DIHK: German companies are more wary of the energy transition

German companies see more risks than opportunities for their competitiveness in the energy transition. This was found by a survey conducted by the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK). Half of the more than 3,500 companies surveyed by DIHK said the shift to renewable energy and the move away from Russian gas would have a very negative or negative impact on their business. Thirteen percent of the companies surveyed viewed the effects of the energy transition as very positive or positive.

DIHK has been recording companies’ perceptions of the energy transition since 2012 in a barometer on a scale from minus 100 to plus 100 points. The barometer currently stands at minus 27 points, its lowest reading since the survey began.

„German companies’ confidence in energy policy is currently at its lowest point,“ said DIHK Deputy Chief Executive Achim Dercks today at the presentation of the barometer.

„Concerns about their own competitiveness have never been greater,“ he added.

In energy-intensive sectors, three out of four companies surveyed said the energy transition was having a negative or very negative impact on them. „Given the great importance of industry to Germany… these figures are alarming,“ Dercks said.

According to him, many German companies are greatly concerned about energy supply shortages, including over the medium and long term. „This is an alarming development overall that we should all take very seriously,“ he added.

Although most companies want to remain in Germany despite the problems, the share of firms considering leaving the country is rising. Almost a third of industrial companies plan to move production abroad or cut production in Germany, twice the figure of last year.