Technology Phase-Out
Governing Sustainability Transitions: Technology Phase-outs in Germany and Japan is an international and interdisciplinary research project on the phase-out of technologies as an important aspect of the sustainability transition.
Technology is crucial for achieving sustainability transitions, including a fundamental restructuring of existing energy and transport systems. Efforts are needed to accelerate the phase-out of old technologies that are problematic from a sustainability perspective, such as nuclear power plants, fossil fuel power plants, and internal combustion engines (ICEs).
Originally conceived as a comparative study of phase-out policies in Germany and Japan, the project evolved due to pandemic-related travel restrictions to address broader conceptual questions about phase-out as a governance approach. While phase-out policies are gaining attention as instruments for sustainability transitions, the concept remains under-researched both theoretically and empirically. The project has produced several important publications that contribute to closing this research gap.
A study published in One Earth (2023) traces the development of the phase-out concept as a bridge between scientific disciplines and policy areas. Through a systematic evaluation of the scientific debate since 1970, the study shows how the phase-out concept has evolved from combating toxic environmental pollution to combating climate change with an ever-widening range of objectives. The results show that the phase-out concept is developing into a bridging concept that promotes transdisciplinary dialogue and transformative measures for greater sustainability.
Another article, published in Environmental Politics (2025), provides the first systematic assessment of climate clubs that focus on phase-outs. Based on an analysis of six phase-out clubs, including the Powering Past Coal Alliance, the study examines the composition of membership, the commitments made, compliance, the benefits for members, and the function of each club within the climate regime. The research shows that these government-led, multi-stakeholder coalitions aim to complement the Paris Agreement and drive momentum for fossil fuel phase-outs within the UNFCCC, with the Global Methane Pledge emerging as potentially the most effective, as it combines low barriers to entry with deep commitments and exclusive benefits for members.
Duration: January 2021 – March 2024
Funding source: DAAD and JSP
International Partners
Greg Trencher, Prof Dr. Hiroshi Ohta
Both were Guest Researchers at the Chair of Environmental and Climate Policy
Publications
Koppenborg, Florentine: Nuclear Restart Politics: How the ‘Nuclear Village’ Lost Policy Implementation Power. Social Science Japan Journal 24 (1), 2021, 115-135 more… Full text (DOI)
Trencher, Gregory; Rinscheid, Adrian; Rosenbloom, Daniel; Koppenborg, Florentine; Truong, Nhi; Temocin, Pinar: The evolution of “phase-out” as a bridging concept for sustainability: From pollution to climate change. One Earth 6 (7), 2023, 854-871 more… Full text (DOI)
Koppenborg, Florentine: Phase-out clubs: an effective tool for global climate governance? Environmental Politics, 2025, 1-23 more… Full text (DOI)
Furhermore, a Special Issue on "Phase-Out Politics and Governance" emerged from the project and has been accepted by Environmental Politics, with new articles being published on a rolling basis.