Coal exit commission should avoid “quick and symbolic” exit scenarios – BDI president

The commission tasked with Germany’s coal phase-out should avoid coming up with “quick and symbolic” scenarios to end the use of the fossil power source in the country, Dieter Kempf, president of the influential industry association BDI said in a guest commentary for Handelsblatt. The commission should not just administer the exit, but rather also “the entry into a sustainable agenda of modernisation,” he said. Kempf said climate policy is “a marathon, not a sprint” and Germany must find the appropriate pace for phasing out coal to avoid high costs and uncertain supply security. The industry lobbyist insisted that the BDI supports climate action in principle, as proven by its own study on reaching Germany’s climate goals. “It’s about finding the right balance between ecologic necessities and economic prudence,” Kempf said.

Find the article in German here (paywall).

For background, see the factsheet Germany’s coal exit commission and the article Germany starts coal exit talks in bid to improve patchy climate record.