Germany’s vice chancellor pushes for green energy path despite Trump’s climate stance

Germany should stay committed to its green energy growth plans in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck said on January 21.

“We have to bring our own technologies to the fore,” Habeck stated during the Handelsblatt annual energy conference in Berlin, Caliber.Az reports referring to foreign media outlets.

Habeck, who spearheaded plans to make 80% of Germany’s electricity green by 2030, emphasized the importance of self-reliance in energy production as a way to reduce dependency on imports.

Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate treaty, a move widely expected by climate change sceptics, risks undermining the treaty’s central goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

As Germany approaches its national election on February 23, Habeck’s Green Party faces challenges in opinion polls, with a cost-of-living crisis and economic downturn shifting voter priorities away from climate protection. However, Habeck remained firm in his stance on energy independence.

“The best response to the crisis of energy imports and rising costs is to focus on domestic green energy,” Habeck said, especially as Russian gas supplies to Europe diminish following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Habeck also urged parliament to approve a draft bill aimed at digitalizing renewable energy expansion to help curb rising costs and lower consumer bills. He highlighted the importance of advancing plans for a capacity market for electricity, warning that without it, coal-burning power plants may need to operate beyond their planned 2030 phase-out date.

By Tamilla Hasanova