Welcome!

I am happy you have found my website. While some might know me from my time as State Minister for the Environment and Agriculture in NRW, I am now Energy Commissioner for Africa of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) sind November 1, 2017. My goal is to help pave the way for decentralized and peoples’ owned renewables in Africa and thus for a global energy transition (“Energiewende”) in a fair and just world.

You can find out more about me and what I am fighting for as well as how to contact me. My old website from the years in the German Bundestag is accessible in the archive. Please do not hesitate to contact me on Twitter or Facebook.

My Vision

Nuclear Phase-Out and ‘Energiewende’

Nuclear Power is an incalculable high risk technology and must be stopped. Instead, we have to use renewable energies which are safe, cheap and more reliable. Germany’s renewable-energy-law (EEG) has lead not only to an increase in clean power in Germany, but also to a global decline in costs for PV and wind. Now we have to continue to make the right investments. The future is clean, decentral and renewable!

Radical Climate Protection

Climate Change is already showing its effects all around the world – in Africa as well as in Germany. That’s why we have to increase our efforts dramatically. We have to stop all dirty investments (Divestment), increase energy efficiency, scale up renewables and leave fossil fuels where there belong: in the ground!

Environment, Consumer Rights, Agriculture and Fair Trade

A sound environment is the basis for our very existence and a worthwhile future for our children. Consumers have to be able to make free and well-informed decisions. That is why we have to restrict and control corporate power and strenghten green consumption. This also includes a turn toward sustainable agriculture without dangerous genetic modification and industrial livestock farming which hurts animals and humans alike. I also stand for a fair trade regime and more solidarity in the global economic system.

Photovoltaikanlage mit lokalem Netz für ein Dorf in Mali, finanziell unterstützt von der KfW

Erdnussbuttermaschine in Mosambik, angetrieben von Erneuerbaren Energien

Fraueninitiative in Kenia, die Obst und Gemüse trocknen und verarbeiten

Fischerfrauen an der Küste von Senegal trocknen Fisch in der Sonne

Contact

You can contact me via Twitter and Facebook or just leave me a message below. I am looking forward to the exchange with you.