The eight European Union member states have signed a letter urging the bloc to get tougher on climate action. Germany, however, was not among them, with one EU climate expert calling the absence "conspicuous."
Image: Reuters/L. Jackson
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Eight European Union countries Tuesday called on the bloc to up the ante on its carbon dioxide reduction target, but Germany was not one of them.
Environment ministers from France, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, Latvia and Luxembourg all signed a letter to the EU's top climate official candidate, Frans Timmermans, calling on him to increase the objective to reduce emissions from 40% to 55% by 2030.
The letter urges the EU to get tougher on climate action "to underpin the European Green Deal to drive the in-depth transformation and bold measures needed across all sectors of the economy."
However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who previously indicated her support for the new objective, is facing stiff opposition from government ministries in Berlin to join the pact.
Extinction Rebellion protests go global
The activist group organized worldwide protests on Monday to force radical action on climate change. Police arrested hundreds of protesters for disrupting traffic or violating bans on demonstrations.
Image: picture-alliance/PA Wire/V. Jones
London, UK
Police arrested 217 people in London on Monday. Extinction Rebellion protesters blocked traffic and glued themselves to cars. Sarah Lasenby, an 81-year-old retired social worker among the arrested, told the Associated Press, "It is imperative the government should take serious actions and put pressure on other states and global powers to radically reduce the use of fossil fuels."
Image: picture-alliance/AP/J. Brady
New York City, US
Protesters in New York City doused the famous statue of the bull near Wall Street with blood and staged a "die-in" in front of the New York Stock Exchange. Police arrested around a dozen demonstrators.
Image: Reuters/M. Segar
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
More than 100 people were arrested in Amsterdam after blocking a road in front of the Rijksmuseum. The city had banned the activists from protesting there, but demonstrators went ahead with the protest anyway. One poster read, "SORRY that we blocked the road, but this is an emergency."
Image: Imago-Images/Hollandse Hoogte/S. Joosten
Sydney, Australia
Hundreds of people staged a sit-in on a busy road in Sydney before the police began making arrests. Activist Jane Morton told AFP, "we have tried petitions, lobbying and marches, and now time is running out." Australia's conservative government has been reluctant to improve environmental policy, choosing instead to support the continued exporting of coal.
Image: Getty Images/L. Maree Williams
Dublin, Ireland
With a march through Dublin, Extinction Rebellion demonstrators in Ireland kicked off a "week of action" calling for a greater response to climate change. Protesters held a mock funeral for the planet and parked a pink yacht in front of Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar's office.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/N. Carson
Berlin, Germany
Around 1,000 protesters in Berlin blocked the Grosser Stern, a roundabout in the middle of the German capital. 300 more blocked a central square with couches, tables, chairs, and flower pots. In total, over 3,000 people joined demonstrations in Berlin. The protests come as the German government is on the brink of passing a climate bill that many have criticized for being too weak.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Sohn
Paris, France
In central Paris, around 1,000 protesters blocked the area around Chatalet. Some chained themselves to barrels while others swore to stay there overnight in makeshift tents. Protesters waved banners with slogans like "Burn capitalism, not petrol."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Mattia
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In at the deep end
Timmermans, candidate for the role of vice president for the European Green Deal, will appear on Tuesday in the European Parliament as part of his confirmation hearing, ahead of joining incoming European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's executive team.
While there is broad, if not unanimous support for reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, there is a distinct lack of harmony in the EU over how to arrive at that target. In 2018, the majority of member states agreed on a 40% reduction, a goal that eight countries now feel is not enough.
EU climate policy adviser for Greenpeace, Sebastian Mang, was unequivocal in his criticism of Germany's stance, describing Berlin's absence from the letter as "conspicuous."
"Last week, [people] all over the country went to the streets and demanded climate protection," he said.
Mang argued that Merkel's government was pandering to big businesses and German carmakers.
On Monday, Merkel's chief of staff, Helge Braun, indicated Germany was doing enough to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions.
