Liberal state energy minister welcomes coalition draft agreement on energy and climate

Andreas Pinkwart, Free Democratic (FDP) state energy minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, welcomed several energy and climate provisions of the draft coalition treaty between the conservatives (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD). Admitting that the 2020 climate target would probably not be reached was “more honest than upholding an ambitious target that we know is difficult to reach,” Pinkwart told the Clean Energy Wire at the E-world energy & water fair in Essen. “What’s important now is that we reach the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. Here, our responsibility is for 2030 and 2050. We now have time to properly prepare, and that really has to happen.” Pinkwart said increasing the share of renewables in electricity generation to 65 percent by 2030 was realistic, “if we don’t limit ourselves to one or two energy sources, but decide on a wide mix of renewables.”

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