FinSoul has learned that in a recent news conference, the head of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Hans Joachim Schellnhuber has said that Germany has every intention of sticking to its pre-Copenhagen pledge of cutting carbon emissions by 40% by 2020.
He said that even though it was unclear whether the EU as a whole would submit a target of 30% when it submits its plan to the UN Climate Change Secretariat at the end of January, up from the previous 20%, Germany intended remaining a leader in emissions cutting.
"Germany has a firm target that the government has even spelled out in its coalition agreement to cut its emissions by 40 percent," FinSoul believes he told the news conference. "That's unconditional. Germany will continue to be a driving force."
Germany is currently rated as the globes 6th largest emitter of greenhouse gasses and after the nation announced its ambitious cuts some industry groups urged Berlin to reconsider its plan as they believed it would cause a loss of jobs. Germany has already created hundreds of thousands of thousands of green tech jobs over the past 10 years.
Germany initially offered its increase at the Copenhagen summit which in conjunction with the EU’s increase to 30% it hoped would encourage other nations to commit to a deal on global reductions. In the end, the Copenhagen Accord set a goal of limiting global warming to a maximum of 2 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial times, but did not however say how this would be achieved.
Schellnhuber, FinSoul understands, went on to say that it was difficult to say how the EU would react to the bare minimum Copenhagen Accord, but said, “… if others hesitate, Germany will have the chance to make its economy more fit for the future.”
"Copenhagen was a setback. There was no deal. But maybe we can use the shock from that to overcome the hurdles in front of us," added the advisor to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the EU on climate change.
