2030 Agenda – Implementation of climate-related Sustainable Development Goals in Norway and Germany by using the example of sustainable transportation

Abstract: Since the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda and introduced its 17 Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, governments all over the world are working on implementing the framework into national, regional and local levels of administration to reach its targets. Climate-related challenges, including the reduction of CO2 emissions, are often met by using climate mitigation tools such as electric vehicles in sustainable transport matters. Due to this international endeavor, comparisons between partaking member states demonstrate achievements and failures of regulations and contribute to a better understanding and learning from other’s experience. In this thesis, the situation in Norway and Germany is analyzed by addressing the differences and similarities in both countries in establishing battery-driven cars on the markets. The political and socio-economic factors, including the associated variables political structure and policies, the energy and car market, the efforts in developing a sufficient infrastructure with charging stations, the consumers’ behavior and the share of renewable energy sources in the overall electricity production, are described. The framework of policy transfer as well as the comparative analysis assist to conceive the link between political structures and policies in both countries and the outcomes of their political decision-making processes. The analysis shows immense disparities in the implementation of electric vehicles due to the countries’ histories and developments of climate-related policies. Furthermore, the transition of transport not only depends on political stakeholders and advocacy groups but also on the willingness of the citizenry to adopt the new technology.