Germany to use G7 presidency to make group ‘trailblazer’ for climate-neutral economy – Scholz

Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Germany would use its year-long presidency of the Group of Seven (G7), which began 1 January, “to make this group of countries a trailblazer for a climate-neutral economy and for a just world.” In his New Year’s address to the nation, Scholz stressed that international cooperation is particularly important in a world that will soon have a population of 10 billion. Jörg Kukies, state secretary in the chancellery, said on Twitter that the government would “publish the priorities of our presidency shortly”.

In leading the G7, Germany aims to strengthen international climate policy efforts by pushing for the establishment of a global “climate club” and new bilateral climate partnerships. Germany’s new government sees the transition to climate neutrality as a global necessity that needs to be tackled at the international level, in part by supporting developing and emerging countries in the transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources.

At home, Scholz’s government has set such goals as achieving climate neutrality in less than 25 years. “To achieve this, we will move forward with the greatest transformation our economy has seen in more than a century,” Scholz said, predicting that the country “will generate at least twice as much electricity from wind, solar power and other renewable energy sources as we do today”. To that end, the government is initiating massive investments in new power grids, electric vehicle charging stations, wind turbines and rail lines that will create new jobs, he added.