Germany is due to exit nuclear power at the end of 2022. But with the use of coal to produce around 30% of its electricity, the country still retains practices that have a bad impact on the climate.
Germany uses coal to produce around 30% of its electricity despite being the most harmful energy for the climate. At Garzweiler, machines dig to extract lignite, the most polluting type of coal. The mine is to expand again, threatening nearly six surrounding villages including land in Lutzerath, protected by environmental activists who denounce these methods. One of them, Antonio, denounces “a global climate crime“. At the end of 2022, the last nuclear power plants will be closed in the country even if they have an advantage for the climate: they do not emit CO2.
The share of nuclear and coal is declining in Germany and renewable energies are increasing at the same time. Minister of Economy and Energy of North Rhine-Westphalia, Andreas Pinkwart believes that to protect the climate, “it would certainly have been smarter for Germany to keep nuclear longer, but we had a very strong anti-nuclear movement. “
To replace nuclear and coal, wind turbines are among the alternatives, except that their development on a national scale is stagnating. In addition, in the absence of wind and sun, it becomes difficult to generate electricity. Germany then turns to gas which emits CO2, but less than coal. Experts therefore expect an increase in CO2 emissions in the future for electricity production. For them to fall again, renewable energies would have to be sufficiently developed and the use of coal should be abandoned in Germany.