The federal government has approved a national roadmap designed to eliminate the use of oil, gas, and coal. According to a 22-page document cited by the news magazine Politico, Germany aims to cease using fossil fuels by no later than 2045.
The official document states unequivocally that the government intends to decarbonize the power plant fleet in line with climate goals by 2045 at the latest. Furthermore, it emphasizes that reducing greenhouse gas emissions is inseparable from the gradual move away from the energy utilization of fossil fuels.
However, the roadmap-formally titled the “Roadmap for the Gradual Withdrawal from Fossil Fuels”-does not introduce any new measures to achieve this shift. Instead, it consolidates existing efforts and initiatives. Despite this, the German government notes that the country has “consecutively” pursued the path of abandoning fossil energies.
At the same time, the roadmap acknowledges that fossil fuels will continue to be utilized during a transition period. Germany is committed to implementing “all technical measures to reduce methane emissions from the production of fossil raw materials.” Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider plans to present this new roadmap at the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday afternoon.
