Danyel Reiche

Policy differences in the promotion of renewable energies in the EU member states

Abstract The EU directive on the promotion of electricity produced from renewable energy sources (RES) has established reference targets for the share of RES electricity in each EU Member States power supply. To reach this goal every EU country follows a different promotion strategy and some deployed instruments seem more successful in increasing the share of RES electricity than others. But we argue that there is no “natural” superiority of any instrument because the success depends on the respective framework conditions in the individual Member State on the one hand and the specific style of the used promotion models on the other. We conclude by identifying a number of success conditions for an increased use of RES: long-term planning security for investors, technology-specific remuneration for green power, strong efforts in the field of the power supply systems (grid extension, fair access to the grid, etc.) and measures to reduce local resistance against RES projects.

Renewable energy policy in Germany: pioneering and exemplary regulations

The development of renewable energy in Germany has been a great success: 9 % share of green electricity in 2002, world leader in terms of installed wind capacity amounting to 13,512 MW in October 2003 (nearly 40 % of the global capacity), second largest installed photovoltaic capacity in the world (nearly 350 MW at the end of September 2003), European leader in the sale of biodiesel (550,000 tonnes per year at the end of 2002) and in solar heating systems, with 4.75 million m 2 of installed systems at the end of 2002. To understand the success it is necessary to know that it results from – besides suitable background conditions – a comprehensive promotion approach which was launched at the beginning of the 1990s and has been given a further boost, since the coming into office of the Social Democratic-Green government in autumn 1998, through a series of promotion measures. Since 1991, with the coming into force of the first German feed-in law, the Act on Supplying Electricity from Renewables (Stromeinspeisegesetz, StrEG), fixed remuneration has been paid to electricity based on renewable energy sources (RES), leading to the market breakthrough in wind energy. Its successor, the Renewable Energy Sources Act (Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz, EEG) in April 2000, improved the regulations of the StrEG in many respects and made market entry possible for other renewables such as solar photovoltaics and biomass energy. The positive RES development in Germany can be explained by, besides this key promotion measure which served as a subsidy for the operational costs, several promotion programmes, which supported RES through investment subsidies (in the form of grants or soft loans), tax exemptions (within the scope of the Environmental Tax Reform) or in a more indirect way, through the decision to phase out nuclear energy, by means of information dissemination (i.e., the RES export initiative of the federal government) and corporate financing schemes in the case of wind energy.

Investing in sporting success as a domestic and foreign policy tool: the case of Qatar

This article investigates why the small Middle Eastern country Qatar is investing so heavily in the sport sector. The country is hosting prestigious sporting events such as the Asian Games, the handball and the football World Cup, promotes elite sport success by local and naturalized athletes and invests in famous sport clubs abroad. The article analyses how sport is used as a domestic policy tool, for example to develop a healthy society and to attract white-collar expats from abroad. Sport is also used as a foreign policy tool to build relations with as many countries and people in the world as possible to gain soft power and for national security reasons.

War minus the shooting? the politics of sport in Lebanon as a unique case in comparative politics

Abstract In the literature on sport and politics the potential of sport to unite fragmented societies is emphasised. Lebanon is a counter example. Sport does not unite but further divides people. Confessionalism, the political system of this ‘mosaic state’ with 18 state-registered sects, produces conditions that only allow for competition within sects. The sport sector, especially the professional mens teams in football and basketball, serves as a tool for competition within and between sects. In a middle-income country with only four million inhabitants, club revenues from ticketing and broadcasting are almost non-existent. Therefore professional sport teams are completely dependent on sponsors. Within a patron–client relationship system, political leaders finance the clubs but expect complete loyalty from the teams, implemented through such practices as choosing their party colours as team colours or posting large pictures of themselves in the arenas. While national sports teams often have the potential to unite societies, in Lebanon this can only happen if first steps from a sectarian to a secular state are taken. Then a common national identity (including general support for the national sports teams) might gradually develop and later transform the confessional subsystems such as the media, schools and sports clubs towards non-sectarian entities.

