Environmental groups call for more climate leadership of German chancellor Scholz at G7 summit
Clean Energy Wire / Die Zeit
Several major environmental groups have urged German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to step up the country’s climate action efforts and make the topic a priority of the G7 summit next month in Bavaria. As Russia’s war on Ukraine currently dominates the agenda of G7 leaders, linking the war with climate action becomes an imperative, as both challenges can be countered with greater energy efficiency, lower consumption and renewable energy expansion, the NGO alliance including Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND), Germanwatch, Greenpeace, WWF and others said. The state leaders should give a clear signal that they intend to end the use of coal, oil and gas by 2035, the groups said, adding that large-scale protests are planned for the G7 summit on 25 June in Elmau near Munich, newspaper Die Zeit reported.
The government wants to use this year’s presidency of the G7 group of influential industrialised nations and democracies to improve the coordination of global efforts to combat climate change. The country is set to push for the establishment of an international climate club of countries with ambitious policy. Cooperation with emerging and developing countries, especially on infrastructure, will also be a key goal.