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Barriers for Soft Power Mechanisms in Promoting the German Energy Transition Abroad: Insights from the Israeli Case

Foreign Policy
Political Economy
Knowledge
Qualitative
Policy Change
Policy Implementation
Energy
Influence
Jozsef Kadar
University of Haifa
Jozsef Kadar
University of Haifa
Ira Shefer
Technische Universität München – TUM School of Governance

Abstract

Germany, one of the world’s largest economies, undergoes massive energy transition (the Energiewende) of denuclearize its energy system by 2022 and becoming greenhouse gas (GHG)-neutral by 2050. Germany seeks leadership by using its own experience as a soft power mechanism in global politics. The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, declared that ‘… the world is looking at us with a mix of incomprehension and curiosity to see if it is possible for us to accomplish this energy transition and if so, how. If we succeed, it will become… another prominent German export’[1]. The country seeks global leadership in this regard and, for that, promotes knowhow and policies concerning the Energiewende to countries in and outside the European Union (EU). However, the ways in which this export takes place and barriers it faces in recipient countries are under-researched, especially concerning climate-lagging, non-EU countries. Our paper, therefore, asks why transferring the Energiewende to developed economies can be unsuccessful process? Considering the influence Germany’s Energiewende has, or may have, on other countries, we find it valuable to understand these processes and their consequences. To bridge these gaps and enrich our understanding of transferring and adopting the Energiewende, the paper applies the policy-transfer framework to analyse soft power mechanisms with which Germany exports the Energiewende to Israel, and the barriers they face there. Israel provides a valuable case-study because it is energy intensive, developed economy that undergoes energy transition of its own. However, it is late in adopting sustainable energies and energy efficiency, and it seeks external experience to learn from. Moreover, the country has special relations with Germany which provide good, preamble conditions for transfer of that kind. Qualitative research methods of semi-structured interviews and texts review were preferred to allow in-depth understanding of the processes and barriers at hand. Preliminary findings indicate that elements of the Energiewende are transferred to Israel indirectly via learning initiatives, exchange of experts and on-sites visits, but with little concrete policies. However, even despite favourable conditions that are available for transfer and adoption of the Energiewende, prevailing political and economic conditions in Israel hinder transfer. Namely, confined and centralized approach to planning and implementing energy policies and competing national discourses of security and development. The weak political position of actors in and outside the government that could present alternatives pose another barrier. Additionally, the Israeli environmental movement lacks experience in mobilizing changes of that scale in Israel and, therefore, could provide little support for the transfer. [1] Drawn from: Steinbacher, K. & Pahle, M. (2016). Leadership and the Energiewende: German Leadership by Diffusion. Global Environmental Politics, 16(4), 70-89.