“Government reaches agreement on Climate Action Plan 2050”

Chancellor Angela Merkel, economy minister Sigmar Gabriel and environment minister Barbara Hendricks have agreed on the Climate Action Plan 2050, which they had heavily debated in the run-up to the COP22 climate talks in Marrakesh, writes news agency Reuters. The plan is to include CO₂ emission reduction targets for individual economic sectors, according to a government spokesperson. "Especially the sector targets, included in the climate protection plan, will be subject of a comprehensive impact assessment" and could be adjusted in 2018, said the spokesperson. Federal cabinet approval will be sought over the weekend.
In a separate press release, Gabriel added that the government agreed on establishing a regional fund to create new jobs and added value in the regions affected by structural change resulting from a reduction of coal-fired power generation. “Only if we connect climate protection with saving industrial jobs also in the energy industry, will other countries follow us in our very ambitious climate policy,” said Gabriel.

Read the article in German here.

Also read the CLEW article Coal exit dispute delays Germany’s Climate Action Plan and the CLEW factsheet Germany’s trimmed-down Climate Action Plan for background.

The Clean Energy Wire will publish an article on the new agreement shortly.