The Green New Deal: The German Perspective

The German Greens propose a Green New Deal to transition Germany toward a low-carbon, resource-efficient economy. The plan rests on three pillars: re-regulating financial markets to end speculation, implementing green industrial policies to promote renewables and efficiency, and ensuring social justice through a 'new social balance' and fair wealth distribution. The authors argue that Germany's industrial success depends on this transformation and that it must be coordinated at the EU level to be effective.

• The Green New Deal is structured around three primary pillars: the re-regulation of deregulated financial markets to reduce economic imbalances, socio-ecological restructuring through green industrial policies and renewable energy investment, and a social pillar focused on distributive justice and quality employment.
• To limit global warming to below 2 degrees centigrade, industrial nations must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 90% by 2050. The German Greens propose legally enshrining specific targets: a 40% reduction by 2020 and a 95% reduction by 2050.
• The document argues that economic growth must be completely decoupled from resource consumption and emissions to avoid reaching planetary ecological limits, while acknowledging that social security systems currently remain dependent on growth.
• The transition to a green economy is described as a 'third industrial revolution' that must involve the manufacturing sector, which currently accounts for one-third of CO2 emissions and 24% of total gross value creation.
• Ecological fiscal reform is proposed to ensure prices reflect environmental costs, including the removal of subsidies for coal and 'gas-guzzling company cars' and an increase in the proportion of ecological taxes in total revenue.
• Financial market reform is deemed essential to redirect capital from speculation to sustainable investment. Proposed measures include a European financial sales tax, increased liquidity and capital requirements for banks, and a 'debt brake' for banks via an unweighted minimum threshold for shareholders’ equity.
• To ensure a 'just transformation,' the authors advocate for a 'new social balance' to combat growing income inequality, including a mandatory quota of at least 40% women on supervisory boards and boards of directors of large corporations.
• The document emphasizes that national efforts are insufficient and that a strong, politically and economically united European Union is necessary to manage the transition and the euro crisis.

APA

Grünen, B. 9. (2012). The Green New Deal: The German Perspective. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/green-new-deal-the-german-perspective/

Chicago

Grünen, Bundis 90/Die. The Green New Deal: The German Perspective. Green European Journal, 2012. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/green-new-deal-the-german-perspective/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Grünen |first1=Bundis 90/Die |title=The Green New Deal: The German Perspective |publisher=Green European Journal |date=1 March 2012 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/green-new-deal-the-german-perspective/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{grnen2012green, author = {Grünen, Bundis 90/Die}, title = {{The Green New Deal: The German Perspective}}, publisher = {Green European Journal}, year = {2012}, month = mar, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/green-new-deal-the-german-perspective/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }