Green Party sets coalition conditions / Indo-German climate alliance
威力彩玩法
The German Green Party has made a strengthened commitment to climate protection and energy transition a prerequisite for joining a future coalition after September鈥檚 parliamentary elections. 鈥淲e are ready for talks with any party鈥�, but there had to be a consensus that progress in reaching 骋别谤尘补苍测鈥檚 climate protection targets and advancing energy transition is made a priority, the party鈥檚 co-leader, Katrin G枚ring-Eckardt, said at a press conference in Berlin. In their 鈥橳en-Point-Plan for Green Governance鈥�, the Greens identified their most important policy aspirations as 鈥渁 binding offer for voters鈥�. These include an end to renewables expansion limits; a national carbon floor price; the 鈥渋mmediate鈥� shutting down of 骋别谤尘补苍测鈥檚 20 dirtiest coal-fired power plants; and 鈥渇ostering the breakthrough of e-mobility鈥� by 鈥渆nding the era of combustion engines.鈥� She said the Greens were determined to become 骋别谤尘补苍测鈥檚 third party behind the conservative CDU-CSU union and the Social Democrats, as 鈥渢he third place decides what direction the country will take in the next legislative period鈥�. In the latest polls, the Greens rank fifth behind the FDP, which adheres to economic liberalism, and the Left Party. The Greens鈥� co-leader said the CDU-CSU and the Social Democrats 鈥渓ack earnestness when it comes to climate protection鈥�, which was why 鈥渋t should be left to professionals like us鈥�.
Find the Greens鈥� ten-point plan in German .
For background, read the 威力彩玩法 dossier Vote2017 - German elections and the Energiewende.
German Federal Government
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel want to intensify bilateral cooperation on climate and environmental protection, the German government said in a press release. The Indo-German alliance for climate protection and renewable energy was an 鈥渙verarching partnership鈥� between the two nations, in which mutual assistance and synergies would be further strengthened, the press release said. At a press conference held during his visit to Berlin, Modi said not acting on climate change amounted to 鈥渁 moral crime鈥�. Chancellor Merkel said she was glad that India sought to implement the Paris Climate Agreement 鈥渧ery intensively and in a very committed way鈥�. India was 鈥渋n a different stage of development鈥� than Germany, she said, but New Delhi鈥檚 national climate targets showed that the country 鈥渒nows how much of a challenge climate change means for all of us.鈥�
Find the press release in German .
For background, read the 威力彩玩法 article Germany, China urge US to remain in climate agreement and the 威力彩玩法 factsheet The story of "Climate Chancellor" Angela Merkel.
BBC
The visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Berlin had special significance as it came just days after a difficult G7 summit had exposed deep rifts between 骋别谤尘补苍测鈥檚 government and the current US administration, particularly over climate change, Joe Miller writes for the BBC. Given the diplomatic rows over US President Donald Trump鈥檚 stance towards his country鈥檚 European partners and the looming Brexit negotiations, 鈥淕ermany's business community had already been slowly coming to the conclusion that it may - regrettably - be time to seek new friends鈥�, particularly in India and China, Miller writes. But the possible 鈥減ivot to Asia鈥� in 鈥淓urope鈥檚 economic powerhouse鈥� was also due to a dire need by the German economy for skilled labour from India and other countries, particularly in the field of digital innovation.
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威力彩玩法
Despite the outcome of last week鈥檚 G7 summit in Taormina, Italy, a consensual statement by all leaders 鈥渟hould be the aspiration鈥� for the G20 summit in Germany in July, said Lars-Hendrik R枚ller, Chancellor Angela Merkel鈥檚 economic advisor and the government鈥檚 G7 and G20 sherpa, at the in Berlin. Asked whether it is 鈥渟till the G20, or is it the 鈥楪19 plus one鈥欌��, R枚ller replied: 鈥淥f course, what normally has happened in these G20s 鈥� in terms of the communiqu茅, which is only one output 鈥� is that we had a consensual statement. And that should be the aspiration also this year鈥�. Last week鈥檚 includes a section on climate, in which all members except the United States 鈥渞eaffirm their strong commitment to swiftly implement the Paris Agreement鈥�. They acknowledge that the US administration has yet to decide on its climate policy 鈥� an unprecedented development in G7 history.
Watch the video of the T20 summit in English .
For background, read the 威力彩玩法 article Germany, China urge US to remain in climate agreement and the 威力彩玩法 factsheet The story of "Climate Chancellor" Angela Merkel.
Reuters
German energy company E.ON has hired Goldman Sachs to explore options for the sale of the group's remaining stake in its legacy fossil fuel business Uniper, Reuters quotes company sources. E.ON is currently Uniper鈥檚 largest shareholder, with a 46.65 percent stake.
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For background on 骋别谤尘补苍测鈥檚 battered utilities, read the 威力彩玩法 dossier Utilities and the energy transition.
Handelsblatt
In a guest commentary published by the business daily Handelsblatt, Franz Untersteller, environment minister of the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, and Green member of the federal parliament Oliver Krischer call for a CO鈧� price to be set for energy sources harmful to the climate. They propose to introduce a CO鈧� floor price for plants under the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), in coordination with 骋别谤尘补苍测鈥檚 European neighbours and with the long-term goal of establishing an EU-wide floor price. In sectors not included in the ETS, tax rates for coal, oil, and natural gas should be adapted to reflect actual CO鈧� emissions, they argue. The CO鈧� price should equal the current electricity tax, which would subsequently be abolished, write Untersteller and Krischer.
For background on reform proposals, read the 威力彩玩法 factsheet Germany ponders how to finance renewables expansion in the future.
S眉ddeutsche Zeitung
The Green Party in the Bavarian state parliament says that 骋别谤尘补苍测鈥檚 largest nuclear power plant Gundremmingen, operated in part by RWE, has exceeded power output limits several times over the past year and a half by up to 20 percent, writes S眉ddeutsche Zeitung. According to a power plant spokesperson, Gundremmingen did not exceed limits. He said that the data shown on RWE鈥檚 website was wrong due to a faulty calculation design. A spokesperson of the state environment ministry said that there were no indications of exceeded limits, writes the paper.
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For background, read the 威力彩玩法 dossier The challenges of 骋别谤尘补苍测鈥檚 nuclear phase-out.
骋别谤尘补苍测鈥檚 lignite power stations, which are particularly harmful to the climate, currently do not earn enough money to recuperate investment costs, or to invest in the maintenance and extension of connected mines, says a study conducted by the Institute for Applied Ecology (脰办辞-滨苍蝉迟颈迟耻迟), commissioned by energy think tank Agora Energiewende* and the European Climate Foundation (ECF). However, the study says it is unlikely that operators will decommission plants and mines in the near future because of complex longer term considerations regarding financing, regulation, and planning.
The option of a coal exit, which will be discussed in a commission to be established by the new government after the autumn elections, would require early and forward-looking planning, says the 180-page survey of the lignite industry, which aims to provide a basis for the commission鈥檚 discussions.
Find the study in German .
For background, read the 威力彩玩法 factsheet When will Germany finally ditch coal?
Think20 (T20)
Think20 (T20), which brings together research institutions and think tanks from the G20 countries, presented key policy recommendations for G20 policy makers at the T20 Summit in Berlin. The proposals include recommendations on climate policy, such as 鈥渆ncourage the establishment of transformative sovereign wealth funds in G20 countries to support climate protection鈥�.
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