Berlin/Frankfurt – Industry in Germany faces a dual challenge: It must cope with the immediate consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine while simultaneously shaping the long-term transition to climate-neutral and digital production processes. Against this backdrop, the “Alliance for the Future of Industry” has now presented comprehensive proposals to secure industrial value creation in Germany. With its concrete recommendations on issues of national and European climate and energy policy, the alliance aims to make Germany an industry hub fit for the future and to strengthen it in the interest of secure and well-paid jobs.
Jörg Hofmann, President of IG Metall: “We must use the current crises as an opportunity to drive the transformation forward even more resolutely and thus secure industrial value creation—and with it, good jobs—in the long term. It is crucial to set the right course now and invest in the technologies and markets of the future. Policymakers must create the necessary framework conditions for this. The accelerated expansion of renewable energy and the faster ramp-up of the hydrogen economy are particularly urgent. One thing is clear: the climate-just transformation of industry will only succeed if we shape it in an ecological, social, and equitable manner.”
Siegfried Russwurm, President of the Federation of German Industries: “Germany aims to become climate-neutral quickly—this is both a challenge and an opportunity. With its high proportion of industry and closely interconnected value chains—particularly the successful collaboration between large corporations and numerous small and medium-sized enterprises—the German economy offers the best conditions for a successful transformation. For Germany to become a climate-neutral industrial nation, companies and their employees depend on policies that strengthen innovation and investment. The focus should be on faster and simpler planning and permitting procedures, as well as the development of new European value-added networks. Despite the multiple crises, policymakers must now resolutely drive forward the strengthening of Germany as an industrial hub.”
Under the motto “Shaping and Securing the Future of Industry Now,” industrial unions, business associations, and employer organizations have jointly identified six areas where urgent action is needed: securing energy supplies, increasing resilience, further developing a raw materials strategy, accelerating transformation, investing in modern infrastructure, and countering the shortage of skilled workers. The alliance’s proposals will now be discussed in various forums over the coming weeks as part of a nationwide dialogue initiative. A highlight of the dialogue initiative will be an industry conference on November 29 featuring representatives from politics, academia, industry, and civil society.
Please refer to the full recommendations of the Alliance for the Future of Industry.
Alliance Commitment, November 2022
Information about the Alliance
