Just now Angela Merkel spoke at the World Climate Summit COP23 in Bonn. She said that we still have to find out what role lignite should play in the German energy market. We have a very clear opinion. Coal, whether brown or hard coal, must remain in the ground and the phase-out has to start immediately.
Merkel also said that the energy transition in Germany is already so successful that we no longer need subsidies for renewable energies. What a farce. The expansion of renewable energies is increasingly stalling and, at the same time, huge subsidies continue to flow into coal and other fossil fuels.
Olivia Langhoff, 350.org Program Director comments:
“Angela Merkel is still failing to actually honour the Paris Agreement and take the required action to keep global warming below 1.5°C, which is crucial for the survival of Pacific Islands and the safety of people around the world. Germany needs to start shutting down its outdated and destructive coal mines and power plants now. The anti-coal movement and people around the world are taking the lead where the German government has failed. Together we will make sure we stop the destruction of our climate and that we keep fossil fuels in the ground and create an economy powered by renewable energy that puts people and planet before the profits of polluters.”