Germany’s economy has to find its way to carbon neutrality – without jeopardizing prosperity and jobs. How can it succeed? Follow DER SPIEGEL’s discussions with decision-makers from politics and business at the climate conference here.
When Germany’s next government presented its coalition agreement in Berlin a little over a week ago, it left no doubt: The climate crisis is the issue by which the success or failure of the next government will be measured. But how can the necessary transformation of the economy and society succeed? Which paths hold promise, and which are more likely to lead to dead ends?
DER SPIEGEL and BCG hosted leading players from politics and business to discuss these issues last Wednesday. To start things off, DER SPIEGEL’s editor in chief, Steffen Klusmann, and the magazine’s business editor, Isabell Hülsen, spoke with European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans about the future prospects of the European Green Deal. BMW CEO Oliver Zipse also provided the perspective of the automotive industry.
Later, Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr and Porsche CEO Oliver Blume explained why their companies are not only focused on electric but also on synthetic fuels. Climate lawyer Roda Verheyen explained how companies can be legally compelled to take concrete action to achieve climate goals.
A discussion with Laurin Hahn, co-founder of Sono Motors, underscored how much the car industry is already changing. The Munich-based startup, which manufactures electric cars with solar cell roofs, made its debut on the NASDAQ technology exchange in New York in mid-November and is already valued at $4 billion.
Tesla co-founder Jeffrey Brian Straubel believes German car companies are well on their way to making the transition, but warns them not to jump on an “overbooked flight.” He argues that the vehicle industry needs to solve the problem of procuring and recycling critical raw materials before it embarks on the mass production of electric cars.
All the speeches, discussions and interviews at the DER SPIEGEL and BCG #KlimaKon21 can now be found here in full length in the video.
Der Spiegel