Greenpeace protesters disrupt German Chancellery over fossil fuel policies
Berlin (dpa) ā Activists from the environmental organization Greenpeace staged a dramatic protest at the German Chancellery on Wednesday, calling for an end to fossil fuel dependence. The demonstrators rappelled from a crane on the chancellor's office grounds and unfurled a large banner reading "Freedom, Not Fossil Politics." According to a Greenpeace statement, the action was meant to condemn Germany's reliance on oil and gas.
Federal police reported that six activists gained access to the crane around 5:55 a.m., with four later descending with the banner. By 8:40 a.m., the protesters had voluntarily left the crane. Berlin police have since taken over the investigation.
Greenpeace Criticizes New Climate Protection Program
The protest coincides with the cabinet's approval of Germany's updated climate protection program. The country has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 65% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels and achieve climate neutrality by 2045āmeaning it will emit no more greenhouse gases than it can absorb. Under EU agreements, Germany must reduce emissions by half by 2030, though this target is measured against 2005 levels.
Currently, Germany is not on track to meet its climate goals. The new program fulfills a legal requirement for the government to outline, within a year of taking office, how it plans to achieve its targets. Key measures include expanding onshore wind farms, promoting climate-resilient mixed forests, and continuing recently approved subsidies for electric vehicles.
Martin Kaiser, executive director of Greenpeace Germany, criticized the plan as overly optimistic. "This climate protection program relies more on hope than certainty," he said. "The necessary COā reductions by 2030 are ambitious to the point of being unrealistic." Kaiser also noted gaps in transportation policy, such as the absence of "long-overdue measures like a national speed limit."
