After the U.S. administration overturned a key legal foundation for climate‑protection efforts on Thursday, Germany’s federal government continues to lean on international alliances to curb global warming.
A spokesperson from the Federal Environment Ministry said at the federal press conference that Europe, like the federal environment minister, always seeks to build partnerships worldwide. “We see that the United States is an important player, but not the only one” she added.
On Thursday President Donald Trump revoked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) authority to enforce rules that limit climate‑damaging greenhouse gases. Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA is legally required to regulate pollutants that it determines pose threats to public health and the environment. A 2009 assessment had classified six greenhouse gases as dangerous to health, thereby permitting regulation; that assessment-which reflected the international scientific consensus-will no longer be recognized.
The German government did not elaborate on how it would respond to China, the world’s second‑largest CO₂ emitter, but reaffirmed that it will continue to acknowledge scientific findings. The European Union recently confirmed its 2040 climate interim target: a 90 percent reduction in greenhouse‑gas emissions relative to 1990 levels. “This target is part of the adaptation of the EU climate‑protection law and serves as a bridge to the legally enshrined goal of climate neutrality by 2050. Importantly, this climate goal is science‑based” the spokesperson said. The EU bases its targets on scientific evidence.
