New digitalisation strategy to help fight climate crisis – German govt

The German government has said its new digitalisation strategy will help in the fight against the climate crisis and in efforts to transform the economy. Environmental data and artificial intelligence can be used to make environmental policy measures more efficient, the strategy says. “We will use these tools for the further sustainable  development of our country – from the restructuring of our energy supply to the transition to a climate-neutral economy and to closing material cycles.” While the strategy is largely silent on concrete targets or available budgets, the government plans to launch an online portal with environmental data from federal state agencies, local communities, companies, science bodies and associations in 2023, ramp up the rollout of smart meters in households and businesses, and make better use of waste heat from data centres. “The digital strategy is a concrete vision of the future with tangible and measurable goals for the social, economic and scientific transformation process,” digitalisation and transport minister Volker Wissing said.

“For the energy and water industry, the digital transformation is the foundation of an advancing energy transition,” BDEW head Kerstin Andreae said. The association welcomed the commitment to speed up the development of digital infrastructure and to make public administration more digital. “This could also significantly accelerate planning and approval procedures for renewable energy projects, grid expansion and the expansion of charging services for electric cars,” Andreae said.

Digitalisation is crucial for the transition of society and economy towards climate neutrality. The full impact of digital technologies is planned to go well beyond the installation of “smart” electricity meters connected to the internet.