From Green Energy to the Green Car State? The Political Economy of Ecological Modernisation in Germany

Abstract

In recent years, the role of the state in sustainability transitions has received increasing attention. Germany is often perceived as a forerunner in climate and environmental politics. Building on critical theories of the state, this paper explores the role of the German state in two key fields of society-nature relationships: energy (electricity) and transportation. Whereas Germany's energy transition (Energiewende) is widely praised internationally, its mobility transition (Verkehrswende) is a more difficult endeavour, as the German car industry is at the core of the national model of capitalism, specialising in the premium market segment. Against this background, Germany's status as an environmental leader is questioned as there is a strong state-capital nexus, which admittedly leaves space for green politics in case of intense social struggles. If, in addition, technological alternatives are developed embracing the potential to renew the country's 'accumulation strategy', the window of opportunity for green politics widens. In contrast to the Energiewende, which was at least partially accompanied by a decentralisation of power generation and the questioning of existing power relations, there is little indication that the German state will push for a mobility turnaround that goes beyond a limited greening of the automobile.

Effects of lagging projectification in the public sector on realizing infrastructure projects

“…"Large-scale projects, especially in infrastructure, are often finished late and over the initially planned cost. This has been subject to heated controversy over the alleged waste of public money in Germany However, despite the criticism and recorded overruns, we have learned that the need for infrastructure projects in any society remains constant, or is even growing, due to ecological modernization (Haas 2020). So, nothing will stop these projects.…”

A turn to geopolitics: Shifts in the German energy transition discourse in light of Russia's war against Ukraine

“…However, the dispute introduces a moral rationale to the discourse about energy politics and the Energiewende that increases the urgency of saving energy (TWEET_25; NEWS_81; PLENARY_4). This is noteworthy because the Energiewende is strongly built on the promise of ecological modernization [52,53]-i.e. that technological innovation will solve environmental problems while maintaining an economy built on growth [54].…”

Research agenda on turnaround strategies beyond systemic disruptions

“…When the era of recurrent disruptions arrived, the academic debate was reoriented and the trend of change accelerated after the different systemic crises (end of the dot com bubble, GFC, COVID-19) (Barbero et al, 2020;Clougherty et al, 2020;Haas, 2021;Laffranchini et al, 2020;Rico et al, 2021;Xu et al, 2020;Zhu et al, 2021). Among the new emerging topics, the use Turnaround strategies of big data stands out as a predictive tool for employee retention and the use of AI and ML for more agile and effective decision-making (Singh et al, 2022).…”