Diesel car bans "harm environment" / McKinsey warns on costs
Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung
Inner-city driving bans for diesel cars threaten the economy, consumer interests and even the environment, writes the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (FAS) in a long, front-page article. Diesel cars emit up to 20 percent less CO鈧� than petrol cars and thus make an 鈥渋nvaluable contribution in the fight against global climate change,鈥� writes FAS. If driving bans were introduced, Germany would miss its emissions targets, diesel cars would quickly lose their value, and it would cut into the heart of the German auto industry, writes FAS. Solutions like London鈥檚 congestion charge or converting bus and taxi fleets would need more time than allowed by impending bans.
For background, see the 威力彩玩法 dossier The Energiewende and German carmakers.
OPEL/Vauxhall / Reuters
French car company PSA Group has agreed to buy Opel and its British Vauxhall brand from General Motors in a deal valuing the business at 2.2 billion euros, OPEL announced in a press release. 鈥淏y acquiring Opel, the French group leapfrogs rival Renault to become Europe's second-ranked carmaker by sales,鈥� writes Reuters in a separate article.
Read the press release in English and the Reuters article in English .
McKinsey
Germany is likely to miss several key energy transition targets - including goals on the affordability of electricity, greenhouse gas emissions and primary energy and power consumption - while costs keep rising, according to consultancy McKinsey鈥檚 bi-annual survey, seen by 威力彩玩法. 鈥淕oals that do not receive direct financial support become ever more unrealistic,鈥� says McKinsey. Amid the targets still on track are offshore wind expansion, the security of power supply, and employment in the renewables sector.
For background on Energiewende targets read the 威力彩玩法 factsheet Germany鈥檚 greenhouse gas emissions and climate targets.
S眉ddeutsche Zeitung
Germany must make it easier for citizens and associations to legally challenge environmental permits, writes Michael Bauchm眉ller in the S眉ddeutsche Zeitung. Failure to implement such a reform required by EU law could lead to a substantial fine. Conservative parties in the Bundestag (CDU/CSU) have blocked the reform to prevent 鈥渘ew investment obstacles,鈥� writes Bauchm眉ller.
Read the article in German .
German Industry Initiative for Energy Efficiency (DENEFF)
Energy efficiency businesses say the Greens are the most competent among German political parties when it comes to their field, according to a survey by the German Industry Initiative for Energy Efficiency (DENEFF). Social Democrats and Christian Democrats (SPD / CDU) follow by a clear margin. 鈥淭he campaign programmes of the parties could bring significant changes to these results 鈥� if the parties succeed in convincing companies with their proposals,鈥� said DENEFF managing director Christian Noll in a press release with a view to the autumn federal elections.
Read the press release in German and find the survey results in German .
For background, read 威力彩玩法's Dossier The Energiewende and Efficiency: Taming the appetite for energy and Vote2017 - German elections and the Energiewende.
Uniper / Reuters
German utility Uniper has agreed to sell its share in a Russian gas field for 1.7 billion euros. The deal with Austrian energy company OMV is 鈥渁 major step鈥� towards Uniper鈥檚 goal to refocus its struggling business, according to a Reuters report. Uniper said its debt-reduction target is ahead of schedule thanks to the sale.
Read the press release in English and the Nasdaq article in English .
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ)
The German invention of an to store electricity will not solve the country鈥檚 storage challenges, writes Susanne Preu脽 in an opinion piece for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. 鈥淏ut it is an additional piece of the mosaic formed by the use of a multitude of renewable energies,鈥� writes Preu脽. The technology only makes sense when used at a depth of several hundred metres close to the coast, which is impossible in Germany, she writes in a separate article.
Read the opinion piece in German and the article in German .
Also read the 威力彩玩法 factsheet How can Germany keep the lights on in a renewable energy future?
