First, it was unrealistic. Second, it was non-sustainable. They wanted to replace nuclear plants with solar and wind? These are Germans we’re talking about! They know better!
According to Reuters and Spiegel, the Grand Coalition of the CDU and SPD currently being formed in Germany is abandoning the emissions target of a reduction of 40% below 1990 levels by 2020. It had been obvious for some time that the target was not going to be met.
This is a big humiliation for Merkel, and shows the utter failure of her Energiewende programme, which I prefer to refer to as Energiewahnsinn (Energy madness), whereby nuclear power stations were closed down and replaced by windmills and coal mines.
They claim to be sticking to the even more implausible target of a 55% reduction by 2030. Who do they think they are kidding?
Roger Pielke Jr. on Twitter
The implications of Germany’s 2020 target of a 40% reduction were obvious years ago. Setting targets just over the future horizon is how climate policy fools everyone into business as usual. Example: Germany has kept their 55% reduction by 2030 target. That one will work, surely.
Via CS