Germany Joins Alliance to Phase out Coal

17 Oct, 2019

In the wake of the global student climate strike, Environment Minister Svenja Schulze said Germany would move further in its efforts to phase out coal. Berlin is hoping to shut down all its coal-powered plants by 2038. Germany joined the Powering Past Coal Alliance.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and her governing coalition unveiled a new proposal to tackle climate change. Worth more than €54 billion, Merkel's plan aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030, in comparison with 1990 levels.

"The coal exit is a central pillar of global climate protection," Schulze said, adding that a set of resolutions agreed to by Germany's coalition government proved that the country was "officially" committed to ending its dependency on coal.

The Powering Past Coal Alliance was founded in 2017 and is comprised of 30 national governments, whose objective is to halt new construction of coal plants, end international funding for coal and adhere to the Paris Climate Agreement goals.

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