Joint press release by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the German Federation of Skilled Crafts

Launch of SME initiative to boost the transformation of Germany's energy system

At the beginning of 2013 a new initiative for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is being launched to boost the transformation of the German energy system, the "Energiewende". It is a joint initiative by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi), the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) and the German Federation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH). It will provide SMEs with information and expertise on all topics relating to the "Energiewende".

It is essential that SMEs from industry, commerce, trade and the service sector make use of the manifold opportunities opened up by the transformation of the energy system to make it successful and to maintain Germany's competitive position. A number of firms and companies have specific information and qualification requirements if they are to tap further energy savings potential and to improve their energy efficiency record.

Together with the launch of the initiative, DIHK and ZDH set up a service point (Servicestelle "Mittelstandsinitiative Energiewende") which provides SMEs with information on support and advice on topics related to the transformation of the energy system. In future the service point will also coordinate projects under the initiative. The online platform "www.mittelstand-energiewende.de" was established to make the range of information and advice offers easily accessible.

The initiative also engages in a direct dialogue with SMEs on opportunities and challenges of the "Energiewende". In  regional dialogues Federal Minister of Economics and Technology Philipp Rösler, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety Peter Altmaier, DIHK President Professor Hans Heinrich Driftmann and ZHD President Otto Kentzler will discuss these matters with representatives from small and medium-sized enterprises. A first dialogue with the participation of both ministers is scheduled for March 2013 in Berlin.