Turbulent times in German politics/ Politicians ignore emissions costs
威力彩玩法
German newspaper editorials focus on Chancellor Angela Merkel鈥檚 shock move to prepare for departure. 鈥淭he Merkel era draws to a close,鈥� comments S眉ddeutsche Zeitung. 鈥淭he CDU鈥檚 renewal and reformation may begin [鈥 This injects a new dynamism into German politics, because a 鈥榢eep it up鈥� approach no longer works for the other parties of the coalition either,鈥� according to S眉ddeutsche Zeitung. Germany 鈥渕ust prepare for a continuation of turbulent times [鈥 We face the dawn of a new era,鈥� according to the regional Westfalen-Blatt. While several commentators praise the characteristic 鈥渟ober style鈥� of Merkel鈥檚 move, others argue that it was long overdue because 鈥渢he clocks stood still far too long in Germany鈥�, according to the Mittelbayerische Zeitung.
Read a summary of newspaper commentaries in German聽.
Find background in the article聽Merkel prepares departure in shock move at key time for climate policy.
Tageszeitung
骋别谤尘补苍测听will likely have to buy emissions rights聽worth billions of euros for failing EU transport and agriculture climate targets in the 2020s, but parliament and finance ministry appear only dimly aware of this risk, writes Bernhard P枚tter in tageszeitung. The finance ministry only told the paper that a reliable cost estimate was not yet possible, while the parliament鈥檚 budget committee said the topic was 鈥渘ot yet on its radar鈥�.听
Germany鈥檚 climate protection targets in the sectors not covered by the EU聽emissions trading听蝉肠丑别尘别听ETS聽are legally binding under EU law. If Germany does not achieve them, it will have to buy additional emission rights from other EU countries
Read the article in German聽.
Get background in the article聽Germany may have to buy way out of EU climate goal - ministry paper.听
S眉ddeutsche Zeitung
In a bid to avoid the decision to implement climate protection steps such as introducing a price on CO鈧� emissions, politicians often hide behind citizens who supposedly do not want such measures, Director and Chief Economist of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) Ottmar Edenhofer told S眉ddeutsche Zeitung in an interview. Empirical studies confirm a high willingness of citizens to pay more for coal, oil and gas, said Edenhofer. Politicians lacked the courage to explain to the voters that a price on CO鈧� is necessary for effective climate protection, but needed to explain the why and how. 鈥淚n explaining, however, German politics is not at all that good at the moment,鈥� said Edenhofer.
Find the interview (behind paywall) in German聽.
NDR / Iberdrola
鈥淲ikinger鈥�, Germany鈥檚 largest Baltic Sea offshore wind park, has been inaugurated, marking Spanish energy company Iberdrola's entry into the German electricity market, reports public broadcaster NDR. The 350 megawatt facility 鈥� its 70 turbines located off the island of R眉gen 鈥� is the first offshore wind farm to be designed and operated one hundred per cent by a Spanish company, writes Iberdrola in a press release.
Find the article in German聽聽and the press release in English聽.
For background, read the 威力彩玩法 dossier聽Offshore wind power in Germany.
Reuters
Volkswagen reported an 18.6 percent drop in third-quarter adjusted operating profit to 3.51 billion euros due to weaker vehicle sales tied to the introduction of more stringent anti-pollution rules, report Edward Taylor and Jan Schwartz for Reuters. Volkswagen has struggled to adapt its fleet to the worldwide harmonized light vehicle test procedure, known as WLTP, which took effect last month.
Read the article in English聽.
Find background in the factsheet聽Dieselgate forces VW to embrace green mobility聽and the dossier聽The Energiewende and German carmakers.
Die Welt
For the first time in Germany, the waste heat from a copper mill will be used to heat a neighbourhood in the city of Hamburg, reports J枚rn Lauterbach in Die Welt. A 3.7-kilometre pipeline with a capacity of 60 megawatt will transport hot water resulting from industrial production at the Aurubis plant. 鈥淯sing this heat prevents more than 20,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year,鈥� according to Aurubis.
Read the article in German聽.
Find the press release in German聽.
Handelsblatt
Big financial investors, such as banks, insurance companies, investment trusts or pension funds, have long ignored the climate crisis as a field of action. But by now they have become one of the biggest drivers of change in the approach of industrial societies towards the environment, Ingo Narat and Christian Schnell write in the Handelsblatt. The investors put pressure on companies in search of credits to reveal聽the climate risks of possible investments聽and to formulate a risk management strategy, a change in tone that two thirds of the largest companies listed on Germany鈥檚 stock exchange report they have experienced, the article says. While the pressure investors exert has its boundaries in that they still intend to generate profits from any investment, capital owners seem to increasingly realise that inaction in climate questions could damage their revenue prospects even more in the long run, the authors say.
Read the article in German聽.
Find background in the 威力彩玩法聽interview with the German stock exchange鈥檚 sustainability head.
Institute for Applied Ecology (脰办辞-滨苍蝉迟颈迟耻迟) / Fraunhofer ISI / ifeu
The technologies required to drastically cut road freight emissions in Germany are readily available, but policies to incentivise the transition are urgently needed, according to a study by the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (Franhofer ISI), the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (ifeu), and the Institute for Applied Ecology (脰办辞-滨苍蝉迟颈迟耻迟). The institutes argue that ambitious efficiency standards for trucks, a tax reform geared to lower CO2聽emissions, and an infrastructure roll-out are necessary to kickstart the shift to alternative propulsion systems. Electric trucks using batteries and overhead lines are 鈥減articularly promising鈥�, according to the study.
Find the press release and the study in German聽.
Find plenty of background in the dossier聽How Germany is greening its growing freight sector to meet climate targets.
