Germany Withdraws from Call for Stricter EU Climate Policy

Eight EU countries have called on the incoming European Commission in a letter to raise the climate ambition from the current 40% emissions reduction target to a 55% reduction over ten years. The letter is co-signed by the Netherlands, and will be discussed tonight in Brussels during Frans Timmermans' hearing.

The German government refused to sign the letter addressed to Frans Timmermans, the nominated EU Commissioner for the European Green Deal, ahead of his hearing in the European Parliament later today.

"The European Union must commit to a substantial improvement in climate ambition before the end of the year," says the appeal, signed by the environment ministers of Denmark, France, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.

Notably, Germany did not join the call. Initially, German politics held the view that more attention and funding should go toward a better and broader climate policy. In the European elections in May, the Greens emerged as the second-largest party and, according to polls, are now the largest party in Germany.

The German government actually wants to weaken the climate targets presented last month. Der Spiegel reports this. The federal government proposes no longer having a national CO2 reduction target by 2040. According to Der Spiegel, this emerges from a revised climate plan obtained by the weekly magazine that differs from the plan presented in September.

According to Minister Helge Braun (SPD) of Merkel's chancellery, there is no “weakening on essential points.” The weakening of the climate plan, according to Spiegel Online, was initiated by the CDU. The plans must be approved by the government on Wednesday. The intention is for the Bundestag and Bundesrat to agree before the SPD party congress on December 6. That congress will also address the continuation of the grand coalition of CDU/CSU and SPD.

Environmental activists applaud the initiative of the group of eight EU countries but are deeply disappointed with Germany's refusal to sign the letter.
Many are already angry about Merkel’s weak plans to reduce emissions domestically.

Tonight, Frans Timmermans will be asked whether he supports ‘Von der Leyen’s Green Deal’ or Merkel’s weakened climate policy.