German Environment Minister Defends Budget Cuts Praises Germany as World's Most Stable Partner Ahead of Climate Conference
Federal Minister for the Environment Carsten Schneider (SPD) defended the planned cuts in his ministry's budget against criticism.
Looking ahead to the World Climate Conference in Antalya, Schneider told Deutschlandfunk: "We are the world's most stable partner." The draft federal budget for 2027 includes a reduced financial support for other states in achieving their climate goals.
To replace the aid for other states that has been cut in the budget, he has, for example, "raised private funds" and "sought alliances," such as with foundations at the biodiversity conference, the minister said. "But naturally, I also need the overall budgetary funds to fulfill our responsibility," the SPD politician admitted. "Because if we do not provide opportunities for people in other countries who are threatened by climate change, then they will set out on a journey. That is "nothing Germany actually wants.""
Regarding domestic climate policy, Schneider said that the "phase-out of oil and gas usage in Germany" has been decided. With this, Germany is "the third country in the world that actually does this" and promotes the expansion of renewable energies.
The Federal Minister for the Environment is optimistic, according to him, that the share of electricity consumption from renewable energies in Germany will be 80 percent by 2030. Renewable energies are "the cheapest and also the cleanest," and this is the path of the federal government, according to Schneider.
The 31st UN World Climate Conference in Antalya, Turkey, begins today. The environmental program UNEP recently warned that global warming will rise to 2.6 to 2.8 degrees by the end of the century. This would greatly miss the 1.5-degree target of the Paris Climate Agreement. The Turkish COP presidency is pursuing the goal of increasing the share of renewable energy in global energy consumption to 35 percent worldwide by 2035, among other goals.
