In February 2000, the German Bundestag established a Study Commission oil "Sustainable Energy Supplies in View of Globalisation and Liberalisation" (cf. Final Report, 2002). The Commission's Final Report is a contribution made by Germany toward implementing the Sustainable development objectives defined in 1992 at the World Summit in Rio de Janeiro (Agenda 21). Despite minority votes of several members of the Study Commission, the main outcomes of the Final Report are worthwhile discussing in other industrial countries. The Commission had been given the mandate to identify "robust, sustainable development paths" for the energy sector for the period Lip to 2050, which represent a scientific basis for the German parliament's further decision-making in the field of long-term energy policy. The applied backcasting approach showed that an ambitious climate-protection goal-reducing CO, emissions by 80% by 2050-is technically and economically feasible. The main strategies and instruments for protecting the climate while ensuring a sustainable energy supply are summarised. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.