Georg Zachmann
Georg Zachmann is a Senior Fellow at Bruegel, where he has worked since 2009 on energy and climate policy. His work focuses on regional and distributional impacts of decarbonisation, the analysis and design of carbon, gas and electricity markets, and EU energy and climate policies. Previously, he worked at the German Ministry of Finance, the German Institute for Economic Research in Berlin, the energy think tank LARSEN in Paris, and the policy consultancy Berlin Economics.
Disclaimer of external interests
Featured work
Preparing for the next winter: Europe’s gas outlook for 2023
We explore in detail the two pillars of energy security: LNG supply and the nature and volume of natural-gas demand reductions.
European natural gas imports
How would the European Union fare without Russian energy?
This contribution explores how Europe can manage without the imports of Russian coal, crude oil, oil products and natural gas.
European natural gas demand tracker
Buying time for proper electricity market reform
A structural reform of the electricity market is necessary in light of the increasing demand for electricity and the growing share of renewable energy
Russian crude oil tracker
A European policy mix to address food insecurity linked to Russia’s war
The food crisis creates short-term challenges but also points to systemic issues in the food sector.
Will the European Union price cap on Russian oil work?
The G7 Russian oil price cap is an ambitious but untested instrument. While pitfalls exist, the cap has the potential to be the most potent sanction.
National fiscal policy responses to the energy crisis
Europe must now strike a deal on energy prices
Europe must move beyond blocking agreement on a coordinated solution and undermining EU unity in the face of Russian aggression.
To cap or not to cap: the deal Europe needs on energy prices
An EU gas price cap would be counterproductive, but the reasons why it is supported widely must be acknowledged and addressed.
Does the European Union need an energy crisis fund?
An EU energy fund is justified, but for different reasons than commonly assumed, with implications for the fund’s design.
Germany’s gas-price ‘defence shield’: problems and redeeming features
The €200 billion “defence shield” risks undermining European solidarity. This could be avoided by designing it well.
An assessment of Europe’s options for addressing the crisis in energy markets
Action to intervene in the gas and electricity wholesale markets is also being taken at European Union level, which is what we analyse in this paper.
A grand bargain to steer through the European Union’s energy crisis
The current crisis looks set to leave behind it a radically different system, but what that system will look like remains an open question
The grand energy bargain Europe needs to defeat Putin
Europe Needs a Grand Bargain on Energy
Why a “Go It Alone” Approach Will Leave Countries in the Cold This Winter
How it can be done
What would be the economic consequences of a complete halt to Russian gas imports?
A possible G7 price cap on Russian oil: issues at stake
A price cap on Russian oil might improve the current western sanctions regime, but effectiveness will depend on the west’s willingness
European Union demand reduction needs to cope with Russian gas cuts
Without Russian gas, the European Union would have to reduce demand by approximately 15%, with big differences between different parts of Europe
The role of competition in the transition to climate neutrality
The transition to climate neutrality requires the reallocation of production factors from polluting activities to non-polluting activities.
How to make the EU Energy Platform an effective emergency tool
The platform could become an effective emergency tool to safeguard Europe’s gas supply, but policymakers need to address challenges to make it work.
Europe’s Russian oil embargo: significant but not yet
The ban on most Russian oil significantly scales up the EU response to aggression against Ukraine, but the bloc should stand ready for retaliation.
The EU needs transparent oil data and enhanced coordination
The EU lacks the coordination structure and transparent data necessary to most effectively navigate an embargo on Russian oil.
For Europe, an oil embargo is not the way to go
Even at this late hour, the European Union should consider taking a different path.
How to weaken Russian oil and gas strength
Letter published in Science.
A phase out of Russian oil may be less effective than a tariff at reducing Putin’s rents
A punitive tariff on all energy imports from Russia would be a better choice than a gradually phased-in embargo on selected fuels.
A tariff on imports of fossil fuel from Russia
A tariff on imports of Russian fossil fuels would allow Europe to hit Russia's energy sector without great suffering.
How a European Union tariff on Russian oil can be designed
The European Union should apply a tariff on imports of Russian oil; it can be accompanied by a quota for a gradual, conditional phase-out.
EU risks letting Putin’s gas divide-and-rule strategy win
The 2 May meeting of EU energy ministers should deliver strong and common EU action. Failing to do so would undermine Europe’s unity, energy security
Cutting Putin’s energy rent: ‘smart sanctioning’ Russian oil and gas
Infrastructure bottlenecks prevent Russia from selling all the oil it wants to bring to market, even at lower prices.
The European Union demand response to high natural gas prices
Even before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, high natural gas prices triggered an estimated European Union demand cut of about 7%.
The impact of the war in Ukraine on food security
The war in Ukraine and consequent sanctions could mean high food prices will endure.
Can Europe manage if Russian oil and coal are cut off?
A stop to Russian oil and coal supplies would push Europe into a short and painful adjustment period.
How to wean Europe off Russian gas as swiftly as possible
A trans-Atlantic pact between North America and Europe is essential if Europe is to free itself in the short term from its dependence on Russian energ
Preparing for the first winter without Russian gas
The European Union can manage without Russian gas next winter, but must be united in taking difficult decisions.
The Kremlin’s gas wars
How Europe can protect itself from Russian blackmail.
Greening Europe’s post-COVID-19 recovery
This Blueprint includes some of the Group’s most prominent voices on the different aspects of the multidimensional issue of green recovery.
Europe’s sustainable taxonomy is a sideshow
The EU taxonomy grossly simplifies a complex and dynamic world. It might help prevent green-washing but other tools are needed to guide green investme
Can Europe survive painlessly without Russian gas?
If Russian gas stops flowing, measures to replace supply won’t be enough. The European Union will need to curb demand, implying difficult and costly d
Decarbonisation of the energy system
Given the size and urgency of the transition, the current knowledge infrastructure in Europe is insufficient.
How serious is Europe’s natural gas storage shortfall?
Europe may not have enough natural gas in storage for the coming winter; close monitoring of the situation will be essential.
Rising energy prices: European Union countries’ views on medium-term policies
Alongside short-term measures to shield consumers from rising energy prices, EU countries have set out their positions on medium-term measures to prev
Bruegel electricity tracker of COVID-19 lockdown effects
Decarbonisation of energy
Determining a robust mix of energy carriers for a carbon-neutral EU
Instruments of a strategic foreign economic policy
Study for the German Federal Foreign Office produced by Bruegel, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy and DIW Berlin.
A new economic geography of decarbonisation?
Energy transitions manifest themselves across space and time. While necessary targets for decarbonisation are apparent, the accompanying shifts in spa
The only quick-fix to Europe’s energy price crisis is saving energy
The only thing Europe can quickly do to prevent a potentially difficult winter is to actively promote energy conservation in both the residential and
Letter: The lesson Europe should learn from the gas crisis
Europe’s gas supply security could more effectively be safeguarded by ensuring that unused alternatives are maintained.
Winners and losers of energy and climate policy – How can the costs be redistributed?
Who should bear more and who less of the burden achieving climate policy goals?