Germany far from phasing out coal in near future

Germany is far from phasing out coal use for its energy supply – despite its political commitment to a low-carbon economy, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) writes in a report on “The role of coal in Europe’s power mix”. The country’s dependence on coal is set to increase in the next decade, as Germany’s nuclear exit will be completed by 2022, it explains. This should pose a challenge to German policymakers “who will try to reconcile the management of the nuclear phase out with adhering to emissions-reduction targets”, the report says. “Efforts to reduce coal-fired generation are not ambitious in the short-to-medium term,” the EIU explains, adding that Germany’s Climate Action Plan 2050 lacked descriptions on how to curb its use of the heaviest CO₂ –emitter.

Find the report in English available for download here.

For background, see the CLEW dossier The energy transition and climate change.