Nation
Conference on the Human Environment in 1972 (also known as the
Stockholm Conference), environmental awareness has grown among
the German politicians as well as the German civil society.

With the economic recession following the 1973 oil crisis,
environmental policies have been neglected. Growing political influence
of the environmental citizens’ movement which developed against the
background of raising forest dieback but also 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

Movement developed into Green Party: 1980 Green Party was
formed through a union of different political and social movements.
Focus on economical, ecological, and social sustainability.

The Greens originated not only from civil initiatives, but also from
farmers and the conservative spectrum. Different today: majority of
the farmers resist increasing regulations for environmental protection
which disturb international competitiveness. For this reason
representatives of the agribusiness are among The Greens’ main
opponents.

The Greens’ raising political importance, in 1983 entry into the
Bundestag, in 1998 entry into government in coalition with the Social
Democratic Party. Last federal election 2009: 10,7% of votes.

The existence of the Green Party means that environmental interests
have a direct voice in parliament. Same way Greens are mainstream
and cover all political aspects, all parties now have environmental
chapter in their party programme.
2.2 Social Market Economy

Social market economics influences unemployment, health, but also
environmental policy choices in Germany. Governments use market
mechanisms to address environmental problems and to prevent further
environmental pollution.

Instruments: taxes to increase the price of a product or service
damaging the environment (eco-tax). And: financial and fiscal
incentives, tax breaks etc to reduce the price of “clean products”. E.g.
renewable energy, retrofitting Diesel cars with filters etc.

Such regulations have a special benefit: companies cannot free ride
on the environment but are required to contribute to the government’s
expenditure arising from pollution.

Two basic ideas: “who pollutes pays” and “give things a value”

E.g.: After reprocessing old paper it is reusable for new economic
products like cartons, notebooks, newspapers, toilet paper etc.
Therefore, paper has a value for business due to its recyclability.
Recycling saves natural resources and reduces environmental
degradation. At the same time, companies pay less eco-tax. If the
preconditions for recycling are not given, it is nevertheless possible to
sell the material to a partner with the respective infrastructure.
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- Check against delivery -
2.3 Cooperation between business, academics, and politics

Considerable discussion between government, environmental NGOs,
and business about the formulation, preparation, and implementation
of political decisions related to the environment.

In order to maintain Germany’s economic power, the government
looks for synergies between business and environmental goals. For this
purpose the current trend is moving away from end-of-pipe techniques
and towards integrated environmental protection. The German
government promotes the development of environmentally friendly
products and production methods by systematic support of research
and development.

Germany holds a market share of world trade in environmental
protection products and services of over 16%, which is ahead of both
the USA and Japan (2010). Environmental services are for example
testing and maintenance of energy plants, environmental installations,
consulting, and customer support.

In 2008 German companies produced environmentally friendly
products and services worth 75.9 billion Euros. These include air filters,
sewage plants, waste treatment plants, and plants for the use of
renewable energies (wind and sun).

Boosting environmental protection and technologies creates also
employment. In 2006 there were nearly 1.8 million people employed
within this sector, making for a share of 4.5% of all employees. Today
more people work in the environmental sector than the automotive
industry.
2.4 EU

EU integration

Environmental damage crosses national frontiers. Therefore
European Member States seek to harmonise national environmental
laws and legislation. Environmental policies were largely (75%) moved
to EU level.

The 1986 Single European Act explicitly included the environment as
an area of EU competence. This changed the rules for introducing EU
laws and now only a simple majority is necessary to pass
environmental legislation. Therefore environmental standards can be
raised more easily such as improving the quality of water, tackling air
and noise pollution, assuring the safety of chemicals, setting standards
for waste disposal, and protecting the EU's native wildlife and plants.

European Commission examines the Member States’ compliances
with environmental regulations and is able to bring Member States to
court.

In addition, the 2009 climate change and energy package
established binding goals for all EU Member States for example on their
greenhouse gas emissions, and monitors the achievement of these
targets.

All done for the EU but major international dimension: All goods
which are imported into the EU must meet EU regulations and
environment requirements. Criticism: fencing off international
competition. But: foreign companies need to upgrade standards
making their products better and raising international environmental
standards. Above all, this has positive consequences for the
international environment.