With all the public controversy over the heating law and staff in the economy ministry, and the “miserable” state of cooperation within the ruling coalition, and low public approval ratings, it is also worth looking at what the government has actually achieved on energy and climate policy-making.

“The traffic light’s track record is better than its public perception,” writes Michael Schlieben in an opinion piece for Zeit Online.

First, the coalition manoeuvred through the energy crisis. Just months after Scholz took office, Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, pushing the chancellor to declare a “Zeitenwende” (turn of an era) which mostly upended the government’s plan to steadily work through its energy and climate agenda. Instead, the coalition needed to deal with high energy prices, the threat of severe gas shortages, and a looming recession. Politicians worried about the threat of popular protests or even social unrest, warning that solidarity among citizens could be pushed to the limit with a hard, cold winter.

However, over the course of 2022, the government managed to secure enough alternative gas supply, partially through the rapid build-up of domestic import infrastructure for liquefied natural gas (LNG). It also introduced emergency legislation in record time, and presented several relief packages for citizens and businesses. Germany thus managed to avoid a harsh economic downturn, and the feared “winter of discontent” did not materialise. Mild temperatures certainly helped too, as demand for gas to heat homes was reduced.

In his summer press conference, chancellor Scholz emphasised the opportunity the crisis presented to transition away from fossil fuels for the sake of domestic energy security. “The need to act very quickly to avoid a cold winter and a long-lasting economic crisis […] has also considerably accelerated the pace of [the climate-friendly modernisation] and, as I perceived it, also increased the consensus that this must now be done at great speed,” Scholz told journalists in the room, speaking of his coalitions achievement in meeting the moment with the necessary speed.

The list of climate and energy policies presented by the government and decided by parliament since the coalition took office is long. The reforms form part of the comprehensive climate action programme meant to get the country back on track to reaching climate targets, of which the economy ministry presented a draft in early summer, after months of delay.

The coalition raised renewables expansion targets, aiming to double onshore wind and more than triple solar PV and offshore wind power capacity from today’s levels to ensure renewable energy covers at least 80 percent of electricity consumption by 2030. It introduced legislation to ensure sufficient land is available for renewable expansion and to speed up planning and permitting procedures for these facilities and the necessary power lines. It abolished the renewables surcharge to finance renewables expansion from the federal budget, and launched a pioneering subsidy system to support industry in slashing emissions. Yet, the controversial heating law and the – also disputed – climate law reform, are yet to be agreed upon, which is likely to happen after the summer recess.

“The pace has picked up in our country, and it will be accelerating more and more,” Scholz added.