Germany has presented a plan to eliminate fossil fuels by 2045. Carsten Schneider, the German Minister of Environment, announced this plan at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, describing it as "a combination of independence, accessibility, and climate protection."
Progress in Climate Policies
Germany is now the third country to present a solid plan for eliminating fossil fuels, following France and the Netherlands, and has joined the commitment of nearly 200 countries at the COP28 climate conference in Dubai. Schneider, who is from the Social Democratic Party, stated that this decision is related to the war in Iran and its impact on global fuel supply.
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He said, "It is not only extreme weather events around the world that show how much we need to protect the climate. If the situation in the Strait of Hormuz determines whether people can afford their daily commute, that is not a good situation."
Challenges in Energy Policies
Schneider emphasized that 65 percent of Germany's energy consumption in 2024 will be related to fossil fuels. Most of this fuel, 98 percent of oil and 95 percent of natural gas, is imported from abroad, costing 76 billion euros (86.5 billion dollars). He also noted that this figure has significantly increased due to the war in Iran.
Several environmental organizations welcomed Berlin's plan, but some pointed to contradictions with recent government decisions. Mira Jaeger, an energy expert at Greenpeace, said, "With this announcement, Germany shows a sign of life in international climate policies." However, she also added that "the federal government is simultaneously subsidizing the oil industry, breaking the heating transition, and slowing down the expansion of renewable energies."
Fentj Jacobsen, a climate policy advisor at the World Wildlife Fund, stated that this roadmap mainly revisits existing initiatives and has not added new ideas or goals. He added, "The current government is planning to rely less on renewables and more on gas."
Katrina Reich, the Minister of Energy from the Christian Democratic Party, called for the construction of new gas-fired power plants, arguing that this would help stabilize the electricity grid and pointed to the instability of renewable resources.
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