Workshop on Energy Laws Supporting Energy Transition

On 17 October 2023, GIZ and the China Electricity Council (CEC) jointly organized the "Workshop on Energy Laws Supporting Energy Transition in China and Germany" under the Sino-German Energy Partnership. The event focused on addressing how energy and energy efficiency laws and regulations contribute to green and low-carbon energy transition, promote sustainable economic and social development, therefore, ensure energy development and security. Over 40 high-level representatives from the National Energy Administration (NEA), the Law Office of the Environmental Resources Committee of the NPC, the German embassy, as well as the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Ministry of Justice, and Chinese and German think-tanks and experts joined the discussion.

The Role of Energy Law in the German Energy Transition

During the event, GIZ published the report - The Role of Energy Law in the German Energy Transition. Jointly developed by German Think Tank IKEM, the report introduces the German energy transition related legislative framework and shows how the German energy law contributes to the development of renewable energies and energy efficiency and promote the energy transition.

The German energy transition has made great achievements since it is initiated in 2011. Germany had shut down the last three nuclear power plants in April 2023, and about 50% electricity are generated from renewable energy in 2022. Besides the transition of energy structure, German energy security and affordability are all in a stable position. The effective legal framework of energy sector in Germany is the fundamental reason that strongly support and successfully contribute to German energy transition.

Deepening understanding on energy legislation in China and Germany

During the opening remarks, Deputy Director General Mr. Liang Zhipeng of the Law and Reform Department of NEA draw an overview of China's energy legislation development. Economic Counsellor of the German Embassy Mr. Dennis Gremm pointed out the importance of establishing and strengthening the cooperation on energy and climate laws, regulations and policies between China and Germany.

The event provided the platform for both German and Chinese experts in energy law area to exchange the status quo, challenges, opportunities, and achievements of legislative development in the energy sector in both countries. With two panel discussions, experts dived deeper into the topic and discussed the impact of energy legislation on energy transition and energy efficiency.

Despite the different stages of energy transition China and Germany are going through currently, the two countries share the common goal of securing the energy supply while ensuring a climate-friendly and economically viable energy system. That is why, as Mr. Liang Zhipeng from NEA concluded: “China and Germany need to deepen mutual understanding and learn from each other in the field of energy legislation and energy governance system and work together to improve the energy-related legal systems of both sides.”

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Sino-German cooperation on energy legislation

Exchanging the legislative and political framework of the energy transition in both countries is an important part of the activities under the Sino-German Working group on energy between the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and the National Energy Administration of China (NEA). Aiming at exchanging experiences on how energy laws and regulations support energy transition, GIZ and China Electricity Council (CEC) jointly organized the workshop “Sino-German Energy Policies, Laws and Mechanisms in Supporting Energy Transition” in August 2022, which received tremendous positive feedback from both German and Chinese side as well as strong will on deepening the exchange. To follow up on this topic, the GIZ energy partnership team continued with conducting the report and facilitating the second expert workshop on October 17, 2023.