DIW Weekly Report

National Hydrogen Strategy: Clear Focus and Consistent Implementation Necessary

Replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources is one cornerstone of the energy transition. In certain sectors, green hydrogen will play an important role in the future, as is envisioned in the revised National Hydrogen Strategy recently presented by the German Federal Government. This Weekly Report discusses important changes in this strategy compared to the first National Hydrogen Strategy ...

Ganzes Heft

Broad Electricity Price Subsidies for Industry Are Not a Suitable Relief Instrument

The sharp rise in electricity prices has led to a discussion on possible subsidies for companies in the form of an industrial power tariff. The subsidies should help companies remain internationally competitive and prevent them from relocating overseas. Although German electricity prices for (industrial) firms are around the European average due to many tax exemptions, they are significantly higher ...

Ganzes Heft

German Economy Currently Scarcely Making Headway

Following the winter recession and stagnation in the second quarter of 2023, the economic upswing is proceeding at a sluggish pace, contrary to expectations over the summer. Weak foreign demand and ongoing inflation have proven to be slowing economic growth. For the time being, private consumption is not driving the German economy and is likely to develop in the second half of 2023 only haltingly. ...

Ganzes Heft

Meeting Climate Targets Can Only Spur on Economic Growth with the Right Combination of Measures

Reducing carbon emissions is essential to meeting climate targets. What is unclear, however, is which measures are required to do so and what impact they would have on economic growth. In this Weekly Report, a macroeconomic model is used to observe four scenarios in comparison to a baseline scenario without emissions reduction. It is analyzed which effects different measures, such as technological ...

Ganzes Heft

Investments in Energy-Efficient Building Renovation Are on a Downward Slide

According to the latest review report of the Council of Experts on Climate Change, the German building sector failed to meet its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets in 2022. This is in part because investments in energy-efficient building refurbishment—supported by all kinds of policy measures— has neither been low nor shown a consistently positive trend over the past ten years. Furthermore, ...

Ganzes Heft

Despite Crises, the Stability of the Euro Is Rooted in the Middle Class

In the 24 years since its introduction, the euro has experienced a financial crisis, a government debt crisis, a global pandemic, and an energy crisis—and survived. Using a model focusing on households, this Weekly Report shows that the monetary union’s stability is rooted in the fact that the middle class neither gains nor loses significantly relative to an independent currency following business ...

Ganzes Heft

Ukrainian Refugees: Nearly Half Intend to Stay in Germany for the Longer Term

Millions of Ukrainians have been displaced by the Russian war on Ukraine, with over one million alone coming to Germany since the beginning of the war. Data from the second survey wave of the IAB-BiB/FReDA-BAMF-SOEP Survey of Ukrainian Refugees in Germany study show that as of the beginning of 2023, an increasing share of Ukrainian refugees plan on staying in Germany for the longer term. Around three ...

Ganzes Heft

Chinese Loans to African Countries Differ from Western Development Loans

Over the past 20 years, China has granted a conspicuous amount of loans to African countries. New loan data show that compared to Western multilateral loans, Chinese loans have relatively high interest rates and shorter maturities, tend to be highly collateralized, and are volatile over time. Thus, Western loans are generally more likely to be in the economic interest of the borrowing country. Furthermore, ...

Ganzes Heft

On the Way to Climate Neutrality: Scenarios Can Facilitate the Transition of Companies and the Financial Sector

In its Federal Climate Change Act, Germany has committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2045. To do so, companies from both the industrial and the service sectors must adjust their production and business practices, and financial institutions must adjust their evaluation criteria. In many cases, this requires a new strategic direction and investments in climate-neutral products, business models, ...

Ganzes Heft

DIW Economic Outlook: German Economy Fighting Its Way out of Winter Recession

The German economy has returned to a recovery course following a slight recession over the winter. Although the war in Ukraine, record inflation, and feared gas shortages have taken their toll on the German economy, a drastic slump failed to materialize. The German economy remained relatively unscathed, only experiencing a slight recession over the past six months; in the final quarter of 2022 and ...

Ganzes Heft