On the occasion of the reappointment of the expert commission "Energie der Zukunft", which has been accompanying the monitoring process of the Federal Government in the matter of energy system transformation since 2011, ZIN member and chairman of the commission Prof. Andreas Löschel was interviewed by Muenster university’s press officer about the energy transition and the challenges posed by climate change in Germany.

Prof. Löschel made it clear that the energy system transformation is not only making great progress in some areas, such as the expansion of renewable energies, but also receiving broad support from the population. Nevertheless, in his regard there are still key challenges, especially in the transport and construction sectors and with respect to a possible reform of energy prices. The economist also responded to the recommendation to phase out coal by 2038 and described it as a "historical decision" (own translation). What is decisive now, according to him, is its implementation by policy-makers and the search for answers concerning questions relating to aspects such as regional employment.

Further reading:
• The complete interview with Prof. Andreas Löschel can be found here.
• The press release of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy on the new appointment of the Expert Commission can be found here.
• More information about Prof. Löschel's work can be found on the homepage of his Chair of Microeconomics, especially Energy and Resource Economics.

Source: WWU Münster (Ed.) (2019): „Energiewende geht voran – aber nicht so rasch wie gewünscht“. Interview with Prof. Dr. Andreas Löschel from 10 April 2019. Available online at https://www.uni-muenster.de/news/view.php?cmdid=10200 [last accessed: 23.04.2019].