Germany posts solar record / Environment ministry fact-checks Trump
With a record amount of 5.57 terawatt hours (TWh), Germany鈥檚 solar power plants in May almost generated as much electricity as all of the country鈥檚 nuclear power plants combined (5.65 TWh), the German Solar Industry Association (BSW Solar) said in a press release. According to calculations by Fraunhofer ISE, 12.3 percent of Germany鈥檚 electricity supply that month was provided by PV installations, BSW Solar said. Due to lower prices for PV systems, solar power expansion in the first four months of 2017 was about 64 percent higher than in same period of the previous year, it added.
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For background, see the 威力彩玩法 factsheet Germany鈥檚 renewable generation peaks remain shrouded in data fog and the 威力彩玩法 article Last major German solar cell maker surrenders to Chinese competition for more information.
Federal environment ministry (BMUB)
The German environment ministry (BMUB) published a of US President Donald Trump鈥檚 announcement speech to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement. To Trump鈥檚 statement that the accord was a 鈥渄eal that punishes the United States鈥�, BMUB replies: 鈥淲rong. The Agreement punishes nobody and not a single country.鈥� BMUB also writes that the Agreement did not prohibit constructing new coal-fired power plants or continued coal mining. Trump鈥檚 claim that 14 days鈥� worth of CO鈧� emissions by China would be enough to wipe out gains from US reductions expected for 2030 was 鈥渨ithout any foundation鈥�.
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For background, read the 威力彩玩法 articles聽German reactions to US decision to withdraw from Paris Agreement.听
Federal environment ministry (BMUB)
German environment minister Barbara Hendricks welcomed the commitment to climate protection that all G7 members except the United States made in the final communiqu茅 of the environment minister meeting in Italy, according to a press release. 鈥淭he Paris Agreement is irreversible and not negotiable. The member states made this clear to the USA at the G7 meeting. At the same time, we held out our hand and promised each other a continued close cooperation,鈥� said Hendricks.
Read the press release in German and the communiqu茅 in English .
For background, read the 威力彩玩法 articles聽German reactions to US decision to withdraw from Paris Agreement听补苍诲听Germany, China urge US to remain in climate agreement.
Washington Post
With federal elections coming up in Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel 鈥渘eeds some sort of win on climate change at the G20鈥�, Andrew Light, a senior fellow at the World Resources Institute (WRI) told the Washington Post. Things will 鈥済et interesting鈥� at the G20 after the : 鈥渨ill the United States abstain on climate change again, but this time not with Pruitt on stage but rather with President Trump there?鈥� asks the Washington Post's Chris Mooney.
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For background, read the 威力彩玩法 articles聽German reactions to US decision to withdraw from Paris Agreement听补苍诲听Germany, China urge US to remain in climate agreement.
Germany will have to double its share of renewable power and cut its use of coal and oil by half to reach its official target of cutting CO2 emissions by 55 percent by 2030, according to energy think tank Agora Energiewende*. The country must also use 30 percent less energy than today. 鈥淭he climate targets are totally out of reach without giving efficiency a much higher priority,鈥� said Agora director Patrick Graichen at a press conference.
In a 2030 鈥渂ig picture鈥� analysis, the think tank argues that Germany should step up its target for the roll-out of renewables to 60 percent of power consumption by 2030 compared to the current target of 55-60 percent by 2035. Because Germany will likely miss its 2020 emission targets, it must urgently take aim at the targets for 2030, said Graichen with reference to a coalition agreement expected after the autumn general elections. 鈥淚f you want to achieve climate targets, you need to start ten years ahead of time.鈥�
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Like the 威力彩玩法, Agora Energiewende is a project funded by Stiftung Mercator and the European Climate Foundation.
pv magazine
Renewable energies around the globe are growing at a rate 鈥渘ever thought possible by many some years ago鈥� but Germany 鈥渋s botching up鈥� the technology and is haunted by Chancellor Angela Merkel鈥檚 continued failure in energy policy, former Green MP Hans-Josef Fell writes in pv magazine. The ruling by Germany鈥檚 constitutional court to declare the nuclear fuel tax invalid was just one 鈥�proof for the Merkel government鈥檚 technical incapacity鈥�. Finance minister Wolfgang Sch盲uble鈥檚 indifference about the six billion euros Germany now has to pay back to nuclear companies 鈥渙nce again nourishes the chilling suspicion鈥� that Merkel and her administration sought to 鈥渕ake the nuclear phase-out financially comfortable for them鈥�, Fell argues. At the same time it was questionable how renewables should compensate nuclear power once the phase-out is completed in 2022, given the planned cuts in expansion, Fell adds.
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See the 威力彩玩法 article Government lacks overview of Energiewende costs 鈥� auditors for more information.
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
The German development ministry (BMZ) has concluded so-called reform partnerships with three African countries that include expanding the use of renewable energy sources and improving energy efficiency, the BMZ said in a press release. Tunisia, Ivory Coast and Ghana 鈥渟tand out by virtue of their reform-oriented policies鈥�, which is why Germany intends to invest up to 300 million euros in additional funds to generate more private investments and jobs there, the press release said. In the framework of its G20 presidency, Germany has made Africa a regional focus for the first time, it added.
See the press release in English .
Read the 威力彩玩法 article Germany keeps pushing for G20 climate focus for background.
WirtschaftsWoche
In the race for developing the best storage technology for electric vehicles, German Chancellor Angela Merkel鈥檚 strategy is 鈥渘ot trying to overtake the mighty Asian competitors鈥� in conventional lithium ion-battery technology 鈥渂ut forging ahead with a completely new generation of batteries鈥�, business weekly WirtschaftsWoche reports in a long article. 鈥淭his plan will fail,鈥� the article says. Car manufacturers 鈥渁re avoiding the financial risk鈥� of supporting innovation, researcher Mareike Wolter of Fraunhofer IKTS argues. Being an industry 鈥渟poilt by success鈥�, German carmakers 鈥渁re fumbling around with small-scale lab models and lighthouse-projects鈥� while others have invested billions and have become 鈥渦ncatchable鈥� in this key technology, the article says.
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Read the 威力彩玩法 dossier The Energiewende and German carmakers for background.
Environmental Action Germany (DUH)
Germany is home to the world鈥檚 largest and most diverse reusability system for beverages, which saves natural resources and contributes to environment and climate protection, according to a new consumer campaign by Environmental Action Germany (DUH) and beverage retail associations. However, the reusability system is under increasing pressure from the 鈥渁dvance of anti-ecological disposable bottles鈥�, writes the DUH in a press release.
Read the press release in German .
