“Federal Environment Agency: Merkel is wrong”

Diesel technology can in theory help protect the climate, but the average diesel car in Germany hardly emits less CO₂ than the average petrol car, Federal Environment Agency (UBA) president Maria Krautzberger told Süddeutsche Zeitung. Efficiency gains from the diesel engine are often offset by a higher engine power and higher weight for diesel cars, writes Süddeutsche. With her statement, Krautzberger “corrected remarks made by the chancellor” who said that diesel cars helped protect the climate, writes Süddeutsche. The potential of the diesel in climate protection was currently not used, so the technology is by no means a “climate saviour”, said Krautzberger.

Read the article in German here.

For background, read the CLEW interview “Diesel summit comes two years too late” and the CLEW article Why the German diesel summit matters for climate and energy.