| Willy Brandt School of Public Policy

How the Hambach Forest Movement shaped the German coal phase-out

In her Energy Research & Social Science journal publication, early career researcher Almut Mohr closely analyzes the role of social movements in energy transitions. The article focuses on the German coal-phase-out plan and the influence of the Hambach Forest Movement.

The article follows the case of the Hambach Forest Movement, one of the most prominent recent environmental movements in Germany. By conducting interviews with activists, civil society, a representative of the energy company RWE, and the German so-called Coal Commission, Almut Mohr lays out a clear pattern of how this movement has influenced public debate and energy policy in Germany. Findings from the analysis include a clear connection between the movement’s activities and a wider perception of a clear sense of place that even influenced the so-called Coal Commission’s final report.

Research Associate
(Willy Brandt School of Public Policy)
C19 - Research Building "Weltbeziehungen" / C19.02.10