A statement by Armin Laschet about the coal phase-out in North Rhine-Westphalia enrages environmental groups. Was the CDU candidate for chancellor wrongly informed – or was he even lying?
Environmental groups reacted indignantly to statements made by Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet about the coal phase-out.
The BUND chairman Olaf Bandt said on Monday: «CDU Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet is lying or is misinformed when he claims that BUND and Greenpeace had proposed the coal phase-out in 2038 in the coal commission. Quite the opposite: We have always made it clear that such a late phase-out date for serious climate protection is far too late and therefore called for a coal phase-out by 2030 at the latest in a special vote. “
Martin Kaiser, executive director of Greenpeace Germany, asked on Twitter whether Laschet had been misinformed or lied: “Both are unworthy of someone who wants to become chancellor.”
Laschet was confronted with statements by CSU boss Markus Söder in the ZDF summer interview on Sunday. Söder had announced that he would be able to work to enable coal to be phased out as early as 2030. Laschet then said that North Rhine-Westphalia was leading the way in phasing out coal and that it could do that by 2030. “But we had a coal commission with scientists, with Greenpeace, with the BUND, with Professor Schellnhuber, one of the most renowned climate researchers – and they proposed the date 2038 because they dealt with ecological and social issues, especially in Lusatia Have an eye on eastern Germany. ” Laschet went on to say that politics must be reliable. “That’s why I think we should stay on schedule.” Personally, he thinks that the carbon price will make the exit faster.
Laschet could not be reached on Monday to comment on the allegations of the environmental associations. Bandt said that with the new, tightened European and German climate protection targets, there would be no avoiding a coal phase-out by 2030. “It won’t work any other way. We expect Armin Laschet to correct his misrepresentation. But above all, we demand that he does not duck the consequences of the new climate protection targets and that he finally advocates a coal phase-out by 2030. “
The coal commission set up by the government presented its report in early 2019. It included representatives from business, trade unions and environmental associations, as well as scientists.
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