Politics of Industrial Survival: How Coal Industry Actors Shape the Behaviour of National Governments in EU Decarbonisation Negotiation

Decarbonization is a long- term commitment of the European Union (EU) and has been central to its energy policy: In 2007, the European Council emphasized the EU’s commitment to transform Europe into a low GHG-emitting economy and assured to achieve at least a 20% reduction of GHG emissions by 2020 compared to 1990 - a goal that is expected to be gradually increased to 80-95% by 2050. The efforts to move away from a fossil fuel driven economy have a major impact on carbon-intensive industries and particularly the coal sector. Considering that two EU member states, Germany and Poland, are among the world’s largest coal consuming countries, the question occurs how actors with interest in coal production and consumption are responding to demands for a rapid low carbon energy transition and why we see differences in the behavior of these coal consuming states in EU energy policy negotiations? Business actors in the coal and electric utility industry have been trying to slow down negotiations but apparently with different degrees of success: Germany usually is among the EU member states pushing for most ambitious GHG emissions reduction goals in EU negotiations, while Poland took a strong obstructive position in these negotiations that took account of setting or enhancing GHG emissions reduction goals. Moreover, the once strong German coal and electric utility business actors had to make concessions to accept further and more rapid decarbonization efforts. In light of the strategic goal to decarbonize energy in the EU and the opposition of some member states, my research aims to gain a better understanding of the politics of the coal and electric utility industry in the EU, of the way this industry works and how coal and electric utility business actors have been trying to influence the decarbonization debate, EU energy policy negotiations and European Energy Union governance. Furthermore, the goal is to grasp how the debate about climate change, nuclear energy transition but now also the “coal exit commission” in Germany changes and shapes the industry and influences debates in other countries. As theoretical starting point I will use Pieter Bouwen’s “Theory of Access” to analyze how coal and electric utility business actors react to rising GHG emissions reduction goals, what strategies, avenues and instruments they develop and what points of access are most successful to possibly influence EU energy policy-makers. Current research falls short to explain what happens in case of extreme situations that could possibly pose a threat to the survival of the industry, hence, how strategies of business actors change from current expectations and how this possibly affects coalition building and state-business relations. Actors whose goals stand in contrast to EU policy goals and whose access to government patrons vanishes are likely to develop new access strategies and pursue new routes.