Eight EU countries called in a letter to the incoming European Commission to raise the climate ambition from a current 40% emission reduction target to a reduction of 55% over ten years. The letter was co-signed by the Netherlands and will be discussed in Brussels tonight at the hearing of Frans Timmermans.
The German government refused to sign the letter addressed to Frans Timmermans, the nominated EU commissioner for the European Green Deal, prior to his hearing in the European Parliament later today.
& #8220; The European Union must work towards a substantial improvement of its climate ambition by the end of the year & #8221 ;, says the call signed by the Environment Ministers of Denmark, France, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
It is striking that Germany did not join the call. In German politics, the initial idea was that there should be more attention and money for a better and more comprehensive climate policy. In the European elections in May, the Greens came out of the polls as the second party, and are now the largest party in Germany according to opinion polls.
The German government wants to weaken the climate goals that were presented last month. Der Spiegel reports that. The federal government no longer sets a national target for CO2 reduction by 2040. According to Der Spiegel, this is apparent from an adapted climate plan available to the weekly and that differs from the plan that was presented in September.
According to Minister Helge Braun (SPD) of Merkel's Chancellery, there is no question of a & #8220; weakening of essential points & #8221 ;.
According to Spiegel Online, the mitigation of the climate plan took place at the initiative of the CDU.
The plans must be approved by the government on Wednesday. The intention is for the Bundestag and the Federal Council to agree to the SPD party congress on 6 December. At that congress it is also about the continuation of the large coalition of CDU / CSU and SPD
Environmentalists welcome the initiative of the group of eight EU countries, but were deeply disappointed by Germany's refusal to sign the letter.
Many are already angry with Merkel & #8217; s weak plans to reduce emissions at home.
Frans Timmermans will be asked tonight whether he & #8216; the green deal from Von der Leyen & #8217; supports, or Mutti Merkel's watered down Climate Policy.