Energy policy appeal

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In August 2010, 40 German celebrities, including many managers and politicians, published an energy policy appeal in which they declared that Germany could not do without the use of nuclear energy and coal. The text of the appeal and a list of 40 signatories appeared as a full-page advertisement in several large German daily newspapers. As a result, the appeal was also treated editorially and critically in the media as lobbying work in the context of the discussion at the time about extending the service life of German nuclear power plants .

The four European energy groups E.ON , RWE , Vattenfall and EnBW are behind the campaign , and the initiative for this is said to have come from Jürgen Großmann , CEO of RWE AG. Angela Merkel , Federal Chancellor and CDU chairwoman, had been informed in advance about the action and the content of the advertisements. The energy policy appeal is less a criticism of her person, but rather of energy policy positions that the Federal Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen (CDU) had represented in mid-2010.

content

The text of the energy policy appeal begins with references to the future:

"Accepting challenges: the future belongs to renewables"
“The ecological orientation of our energy supply is correct. The future belongs to renewable and CO2-free energies. [...] "

and concludes with a commitment to nuclear energy and coal:

"Remain realistic: Germany needs more nuclear energy and coal"
“The renewable energy turnaround cannot be accomplished overnight. Renewables need strong and flexible partners. This includes the most modern coal-fired power plants . This also includes nuclear energy, with the help of which we can achieve our high CO2 reduction targets much faster and, above all, more cheaply than if the existing systems were shut down prematurely. An early exit would destroy billions of dollars in capital - at the expense of the environment, the economy and the people in our country [...]. "

Reactions and evaluation

In an interview, Jochen Flasbarth , President of the Federal Environment Agency , accused the power companies of operating with false facts as a nuclear lobby in their energy policy appeal . In the media, the energy policy appeal was classified as extraordinary lobbying work in the context of the discussion at the time about extending the service life of German nuclear power plants :

Der Spiegel wrote on August 20, 2010:

“The" Energy Policy Appeal "is remarkable because it marks a change in the communication strategy of the energy and industry lobby. After the associations tried for months in back room discussions and at meetings in the Chancellery to influence politics, they are now shifting to partly aggressive publicity. "

Kurt Kister , editor-in-chief of the Süddeutsche Zeitung , saw a "public warning from the ranks of Dax-30 by advertisement" and commented on the composition of the signatories:

“The bosses are not satisfied with what they find in the CDU, anyway not with the SPD and the Greens. What kind of government would the gentlemen want - Chancellor Clement with Vice Merz and Foreign Minister Bierhoff ? Unfortunately, people will not vote for a party like this, which Dax-30 would have to found. "

Other observers pointed out that the appeal was expressly not signed by significant parts of German business . For example, Peter Löscher , CEO of Siemens, is said to have refused. The FAZ also reported this from Franz Fehrenbach , head of Bosch .

The list of signatories

The 40 (first) signatories were:

The name of Michael Vassiliadis , Mining, Chemical and Energy Industrial Union, appeared unauthorized under the text of the energy policy appeal . Vassiliadis did not want to sign and neither did it.

Sponsoring association

The special purpose association “Energy Future for Germany e. V. i. G. “was founded in August 2010 on the initiative of the energy supply companies E.ON , EnBW , RWE and Vattenfall Europe . The founding members are employees of these companies. The aim of the association is to provide constructive support for the general discussion on the subject of the future of energy in Germany. Furthermore, it should act as a platform for the formulation of fundamental energy industry and energy policy ideas.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ 40 managers attack Röttgen's policy . Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. August 21, 2010. Retrieved March 13, 2012.
  2. ↑ complete text http://www.ftd.de/politik/deutschland/:lobbyismus-der-energiepolitische-appell-im-wortlaut/50159145.html ( Memento from August 22, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
  3. ↑ Jochen Flasbarth in the SZ interview, SZ from August 27, 2010, online at www.sueddeutsche.de , accessed on March 23, 2011.
  4. ↑ Stefan Schultz: BDI missed Merkel the memorandum , online at online , accessed March 23, 2011
  5. ^ A comment by Kurt Kister: Bosse gegen Merkel , SZ from 21./22. August 2010: [1] , accessed March 23, 2011
  6. ↑ a b Andreas Wildhagen: A mechanical engineer maps to , Wirtschaftswoche, Sept. 5, 2010, online at online , accessed March 23, 2011
  7. ^ "Election campaign under the sign of the atom" - FAZ, March 23, 2011 , accessed on March 28, 2011
  8. ↑ List with function after Henrike Roßbach, Brigitte Koch and Carsten Knop: 40 managers attack Röttgen's policy , FAZ of August 21, 2010: 40 managers attack Röttgen's policy , accessed March 23, 2011. Michael Vassiliadis , IG BCE, was removed here
  9. ↑ Imprint. Energy future for Germany, archived from the original on November 9, 2010 ; Retrieved November 8, 2012 .