Parliament passes nuclear clean-up bill/No e-car compromise from China
German Bundestag
The German federal parliament (Bundestag) has voted by a large majority to transfer liabilities for storing nuclear waste to the state, the Bundestag has stated in a press release. The legislative proposal introduced by the government stipulates that nuclear plant operators will be charged with the costs for decommissioning and dismantling plants, as well as safely packaging the radioactive waste by paying up to 23.6 billion euros into a state fund. Members of parliament called on the federal government to demand that utilities abandon lawsuits in which they claim compensation for Germany鈥檚 accelerated nuclear phase-out triggered in 2011. Economy minister Sigmar Gabriel said 鈥渢his can hardly be brought about鈥� by the federal government. The Council of the German federal states (Bundesrat) will likely vote on the bill on Friday.
Find the press release in German .
For background read the 威力彩玩法 article Germany鈥檚 constitutional court backs speedy nuclear exit and the 威力彩玩法 dossier The challenges of Germany鈥檚 nuclear phase-out.
Handelsblatt
The new bill on the responsibility for the disposal of nuclear waste, passed by the German Bundestag on Thursday, is a 鈥渟tep of historic proportions鈥� for the federal government, writes lawyer and expert in energy law in a guest commentary in Handelsblatt. It was a compromise where the state and the nuclear suppliers made a big step towards each other and 鈥渃ontributed to restoring peace in the deep divides between the nuclear-sceptic civil society and the atomic corporations鈥�, writes D盲uper.
For background read the 威力彩玩法 article German utilities buy out of nuclear waste liability for 23.6 bln euros.
S眉ddeutsche Zeitung
German economy minister Sigmar Gabriel鈥檚 attempts to negotiate a postponement for German carmakers to implement China鈥檚 new mandatory e-car quota have been in vain, Christoph Giesen and Max H盲gler write in S眉ddeutsche Zeitung. Beijing is determined to put the regulation into effect in summer 2017 despite numerous objections from the industry, they write. Not only will foreign carmakers be obliged to fulfil the quota, their compulsory Chinese joint-venture partners must also electrify a prescribed share of their car production, according to the authors. 鈥淚n reality this means that construction plans have to be handed over 鈥� down to the last screw,鈥� Giesen and H盲gler say.
Read the article in German .
For background read the 威力彩玩法 dossier聽The Energiewende and German carmakers.
S眉ddeutsche Zeitung
The constantly growing engine performance of newly registered passenger cars in Germany is largely caused by the popularity of powerful SUVs, Thomas Fromm writes in S眉ddeutsche Zeitung. 鈥淐armakers don鈥檛 build the cars which per se are the most environmentally friendly, but those which the customer wants,鈥� Fromm says. BMW, Daimler, VW and the others build large cars because many people 鈥渨ant to be seated high above the ground with a strong engine underneath them鈥�, 鈥渄espite knowing that smaller would be better鈥�, he writes.
Read the article in German .
S眉ddeutsche Zeitung
The environment ministry鈥檚 new Climate Protection Report showed that the 2020 emissions reduction target of 40 percent could only be reached if the German economy collapsed, writes Michael Bauchm眉ller in S眉ddeutsche Zeitung. 鈥淚n theory, the German climate target for 2020 can still be reached: The economy would need to properly collapse and the export of coal power would need to decrease significantly. Voil脿, we would have 40.4 percent less greenhouse gas emissions,鈥� writes Bauchm眉ller.
Read the article in German .
For background read the 威力彩玩法 article Experts call for CO2 price to retain Energiewende鈥檚 credibility.
Tagesspiegel
Eastern German state premiers are urging the federal government to agree quickly on planned legislation to standardise electricity grid fees across the country, writes Albert Funk in Der Tagesspiegel. In a letter to the Chief of the German Chancellery Peter Altmaier, the premiers say that there were 鈥渕assive reservations and concerns鈥� against the draft, indicating opposition by western federal states, writes Funk. Consumers in rural areas with strong renewable development currently pay very high fees. This is the case mostly in eastern German states. The resulting higher electricity prices led to unfair competition conditions and an 鈥渆conomic disadvantage鈥� for eastern states, write the premiers in their letter. The draft bill is currently debated among the relevant federal ministries.
Read the article in German .
For more information on the Energiewende鈥檚 transmission infrastructure, read the 威力彩玩法 dossier The energy transition and Germany鈥檚 power grid.
Allianz pro Schiene
Thuringia, the state of Berlin, and Rhineland-Palatinate are the German pioneers regarding sustainable mobility, according to the Federal State Index Mobility and Environment 2016/17 by Allianz pro Schiene, Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND) and the German Road Safety Council (). The index compares the federal states鈥� policies and statistical data on sustainable transport according to the indicators safety, noise, land usage, climate protection and air quality. The federal state of Hamburg is in last place.
Read the press release in German .
For background, read the 威力彩玩法 factsheet German federalism: In 16 states of mind over the Energiewende.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
The protest against lignite mining in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia turns increasingly violent, writes Reiner Burger in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. In the area of the open pit lignite mine Hambach, 鈥渁 small group of self-proclaimed climate protectors becomes more and more radical鈥� and has resorted to violence against the police and employees of the German utility RWE, writes Burger. The Christian Democrats and Free Democrats in the state parliament call for the eviction of the protest camp in the Hambach forest.
Read the article (behind paywall) in German .
Reuters / Germanwatch
Essen district court has rejected a lawsuit brought by Peruvian farmer Sa煤l Lliuya鈥檚 against German utility RWE, for contributing to environmental damage in his hometown of Huarez, news agency Reuters reports. Lliuya聽demanded 17,000 euros in compensation聽to finance safety measures taken against the threat posed to his home by a melting glacier. RWE鈥檚 carbon emissions were partly responsible for the threat, according to Lliuya鈥檚 claim. RWE rejected the claim, saying a single emitter could not be held accountable for global developments such as climate change. German environmental organisation Germanwatch, which supported Lliuya, said while the court saw no 鈥渓egal causality鈥� justifying the claim, it conceded there could be a 鈥渘atural scientific causality.鈥� According to Germanwatch, Lliuya鈥檚 lawyer is considering filing an appeal with the higher regional court at Hamm.听
Read the Reuters鈥� article in German聽聽and Germanwatch鈥檚 press release in German聽.听
