"Beginning of the end of coal": expert Kemfert sees the traffic lights under pressure after Glasgow

Environment expert Claudia Kemfert considers the results from Glasgow to be inadequate.

Global warming will not be limited to 1.5 degrees, she says Merkur.de.

Munich - The environmental expert at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), Prof. Claudia Kemfert, has criticized the resolutions of the UN climate conference in Glasgow as inadequate.

In view of the results, one is now heading “more towards a 2.4-degree world,” Kemfert told

on Sunday

.

At the same time, she sees the future federal government as having an obligation to further intensify efforts to protect the climate.

Professor Kemfert, at the opening of the World Climate Conference a good two weeks ago, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared that the world was 1: 5 behind in the fight against climate change.

Now we have the result.

Environment Minister Svenja Schulze praises it as "historic".

Is that true or did Glasgow bring more hot air?

Neither nor. The Glasgow Climate Pact is not a big hit, but things are still making progress in terms of climate protection. To stay with Boris Johnson: We are still behind. Although we scored two good goals that were worth seeing, the other side also scored one, in the 90th minute. It is 3: 6. It should have gone better. However, some important, albeit unspectacular, agreements have been made, such as that all countries report detailed emissions data every two years. In addition, some loopholes for greenwashing in the offsetting of international emission credits have been closed. The most important milestone is above all the beginning of the phase-out of coal, despite the slowdown. 

But shortly before the end, the corresponding passage on coal was further weakened under pressure from China * and India. Instead of an exit, there is now only talk of a gradual reduction. Oil and gas do not appear in the decision at all. How disappointed are you?

I am not very disappointed on this point, as there will still be an exit from coal despite the slowdown. Not only because China itself will no longer finance coal-fired power plants internationally. Even global financial institutions will no longer do this by now at the latest. Together with South Africa, Germany will also cooperatively support the exit from coal towards the energy transition, and there are also agreements with India for the switch to more renewable energies. The coal is running out of money more and more. It is the beginning of the end of coal. However, there will be a long way to go to achieve the same for oil and fossil natural gas. We must all be disappointed about this, as climate change continues and with it the extreme climate events all over the world.

Are the resolutions enough to actually limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as has often been called for?

Definitely no, we are now heading more towards a 2.4-degree world.

However, at the beginning of the conference some announcements were made for the protection of forests and the reduction of methane emissions, which - if implemented seriously and quickly - will make it possible to achieve the climate target of staying below two degrees.

There is still a global ambition and implementation gap, both internationally and in Germany.

All countries not only have to implement the goals that have now been agreed, they also have to be refined.

Fossil subsidies must be abolished.

The time window for action is getting smaller and smaller.

What do the resolutions mean for German climate policy? 

For the upcoming government, the result from Glasgow is clearly a work order for more climate protection *. In particular, coal must be phased out by 2030, the rate of expansion of renewable energies at least tripled and fossil subsidies abolished. From company car privilege *, diesel tax relief, commuter flat-rate to a lack of kerosene tax and VAT on international flights: the list of environmentally harmful subsidies, especially in the transport sector, is long. Above all, Glasgow makes it clear that all investments in fossil fuels, including the construction of a new fossil natural gas pipeline, are stranded investments. In order to achieve the climate target, investments may no longer be made in fossil fuels, but only in renewable energies.

Doesn't this also increase the pressure on the Greens to deliver very clear results in terms of climate protection in the coalition negotiations at the traffic light?

Definitely yes, but the pressure applies to the entire federal government.

The upcoming government must not fail in terms of climate protection.

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