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Next German government may backtrack on coal aims
Germany Coal firing
Germany’s prospective next government is stepping back from its predecessor’s ambition to speed up the country’s coal exit to 2030, sticking instead to the original 2038 deadline, reports Clean Energy Wire. Leaked negotiation documents have revealed that many climate and energy policies remain contested in the continuing coalition negotiations between conservatives and Social Democrats. Environmentalists have warned that the provisional agreements could result in a ‘massive step backwards’ for climate protection not only in Germany but also in Europe. The prospective new coalition government does not wish to pursue the outgoing government’s aspiration to pull the country’s coal exit forward to 2030 from the official 2038 deadline. In leaked documents summarising provisional agreements between the conservative CDU/CSU alliance and the Social
Democrats (SPD), the parties said ‘we are sticking to the agreed phase-out path for lignite-based electricity generation by 2038 at the latest.’ The 2030 date is not mentioned in the provisional agreements.
The conservatives and the SPD are in the middle of formal coalition negotiations, and the leaked paper summarised preliminary agreements reached in the first round of talks, which will now be discussed in more detail by senior party leaders in the ‘core negotiating group’, which could still result in major changes. Many of the proposals also still depend on financing.
The draft texts agreed in multiple topic- specific working groups – which include climate and energy and transport, infrastructure and construction – are meant to form the basis for a formal coalition agreement, which the parties aim to present in April or May at the latest. The draft shows that the parties plan to
remain committed to Germany’s climate targets, including the goal of making the entire country climate neutral by 2045. However, the document also revealed that many issues – including the introduction of a speed limit, the dismantling of decommissioned nuclear power plants, as well as the use of carbon capture in all industrial sectors ¬ remain contentious. In a first round of exploratory coalition talks, which preceded the current formal negotiations, the parties had already agreed on expanding renewables, reducing electricity prices for industry and households, and building 20 GW of gas-fired power plants to serve as backup capacity in an electricity system based on renewables. A factsheet on the results of the exploratory talks can be seen here.
https://www.cleanenergywire.org/ factsheets/qa-first-climate-and-energy- proposals-germanys-future-coalition- government
R-R to supply EC standby sets
Rolls-Royce has won the order to supply two mtu Series 4000 generator sets to provide emergency backup power for the European Commission in Luxembourg. The two gensets, each with a maximum capacity of 2.64 MVA, have been installed by Rolls-Royce partner Energolux in the new Jean Monnet 2 building complex as part of the renovation and expansion of the Commission.
EU to propose 2040 emissions reduction target
Europe Emissions control The European Commission is likely to propose a 2040 emissions reduction target for the EU during the first half of this year. This intermediate goal will act as a way-marker to the existing 2050 net-zero emissions goal, which the Commission has already suggested should be a net emissions reduction of 90 % over 1990 levels. The necessary reform of the union’s climate law will still have to be negotiated by member state governments and the European Parliament. The target will also form the basis of the EU’s 2035 climate ambition, due to be submitted under the Paris Agreement by September 2025.
The European Union’s 2040 emissions reduction target would be a legally binding amendment to the European Climate Law, which was agreed in 2021. It sets out the EU’s 55 % net emissions reduction target for 2030 and its 2050 net-zero emissions goal. The legal amendment is expected to go through the co-decision process, where the European Parliament and EU member state governments negotiate the text and then come
6 | April 2025 |
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together to decide the final wording in meetings called trilogues. Due to its political significance, EU leaders may also weigh in via a European Council meeting, as happened with the 2030 target In February 2024, the European Commission suggested that the target should be a net emissions reduction of 90 % by 2040, based on 1990 levels. This was based on a recommendation from the EU’s independent scientific advisory board to have a target of 90-95 %.
The European Commission is widely expected to stick to this goal as the 90 % target is included in the European Union’s agenda- setting competitiveness compass and the Clean Industrial Deal. According to the Commission, the goal would put the EU on course for climate neutrality by 2050, ensure predictability, boost competitiveness and enable the EU to lead in developing clean technology.
The ‘net’ element of the target refers to the total amount of emissions that end up in the atmosphere – or gross emissions minus human and natural activities to remove them. These removals could be nature-based, where
trees, soils and other natural processes take carbon from the atmosphere, or technical, permanent removals, for instance, direct air carbon capture and storage. According to the Commission’s own impact assessment the EU will achieve a gross emissions reduction of 75-85 % by 2040, showing that removals are needed alongside emissions cuts. The European Commission could boost the 2040 target’s credibility and measurability by breaking it into three sub-targets: gross emissions, nature-based removals and technical removals. The scientific advisory board has already recommended separating targets for permanent and nature-based removals and said that targets for these would help reach their potential.
The European Commission has not given a specific date for the 2040 target’s publication. In its work programme, the Commission states that the European Climate Law will be amended by the end of Q1 this year. The 2040 target is significant because it will help dictate how steep the emissions reduction curve is between 2030 and 2050.
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