Sustainable Transformation of the Energy System in Iran

With its unique oil and gas resources, the Islamic Republic of Iran has a key role in the global energy supply. However, the growing economy and population in the country as well as the high subsidisation of fossil fuel energy have led in the past years to a rapid increase in the demand of energy and to inefficiencies in energy consumption in households and businesses, which are also associated with negative environmental impacts. This needs a trend reversal in the coming years as otherwise the country might not only lose its position as a global energy supplier, but also jeopardise the innovation strength of the industry in low-carbon technologies in the long-term.

In order to promote the cooperation and exchange between German and Iranian institutions, a first exchange took place in May of 2017 at the Wuppertal Institute. As the next step, a delegation from the Wuppertal Institute, consisting of Stefan Lechtenböhmer, Stefan Thomas and Thomas Fink, is traveling to Iran. The aim of the workshop, funded by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES), is to share the experience in the "German Energiewende" and thus to strengthen the expansion of renewables with focus on efficiency.