Renewables and climate action part of solution to energy price hike – German env min
Clean Energy Wire
Renewable energy and climate action are part of the solution to an energy crunch such as the one currently experienced by Europe, said German environment minister Svenja Schulze ahead of a meeting with colleagues from EU member states. “The resolute expansion of renewable energies make us less dependent on imports of fossil energy sources and are therefore the solution to the problem,” Schulze told reporters ahead of the EU Environment Council. “A rapid EU-wide expansion of wind and solar power is the best way to protect us from new price spikes,” she said. Nuclear energy on the other hand is “not the solution”, said the minister. It is much more expensive than renewable energies, has high follow-up costs and it is not sustainable, she said. “That’s why I am not ready to give nuclear energy a sustainability label.”
The economic recovery after the coronavirus pandemic has caused a rise in demand for energy sources like natural gas, while supply has not kept pace and European storages are at unusually low levels for this time of the year. EU environment ministers meet in Luxembourg today (6 October) to debate the European Commission proposal to reform energy and climate laws – the Fit for 55 package – but also the increase in energy prices.
