Germany’s long goodbye from coal

Coal has been a cornerstone of economic growth and prosperity in Germany since the dawn of the industrial era. It reached its peak in the 1950s when more than workers were employed in the German coal sector. However, climate change, air pollution, and the negative impacts on health and environment require us to end power and heat generation from coal as soon as possible. This coal phase-out goes along with profound socio-economic challenges. Therefore, in the summer of 2018 the German government launched the “Commission on Growth, Structural Change and Employment“ – also known as the “Coal Commission“. Following in-depth deliberations between key stakeholders, in January 2019 the Commission presented a comprehensive roadmap for the phase out of coal-fired power generation in Germany by 2035/2038. The recommendations are currently implemented by the German government in shape of a “Coal Phase-out Law” as well as a “Structural Change Law”. However, this is not Germany’s