Merkel says govt supports raising EU’s 2030 climate target but little on consequences for Germany

The German government supports European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s proposal to increase the bloc’s 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target to between 50 and 55 percent, Chancellor Angela Merkel said during question time in parliament (Bundestag). She left unanswered whether this would also entail a higher national goal for Germany, which is currently aiming for a 55 percent reduction by 2030, but said other member states needed to do more. “I believe we agree: if we want to achieve a 95 percent reduction for each member state by 2050, then we must slowly come to an agreement on how much of a reduction each member state will achieve, and in this regard we are well placed with our 55 percent,” Merkel said. “That is why it will be our task to ensure that others come into this coherent line, because by 2050, that is, 20 years after 2030, everyone must have achieved a reduction of 95 percent. The rest remains for the negotiations; I will not use my trump cards too early.” Merkel said she expected “very exciting consultations” among EU member states.

The German government presented a comprehensive climate package in September meant to ensure Germany reaches its current target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by 2030. It remains unclear what happens if the EU raises its target, a point researcher Oliver Geden has called “the blind spot of the German debate”. To raise the target, the EU would have to renegotiate the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) directive for energy and industry emissions and the Effort Sharing regulation for sectors such as transport and buildings and redistribute obligations among the member states.