Soft Power for a Global Transition to Sustainable Energy: Germany’s Bilateral Energy Partnerships

As a pioneer in the global transition to renewable energy, Germany represents a leader, not only in terms of its domestic Energiewende process but also in the promotion of the energy transition concept abroad. While the former role is widely acknowledged, little scholarly attention has been placed on its pioneering Energiewende foreign policy. This paper seeks to help close this gap by offering an analysis of Germany’s energy partnerships. The energy partnerships represent the country’s central bilateral approach within the context of its Energiewende foreign policy. They serve as a formalized instrument to foster regular political and technical exchange on energy-related issues focused on but not limited to the fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency. The paper seeks to better understand these partnerships by critically examining and comparing their functions. It asks: What role do the bilateral energy partnerships play in Germany's energy transition policy and how do they serve to promote energy transition processes abroad? Combining Foreign Policy Analysis with constructivist international relations theory, the paper argues that the partnerships can be understood as soft power tools that fulfill three basic functions: 1. They establish close bilateral ties with a diverse set of countries. 2. They establish sustainable energy as a legitimate international policy response to energy and climate challenges. 3. They exert international norm and policy entrepreneurship by fostering knowledge exchange and cooperation on energy transition policies and related regulatory and technical solutions. In a comparative case study approach, we analyze the country’s full set of bilateral energy partnerships. The sample excludes only the partnership with Norway, which represents a unique case, due to its close integration with EU energy policy. For the purpose of the study, energy partnerships are defined as institutionalized bilateral relationships between the German government and the respective partner governments, which are based on a formal agreement or memorandum of understanding. The study does not cover the more recent energy dialogues, which represent less formalized relationships and lack a formal agreement between the participating governments. The analysis of the partnerships relies on a unique data set comprised of stakeholder interviews, two group discussions with policy makers as well as working and strategy documents. The paper reveals the partnerships’ potential and current limitations as soft power tools and develops ideas to use this policy tool more efficiently.