“German emissions increase in 2016 due to nuclear plant closure”

Emissions in Germany have increased for two consecutive years due to the decommissioning of the country’s nuclear power plants, pro-nuclear organisation Environmental Progress writes. “German emissions would have declined had it not closed a nuclear plant and replaced it with coal and natural gas,” says author Michael Shellenberger. According to Shellenberger, newly installed solar and wind capacities were insufficient to make up for capacity lost in the course of Germany’s nuclear phase-out, largely because of last year’s unfavourable weather conditions. 2016 has been “a dramatic illustration of the limits of energy sources that depend on the weather,” he writes.

Read the article in English here.

For background, read the CLEW article German carbon emissions rise in 2016 despite coal use drop and the CLEW article Little headway in 2016 for Germany’s energy transition.

Find more information in the CLEW dossier The challenges of Germany's nuclear phase-out.