Kirsten Westphal
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View article: Europe's Hydrogen Pathways
Europe's Hydrogen Pathways Open
This chapter analyzes the ongoing hydrogen developments of the 27 member states of the European Union and the states outside this treaty-based organization. The focus of this chapter is on current policy and regulatory developments, which …
View article: Strategic sovereignty in energy affairs
Strategic sovereignty in energy affairs Open
Germany's energy sovereignty is undermined by US sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. As a result, questions surrounding states' strategic capability in energy affairs have recently become a matter of discussion, particularly in Ge…
View article: German–Russian gas relations in face of the energy transition
German–Russian gas relations in face of the energy transition Open
Russia is the world’s largest gas exporter and Germany is its most important market. Moreover, natural gas is a centerpiece of the Russian economy and the backbone of its energy supply to the Russian population. In terms of its external ga…
View article: The new oil? The geopolitics and international governance of hydrogen
The new oil? The geopolitics and international governance of hydrogen Open
While most hydrogen research focuses on the technical and cost hurdles to a full-scale hydrogen economy, little consideration has been given to the geopolitical drivers and consequences of hydrogen developments. The technologies and infras…
View article: The international dimensions of Germany's hydrogen policy
The international dimensions of Germany's hydrogen policy Open
Hydrogen is a highly versatile source of energy that has attracted growing interest among policymakers and industry players within the context of energy and climate policy. By drawing up its own strategy, the German government wants to pro…
View article: Beyond the Green Deal
Beyond the Green Deal Open
The Green Deal launched by the new Commission in 2019 is set to profoundly reshape the European Union (EU)'s energy diplomacy. However, although the EU will have to adapt to the new policy direction determined by the Green Deal, it cannot …
View article: Four scenarios of the energy transition: Drivers, consequences, and implications for geopolitics
Four scenarios of the energy transition: Drivers, consequences, and implications for geopolitics Open
This opinion article offers insights into the geopolitics of the ongoing global energy transition. In doing so, it draws heavily on a workshop in Berlin in late 2018, and a subsequent paper in the journal Nature . Four scenarios are presen…
View article: The GeGaLo index: Geopolitical gains and losses after energy transition
The GeGaLo index: Geopolitical gains and losses after energy transition Open
This article presents the GeGaLo index of geopolitical gains and losses that 156 countries may experience after a full-scale transition to renewable energy. The following indicators are considered for inclusion in the index: fossil fuel pr…
View article: The GeGaLo Index: Geopolitical Gains and Losses After Energy Transition
The GeGaLo Index: Geopolitical Gains and Losses After Energy Transition Open
This article presents the GeGaLo index of geopolitical gains and losses that 156 countries may experience after a full-scale transition to renewable energy. The following indicators are considered for inclusion in the index: fossil fuel pr…
View article: US-Russia policy hits European energy supply
US-Russia policy hits European energy supply Open
Triggered by Russia's annexation of Crimea and military intervention in Ukraine in early 2014, the governments of the United States (US) and the Russian Federation have since been locked in a geopolitical confrontation, which is largely pl…
View article: The geopolitics of energy transformation : governing the shift: transformation dividends, systemic risks and new uncertainties
The geopolitics of energy transformation : governing the shift: transformation dividends, systemic risks and new uncertainties Open
The transformation of the energy system is a global phenomenon, but the process itself is still progressing far too slowly to halt climate change. However, for "human security", it has immediate positive effects. An energy system that is i…
View article: German-Russian Gas Relations. A Special Relationship in Troubled Waters
German-Russian Gas Relations. A Special Relationship in Troubled Waters Open
In the context of the security crisis in and over Ukraine, natural gas imports from Russia have become a source of debate in Germany and the European Union. Natural gas relations with Russia are often analyzed either through the prism of c…
View article: Energy in the German-Polish relationship: acknowledging controversies - pursuing shared interests
Energy in the German-Polish relationship: acknowledging controversies - pursuing shared interests Open
Germany and Poland stand as examples of the differing interests of individual European Union (EU) member states in energy policy. However, both countries are crucial for filling an Energy Union with substance. Yet, progress in bilateral en…
View article: Nord Stream 2: a political and economic contextualisation
Nord Stream 2: a political and economic contextualisation Open
This study explores the commercial, economic, regulatory and political implications of the Nord Stream 2 project. The plans to add another two pipelines to the Nord Stream facility under the Baltic Sea have created waves within the Europea…
View article: Advancing an International Energy Transition Policy in North Africa and Beyond
Advancing an International Energy Transition Policy in North Africa and Beyond Open
Deutschland wird weltweit als führend in der Förderung von erneuerbaren Energien und Energieeffizienz wahrgenommen. Die Energiewende ist international ein Vorbild. Mit seinen gewaltigen Potenzialen im Energiesektor ist Nordafrika ein lohne…
View article: Energy Security and the OSCE: The Case for Energy Risk Mitigation and Connectivity
Energy Security and the OSCE: The Case for Energy Risk Mitigation and Connectivity Open
The 2016 German Chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) comes at a time of increasing awareness about the interdependence between energy security and hard, economic, and human security. Energy risks …
View article: Offshore hydrocarbon resources in the Arctic: from cooperation to confrontation in an era of geopolitical and economic turbulence?
Offshore hydrocarbon resources in the Arctic: from cooperation to confrontation in an era of geopolitical and economic turbulence? Open
The Arctic region has been an area of low tension since the end of the Cold War. This observation is important because the run on hydrocarbons in the Arctic has not resulted in increased rivalries as expected. The outcomes have been intern…
View article: A common energy market in the Eurasian Economic Union: implications for the European Union and energy relations with Russia
A common energy market in the Eurasian Economic Union: implications for the European Union and energy relations with Russia Open
To the east of the European Union a regional energy market is taking shape under the auspices of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). Even if the interests of the participating states diverge and the ultimate shape of the market remains uncl…