Environmental, Climate and Energy Policies: Path-Dependent Incrementalism or Quantum Leap?

The Grand Coalition's ability to induce significant environmental policy changes was constrained by a ‘dual path dependency’. First, environmental policy has developed into a relatively consensual policy field in Germany although there are also some politically conflictual issues such as the use of nuclear power. Second, the Grand Coalition accepted the cornerstones of the previous (Red–Green) coalition government's environmental policy. Environmental Minister Sigmar Gabriel's launch of the concept of ecological industrial policy constituted the clearest example of an attempted paradigm change in environmental policy which was aimed at bringing about a ‘quantum leap’ and a ‘third industrial revolution’. The concept of ecological industrial policy has, however, its roots in the older concept of ecological modernisation of which it constitutes an extension and refinement.