Completed Projects

Focus / Key Research Questions: Investigation of previously under-researched aspects of decarbonizing the German electricity sector in the European context and to derive an assessment of concrete policy instruments for both the German and the European level.
Different partners provide a trans- and interdisciplinary elements, which allow to better understand the various economic, technical, social, and political hurdles of the upcoming transformation away from fossil fuels in Europe.

Approach / Key Methods: Quantitative Modelling by PIK and DIW. Qualitative and quantitative approaches by TU Berlin. Focus on Coal and Gas.

Lead partner: TU Berlin

Contributing partner: DIW, PIK

Funder: BMBF

Regional Focus: Germany, Poland, UK, Netherlands

Lead partner: Germanwatch

Contributing partner: NGO Ecoaction, Russisch-Deutsche Büro für Umweltinformationen, Deutsch-Russischer Austausch

Funder: Engagement Global, Auswärtiges Amt

Regional Focus: Ukraine, Kosovo

Focus / Key Research Questions: Coal Transitions is an international research project which aims to develop credible and feasible trajectories and policy guidance for deep transitions in the coal sector in six major coal using countries: China, India, Australia, South Africa, Germany and Poland. The current coaltransitions.org website was evolved from this research project.

Approach / Key Methods: Historic Analyses of previous coal transitions. Future projections to phase-out coal. Bottom-up approaches through national “coal teams”.

Lead partner: IDDRI, Climate Strategies

Contributing partner: DIW (TU Berlin), IBS, Tsinghua, IIMA, ANU, UCT

Funder: KR Foundation

Regional Focus: China, India, Australia, South Africa, Germany and Poland.

Focus / Key Research Questions: The project assesses the long-term impacts of phasing out coal-fired power generation on coal-mining regions in Germany incl. Employment effects and cohesian policies.

Approach / Key Methods: Description and analysis plus engagement in the political process via the communication of (ad hoc) opinions and comments.

Lead partner: DIW ,TU Berlin

Contributing partner: IZES, IWH, Öko-Institut

Funder: Umweltbundesamt

Regional Focus: Germany

Focus / Key Research Questions: The project assesses two historic processes:

(1) phase-out of coal mining in the Ruhr area and

(2) reduction of lignite mining in the Lausitz after the German reunification.

In both cases, the processes of structural change were supported by a wide range of structural policies. These will be assessed with respect to their suitability to support potential future coal phase-out processes in Germany and other European countries.

Lead partner: Wuppertal Institute

Contributing partner: DIW (TU Berlin), ifo Institut, Innovationsregion Lausitz, Institut Arbeit und Technik, Wirtschaftsförderung metropoleruhr GmbH

Funder: Umweltbundesamt

Regional Focus: Lusatia, Ruhr Area