Has-been climate pioneer Germany “total failure” at COP24 – opinion
Die Welt
“Without a doubt”, Germany – once a role model in international climate protection – is a “total failure” at the UN climate change conference COP24 in Poland, writes Daniel Wetzel in an opinion piece in Die Welt. “No coal exit plan. No support for the EU's climate change efforts. No requirements for the car industry. And no interest in setting a minimum price for CO₂ emissions,” he writes. Wetzel adds that multilateralism in climate action is over and the UN climate conference has turned into “an unsuitable forum that only fuels false expectations.” The only hope for the climate lies on the level of regions, municipalities, companies and responsible consumers, not national governments, writes Wetzel.
Find the opinion piece in German here.
For background, read CLEW’s two-part interview with state secretary Jochen Flasbarth New business mindset bolsters Paris Agreement - German official and Just transition in Germany could help counter populism - state sec.