<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>With the German Energy Efficiency Act, politicians are intervening directly in business activities by imposing energy-saving requirements. The act sets precise targets for future energy consumption in Germany as a whole and obliges companies above a certain energy consumption level to set up energy management systems or to draw up implementation plans for energy-saving measures identified as economically viable. Government bodies have an annual obligation to save energy; this is unnecessary, as the relevant signals for energy savings result from EU emissions trading. It is also dysfunctional, as it undermines entrepreneurial freedom of action and leads to a de facto planned climate economy.</p>
</abstract>

With the German Energy Efficiency Act, politicians are intervening directly in business activities by imposing energy-saving requirements. The act sets precise targets for future energy consumption in Germany as a whole and obliges companies above a certain energy consumption level to set up energy management systems or to draw up implementation plans for energy-saving measures identified as economically viable. Government bodies have an annual obligation to save energy; this is unnecessary, as the relevant signals for energy savings result from EU emissions trading. It is also dysfunctional, as it undermines entrepreneurial freedom of action and leads to a de facto planned climate economy.

The German Energy Efficiency Act – Superfluous, Anti-market and Harmful?

Wirtschaftsdienst

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Das Energieeffizienzgesetz –überflüssig, marktwidrig und schädlich?

With the German Energy Efficiency Act, politicians are intervening directly in business activities by imposing energy-saving requirements. The act sets precise...

The German Energy Efficiency Act – Superfluous, Anti-market and Harmful?

Published Online: Aug 15, 2024

Page range: 562 - 567

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/wd-2024-0145

© 2024 Alexander Eisenkopf et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.