coal economy
Coal exit: Eastern countries on a confrontational course to Habeck
Steam rises from the cooling towers of the Lippendorf lignite-fired power plant in Saxony. (Iconic image) Photo: Jan Woitas/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
According to the coalition agreement of the traffic light coalition, the phase-out of coal is now planned for 2030. Now he is causing political debates again.
Tough negotiations are in the works between the federal government and the East German coal states about the earlier phase-out of coal that the traffic light coalition is aiming for.
This became clear after a meeting between Federal Economics and Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) and the heads of government from Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony and Brandenburg.
Habeck announced an expert opinion in which the scientific and technical requirements for an early exit from coal would be examined. When the results are there, the federal government will quickly seek an exchange with the federal states. The law passed by the previous government to phase out coal in 2038 and the stricter climate targets that were also passed did not go together. This must be changed.
Coal phase-out brought forward to 2030
“We take a critical view of that,” said Saxony-Anhalt’s Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff (CDU) with a view to plans for an earlier exit from coal. The traffic light coalition agreement states that the phase-out of coal should “ideally” be brought forward to 2030. So far, this is planned by 2038 at the latest. Haseloff warned of social conflicts.
Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) accused the federal government of having “partially” canceled the compromise reached in the coal commission on phasing out coal in 2038. The participation of the federal states should not be an alibi.