“New pathways explored”: Closing event for the Ariadne energy transition project

The Kopernikus project Ariadne received about 60 million euros from Germany’s ministry of research and produced around 130 publications over six and a half years (with more to follow by the end of the year), developing high-quality learning and analysis tools, and facilitating a society-wide learning process through dialogue formats.

“Germany’s journey towards climate neutrality by 2045 has required us to explore new pathways in the face of increasingly challenging conditions in recent years. Our strong and diverse research network, built up within Ariadne, was able to make a significant contribution to this,” says PIK Director Ottmar Edenhofer, who heads the project. “We thank policymakers for their trust and for their interest in the findings. And today, with the closing conference and the final report, we are looking together at how we should proceed.”

The transformation is not yet a given

The Ariadne researchers are well aware that geopolitical upheavals and domestic political polarisation are equally challenging. “The Grand Challenges of the Energy Transition” is the title of both the conference and the report (both in German); the transformation is therefore, despite everything, not yet a given. Divided into two sessions – each featuring academic input from Ariadne and a panel discussion with prominent speakers – the closing conference looks outwards at “Germany and Europe in a turbulent world”, and inwards at “robust strategies for cost-effective climate action”.

The concluding third session focuses on a topic that has emerged as significant in Ariadne’s research: “societal ownership of the energy transition”. This involves socially balancing measures while also maintaining even-handed and transparent communication, reflecting the underlying conviction that climate protection cannot succeed in the long term without broad societal support.

The Ariadne closing conference also highlights the theme of “Climate and the Economy”, with leading figures from the business world on the panel. Integrating climate protection with strategic business needs has been a guiding principle throughout Ariadne studies on industrial transformation.

Sabine Nallinger, chairwoman of the KlimaWirtschaft Foundation initiated by top business executives, emphasises: “Ariadne has significantly advanced the debate on energy policy. It has shown how closely climate protection and industrial competitiveness are linked – and that the transformation can only succeed with regulatory certainty, consistent electrification and a functioning hydrogen market. This knowledge will shape the ongoing discourse between business, politics and science.”

Nine key areas of concern

The “Grand Challenges of the Energy Transition” are described in concrete terms across nine key areas of concern, developed by the Ariadne consortium over the past few months, based on numerous publications and a concluding reflection process. This forms the core of the final report.

Specifically, the nine areas are: (1) smart flexibilisation in the electricity system; (2) cross-sectoral infrastructure for a climate-neutral energy system; (3) affordable design of the heating transition; (4) road transport electrification and innovation in the automotive sector; (5) industrial competitiveness and smart structural change; (7) further development of the EU Emissions Trading System, (8) the interplay between climate protection and geopolitics, and (9) societal ownership of the energy transition.

The German Ariadne final report, setting out the nine “Grand Challenges of the Energy Transition”, can be found here. Access to all 130 Ariadne publications, the learning and analysis tools, and detailed information on the dialogue formats is available on the Ariadne project page. An overview from the ministry of research of all four Kopernikus projects (Ariadne, ENSURE, P2X, SynErgie) can be found here.