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Interview on Climate Nationalism in Welt am Sonntag, July 6, 2025

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It’s Time to End Climate Nationalism

Energy expert and government advisor Franz Josef Radermacher delivers a sharp critique of German energy policy. He describes Germany as a “climate prison” that wastes vast sums of money while ignoring effective solutions – because certain actors profit from the current system

In the interview, Franz Josef Radermacher criticizes German climate policy as inefficient, overregulated, and expensive. He calls Germany a “climate prison” in which billions are spent on national measures that bring little global benefit. Instead, he advocates for an international climate policy: CO₂ emissions could be reduced much more cost-effectively in developing and emerging countries – through reforestation, CCS (carbon capture and storage), and CCU (carbon capture and utilization). These global approaches, he argues, are more effective and would also promote prosperity in poorer regions. Radermacher views Germany’s “all-electric” strategy – focused on wind and solar energy – critically, calling it costly and incomplete. He warns against degrowth and calls for the repeal of the Energy Efficiency Act. He considers the 2021 ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court a mistake, as it overburdens Germany while being globally ineffective. His appeal: cooperation instead of climate nationalism – for realistic and effective climate protection.

Due to numerous inquiries, Prof. Radermacher has also answered additional questions that arose in connection with the interview.

The original interview in Welt am Sonntag from July 6, 2025, and the additional questions and answers can be found at the links below:

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THE “CLIMATE PRISON”

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(FAW/n Report)

How current narratives and regulations block the path to effective and economically sensible climate protection

Germany’s situation regarding climate protection is tragic in two respects. On the one hand, the current approach achieves essentially nothing in addressing climate change as a global challenge. Worldwide emissions continue to rise. On the other hand, this path generates extremely high avoidable costs, which burden our country and especially large parts of the economy. The economic and social collateral damage of the chosen path is clearly visible. Alongside the many losers, there are also beneficiaries of this path – actors who have contributed to shaping the current regulatory framework and who seek to prevent any change to the status quo to the greatest possible extent. Since an overall economic assessment of past policies is so clearly negative, the new government is attempting to take new approaches, though it is con-strained by the narrow scope of pre-existing agreements. One can only wish it success, for success is urgently needed. However, this is easier said than done, as Germany is trapped in a regulatory “climate prison”. A more technology-open and international approach, which would massively reduce transformation costs and serve climate protection far more effectively, is made extremely difficult by the regulatory structures that have developed in recent years, with their deeply layered effects at multiple levels. For the sake of the people, the economy, and the climate, it is to be hoped that the new government will succeed – despite all resistance – in breaking free from this “prison”.