Impending Energy Crisis: Mandatory Energy Conservation As Of 1 September 2022

The emerging energy crisis forces us all to take action: yesterday, the German Federal Cabinet approved two ordinances on energy conservation presented by Habeck, Germany's Federal Minister of Economics. The ordinances specifically stipulate that not only public entities, but all companies, are required to save gas and electricity. The first measures become mandatory as of 1 September 2022. 

Annabelle Marceau and Jörn Kuhn explain the labour law implications of the two ordinances.

1. Planned measures

The Federal Government's responses to the energy crisis are manifold. At present, two ordinances stipulate comprehensive energy conservation measures.

The Ordinance on Securing the Energy Supply via Measures Effective in the Short Term [Kurzfristenergiesicherungsverordnung – EnSikuV] regulates mandatory energy-saving measures for public non-residential buildings and companies, among others.