Drivers behind corporate social responsibility in the professional football sector: a case study of the German Bundesliga

This article presents a case study of corporate social responsibility in one major European professional football league. An empirical analysis of the German Bundesliga investigates the social and environmental measures that were implemented by the 18 clubs and discusses their impact and the drivers behind them. Common examples for social initiatives are regional operating foundations and school projects. Societal drivers such as re-establishing local roots and serving as a model for society as well as economic motives such as strengthening customer retention and capturing sponsors’ interest were identified. The comprehensive climate protection initiatives such as photovoltaic plants and environmental management systems in German stadiums might be unique in European professional sport. The main reasons are political factors such as a favourable legislative framework for renewable energies and the Green Goal programmes for the Fédération Internationale de Football Association World Cups in 2006 (men) and 2011 (women) in Germany.

The prohibition of online sports betting: a comparative analysis of Germany and the United States

Abstract This paper examines online sports betting in Germany and the USA, two countries that differ from the global trend that has been moving toward the legalization and liberalization of the sector. The following research questions are asked: Which joint factors led to the prohibition of online sports wagering in Germany and the USA? In what ways do the cases differ? After explaining the methodology of this research and conducting the case studies, the paper discusses the similarities and differences between the two countries, such as the official and unofficial reasons behind the bans, the administrative responsibilities of the issue, different policy instruments for implementing the bans, exceptions to the prohibition, the important role of courts in the debate, external pressure to change the respective national regulations, and the powerful role of sports governing associations that offer, in both cases, the main reasons for recent policy-making decisions.

Renewable Energies in Developing Countries: Issues, Interests, and Implications

This article deals with the question of how renewable energies can contribute to a sustainable development of the “South”. The authors argue that the promotion of renewable energies entails a number of benefits for developing countries, including the protection of natural resources, reduction of health risks, increased access to modern energy, reduction of dependence on energy imports, and promotion of economic development. On the other hand, industrialised countries should also have a vital interest in the dissemination of renewable energies in the South, because of the problem of global climate change and the export interests of their renewable energy industries. In order to achieve an increased utilisation of renewable energies in developing countries, a number of barriers - such as a lack of finance and of political support for renewables - have to be removed. The authors suggest to ways in which these barriers may be overcome.

Why developing countries are just spectators in the ‘Gold War’: the case of Lebanon at the Olympic Games

Abstract At the Olympic Games, there is an increasing gap between developed countries that are investing more and more government resources into sporting success, and developing countries that cannot afford the “Gold War”, and are just spectators in the medal race. Based on studying a representative case, Lebanon, I investigate issues and interests of developing countries in the Olympics. On the political level, the main motivation for participation is global recognition. On the sporting level, developing countries seek to use Olympic participation as preparation for regional Games where success is more likely, serving as a soft power tool for regional influence.

Hosting the Olympic Games: an Overstated Advantage in Sports History

Previous research on the home advantage in the history of the Olympic Games has found initial evidence that host nations have won more medals than non-hosts. In this paper, we argue that these findings are a myth of sports history, providing poor estimates of the home advantage in the Olympics. We argue that selection bias accounts for the findings in previous work, which uses an empirical strategy of comparing host nations to all non-hosts and to historical performances of host countries with much smaller delegations. When we correct for this bias the evidence in favour of a hosting advantage disappears. Additionally, we argue that the existing literature has largely neglected the rules about athlete qualification for host countries. To the extent that a small home advantage does exist, it is almost entirely driven by increased participation rates.

Energy for all: Obstacles and success conditions for RE in developing countries

Abstract In many developing countries there is a much larger potential for renewables like wind and solar energy than in industrialised countries. But there are obstacles that prevent the adoption of such “new” renewables in developing countries. Ulrich Laumanns and Danyel Reiche try to identify the most important obstacles and point to success conditions that can lead to a wider dissemination of “new” renewables in developing countries.