Chat Club Up-to-Date with Regine Günther
In Conversation with Regine Günther: Environmental Policy Visionary
Regine Günther has been working on German, European and international energy and climate policy issues for more than 25 years and is a recognised expert on national and international climate protection policy.
From December 2016, she was Senator for the Environment, Transport and Climate in the state of Berlin for a legislative period of five years. Prior to this, she held various positions at WWF Germany from 1999 to , most recently as Policy Director of WWF Germany and Interim Climate Practice Leader at WWF International.
In our interview with Regine Günther, we took a look at developments in energy and environmental policy over the last 25 years and discussed the global challenges that still lie ahead.
Progress in energy and environmental policy
Regine Günther emphasised that despite pessimistic reporting, many positive changes have taken place. It is particularly remarkable that almost 60% of electricity now comes from renewable energies. She also spoke of the successes with regard to coal and nuclear power plants as well as combustion engines. ‘However, it is not yet clear whether we will achieve the necessary targets,’ says Günther. This honest assessment shows that great efforts are still required to achieve the climate targets.
Global challenges
When asked about the major global challenges that need to be tackled, Regine Günther referred to the Paris Agreement: ‘Paris was a groundbreaking agreement.’ She emphasised that a rapid and joint reduction in emissions at global level was necessary in order to achieve the goal of keeping global warming below at least two degrees.
‘If we do not ensure rapid emission reductions globally and collectively, we may not even stay below two degrees,’ she warned urgently.
Out of 192 countries, Germany is the sixth-largest emitter, which is why the signal that Germany is sending out is a trend-setting one.
Germany's competitiveness in electromobility
Regine Günther sees great potential for electromobility in Germany. It is important to get as many electric cars on the road as possible. However, she warned against becoming too dependent on China, not only for cars, but also for wind turbines and solar panels.
‘We must try to rebuild industries in Europe,’ says Günther. This statement emphasises the need to strengthen European production and reduce dependence on global supply chains.
Conclusion
Regine Günther made it clear in our discussion that significant progress has been made in energy and environmental policy over the last 25 years. Nevertheless, we still face major challenges that can only be tackled through global cooperation and swift action. Germany's position in electromobility is strong, but further efforts are needed to ensure independence and competitiveness.