Hambach row divides coal commission / Call for energy policy reform

The start of evictions of anti-coal activists in the Hambach Forest “has already done enormous damage to the image of [energy company] RWE”, which could turn into a veritable “disaster” once the company starts cutting trees in October, Jürgen Flauger, Kathrin Witsch, Silke Kersting and Klaus Stratmann write in the Handelsblatt. While the remaining forest near the Hambach lignite mine might merely consist of 100 hectares, “it has become a symbol for environmentalists against the contested energy source,” the authors say. RWE insists that it has no choice but to start mine expansion soon for technical reasons, and, according to the article, the mine in Hambach is one of the company’s most profitable operations that it does not want to see closed any time soon. “But the conflict nonetheless comes at a very inconvenient time for RWE,” the authors say, arguing that the company has a great interest in a viable compromise in Germany’s coal exit commission, which becomes more unlikely with every tree cut down.

Read the article in German here.

See CLEW's Coal exit commission watch and the dossier Utilities and the energy transition for background.

The apparent preparation of clearing operations in the Hambach Forest is a sad event for many environmentalists who have hoped to preserve the old trees for years, but they should keep their focus on making progress in Germany’s coal exit commission, Stefan Schultz writes in an opinion piece on Spiegel Online. “Even if Germany decides on a quick end of coal-fired power production, this will still take years to be implemented,” he says. The coal provided in the Hambach lignite mine cannot easily be substituted and would merely lead to environmental damage elsewhere, Schultz argues. The fight of NGOs like Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND) and Greenpeace might seem “likeable,” but it “threatens a much more important mission: their work in the coal commission.” If the environmentalists want to tackle coal on a much broader level, “they need all their diplomatic skills” in the commission to make a coal exit happen faster. 

Read the opinion piece in German here.

See CLEW's Coal exit commission watch and the factsheet on the Coal commission for background.

German carmakers might have been late to embark on the electrification of passenger cars, but, according to a recent study by patent law office Grünecker, “are very well positioned when it comes to e-transporters and e-trucks,” Thomas Fromm writes for the Süddeutsche Zeitung. The study’s author, Jens Koch, said he was “surprised” how intensively German carmakers are working on the electric future of heavy duty vehicles. “About one third of all patents for electric utility vehicles in the past ten years come from German producers,” while many big producers from China did not register any relevant patents at all, Koch said. However, carmakers from the US and Japan currently are “much more dynamic” than their German competitors, Fromm writes.

Read the article in German here.

See the CLEW dossier on German carmakers and the Energiewende and the factsheet on Road freight emissions in Germany for more information.

Electric trucks with low noise emissions could be used in the German state North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) for night-time deliveries in inner cities, which would also reduce traffic volumes during the day, the Rheinische Post reports. NRW transport minister Hendrik Wüst says silent electric engines would be “a precondition” for allowing deliveries after 10 pm, because “with a rattling diesel engine, this would not be acceptable for residents.” Dispatching trucks at night could greatly reduce the pressure on NRW’s roads, as many deliveries currently take place during peak commuting times, the article says.

Read the article in German here. 

See the CLEW dossier Cargo transport and the energy transition for background.