German scholar praises Seoul's energy policy

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Sun, December 10, 2023 | 00:09

Posted : 2015-01-23 18:06

Updated : 2015-01-23 18:07

Miranda Schreurs, left, environmental policy professor at Freie University Berlin in Germany, talks with Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, center, and environmental economics professor Ueta Kazuhiro of Kyoto University at Park's office in Seoul, Thursday, before taking part in a conference on energy transition. / Korea Times

By Kim Se-jeong

Miranda Schreurs, an environmental policy professor from Freie University Berlin in Germany, praised the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) for supporting small-scale electricity producers using solar panels.

"I am impressed," said the professor, who is also the director of the Environmental Policy Research Center at the university.

"If you have more electricity production locally, you can save infrastructure costs, and it helps people get involved in the process of energy production. Some say it's more democratic because it means people's participation," she told The Korea Times, Thursday.

She was referring to the "one-less nuclear power plant" initiative which the SMG launched in 2012. Under the initiative, the city government is subsidizing homeowners, private investors and business owners who produce electricity using renewable energy sources, mainly solar energy. The city's ultimate goal is to be energy-independent, free from electricity coming from outside the city.

Schreurs is an expert in energy policies in Germany and the European Union, and was invited to speak at Thursday's conference on energy transition and the role of civil society. The event was organized by the Institute for Climate Change Action, Korea University's Green School and the SMG.

Acknowledging the presence of big power companies in Korea, she said Seoul's experience could serve as an example for the country.

Germany is well known for its anti-nuclear power policies. After the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, Germany declared it would shut down all nuclear power plants by 2022. Eight have been shut down since, with nine still online.

Schreurs was among the experts who drove the move. She was on a 17-member committee that proposed that German Chancellor Angela Merkel phase out all nuclear power plants. The committee was formed in response to the Chancellor's call to answer whether nuclear energy was ethical and sustainable for the future of Germany.

"I was surprised that in the committee meetings, all 17 members reached a consensus that showed how seriously the German people took the matter," she said.

The professor still works as an advisor on environmental policies to the German federal government and the European Union.

Schreurs has a background in political science, international relations, biology, chemistry and environmental studies. In addition to her teaching experience, she worked with the Chinese government as an advisor. When asked what got her interested in environmental issues, Schreurs said that she grew concerned about the environment as a young adult when she saw nature being destroyed in different parts of the world.