Germany won the shameful Fossil of the Day Award from Climate Action Network (CAN) International today. Germany received this dubious award because it gave up on its national 2020 climate target, failed to quit coal and to support higher 2030 EU climate target, in spite of the alarming IPCC 1.5°C Report.
Questioned about its progress towards achieving its emission reduction target by 2020 (-40% compared to 1990) at the international climate summit in Katowice, Germany admitted it expects to miss it by 8%. For nine years the country’s CO2 emissions have constantly been on the rise, despite it has committed to the opposite. This is mainly due to its persistent reliance on coal, the dirtiest of all fossil fuels, and its failure in decarbonising the transport sector.
Last year at the Bonn Climate Summit, Germany has promised to set up a commission and develop a plan to phase out coal. Besides not being able to deliver this plan, Germany has again delayed the announcement of its coal phase out date. Moreover, during the ongoing EU negotiations about the future of the EU electricity market, Germany did not oppose prolonging the coal subsidies through the so-called capacity mechanisms.
On top of its national failures, Germany is also unwilling to support a higher 2030 climate target for the EU and remains silent on the European Commission’s draft long term strategy for going to net zero emissions by 2050.
Commenting on the Fossil of the Day Award, Wendel Trio, Director of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe said:
“Germany has become a climate laggard and puts the brakes on the EU’s climate ambition. Given the great urgency of climate action, we need Germany to lead the discussion on increasing ambition at the COP and support a much higher 2030 climate target for the EU.”
Switzerland ranked second in the Fossil of the Day Awards for trying to prevent new and additional financial resources to developing countries while enjoying being the richest country of the world.
ENDS
Media Contact:
Goksen Sahin, Communications Coordinator, goksen@caneurope.org, +32 468 45 39 20
