“Massive renewables expansion” needed to supply all sectors – SPD parliamentary group
Germany must “significantly increase” its goals for renewables expansion to supply all sectors with electricity in the future and reach its own climate targets, writes the Social Democratic parliamentary group in the Bundestag (SPD) in a new position paper. “We have agreed this paper to increase pressure to reach our climate targets. Every sector must contribute,” the group said in a press release. The fact that Germany will likely miss its 2020 targets not only damages the country’s role as an example for others, but also inhibits innovation and growth, the group says. Proposals for concrete measures include:
- Introducing a climate protection law
- Further developing European emissions trade (EU ETS) as the central climate protection instrument, or starting negotiations on an EU-wide CO₂ floor price
- Reducing energy imports, increasing use of local renewable energy generation and introducing measures to further increase efficiency
- Supporting not only regions affected by “necessary step-by-step reduction of coal-fired power generation”, but also regions “shaped by hard coal mining” – as structural change is not yet complete
The Social Democratic Party is to decide on its election campaign programme at the end of this week.
Find the press release in German here and the paper in German here.
For background, read the CLEW dossier Vote2017 - German elections and the Energiewende.