Germany departs from 2020 CO2 goals, cannot possibly achieve them-Der Spiegel

Shutting down coal power would only contribute 40 million of the 62-100 million tons targets call for:
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11/16/14, "Coal power plants: Gabriel announces departure from climate goals," Der Spiegel, Hamburg, google translation from German
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"The climate goal of the Federal Government is no longer tenable. This has given internally to SPIEGEL information economy minister Gabriel. The main reason is the refusal of the Minister to shut down old coal pile. The grand coalition is planning a departure from their previous climate protection goals. Notwithstanding any other public protestations Federal Economics Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) abandoned the requirement for an internal round, saving at least 40 percent of CO2 emissions compared to 1990 levels by 2020.  

"It's clear that the goal is not to keep," the Vice Chancellor said to information obtained by SPIEGEL, adding: "We can not from now on regardless of the coal out." 
 
Experts doubt for some time because the targets are met - especially since Gabriel defends the coal-fired power vehemently.

According to the Environment Ministry, Germany would have every year from 62 to 100 million tonnes of CO2 savings in addition to it to achieve the goals yet. But the shutdown of old coal pile would bring 40 million tons.
 
Gabriel has now with its line against Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks enforced (SPD), which had always insisted that comply with the laid down in the coalition agreement climate targets.
  
Gabriel had signaled her in a private conversation that he would not tolerate further resistance to his new line. "The running so not" have the SPD leader explained.
 
Read the whole story here in the current SPIEGEL .
 
In the SPD, however, criticism of Gabriel's course reversal is loud elsewhere. In a letter of prominent eco-experts of the party, including Erhard Eppler , Volker Hauff and Ernst Ulrich von Weizsacker, urge the signatories of the SPD ministers in the federal government, not to rock the climate. At the national reduction target for 2020 should be noted: "This national measure is also important because the EU climate and energy targets for 2030, unfortunately, the end of October adopted are far too little ambitious and remain binding on energy conservation."
 
From the SPD parliamentary group comes protest. The environmental spokesman Matthias Miersch said: "It is fundamentally wrong to give the impression that we have abandoned the climate target." It was "a mistake to make the environment against the economy". Also Group Vice Ute Vogt criticized the pivot: "We must remain visible in the topic." If the government does not exacerbating the measures, "we do not create the climate goal". via Climate Depot
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Paul Homewood: 

11/17/14, "Germany To Drop 2020 Climate Targets," Paul Homewood

"Since the Federal elections in Germany, earlier this year, there has been a running battle between Sigmar Gabriel, minister for economic affairs and energy, and Barbara Hendricks, the environmental minister.

Gabriel has been keen to drop CO2 targets, because of the damage they have been doing to the economy, while his colleague takes the opposite view. According to Der Spiegel, it is Gabriel who has won the battle."

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Shutting down coal power would only contribute 40 million of the 62-100 million tons targets call for:

http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-London/2014/11/17/Germanys-Social-Democrats-Descend-in-Uproar

11/17/14, "Breitbart report," Donna Rachel Edmunds

"Germany’s Vice Chancellor, Sigmar Gabriel, has indicated that the country will abandon its commitment to reducing CO₂ emissions by 40 percent by 2020, from a 1990 base level. In doing so he has won the ongoing clash with his own environmental minister Barbara Hendricks over energy policy, telling her that he will tolerate no further resistance to the change of direction, according to Der Speigel.

The target has been in doubt for some time, not least because Gabriel, a former environment minister himself and current minister for economic affairs and energy, is known to be supportive of the coal industry. According to the Environment Ministry, Germany would have to find a way of cutting emissions by between 62 and 100 million tonnes of CO₂ every year for the next sixteen years in order to reach the target. Shutting down coal power stations would only contribute 40 million tonnes to that target. 

"It’s clear that the [2020 CO₂] target is no longer viable," Gabriel said, adding: "We cannot exit from coal power overnight." Earlier this year Gabriel told Spiegel: "It is an illusion to believe that Germany could simultaneously move away from both nuclear and coal energy".

http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-London/2014/11/17/Germanys-Social-Democrats-Descend-in-Uproar

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Paul Homewood:

"The enormous task facing Germany in what it has to do to hit the 2020 target, a 40% cut from 1990 levels, is evident when looking at the progress to date.

 








 









http://cdiac.ornl.gov/GCP/ (US DOE)

. To achieve the 2020 target, there will need to be a cut of 20% from 2013 levels.
Most of the reduction achieved to date occurred in the 1990’s, as a result of closure of much of the old East German heavy industry. 
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No reduction has been achieved at all since 2009, and it is questionable just how much of the small reduction since 2007 has been due to the recession.
This is all despite the huge subsidies flung at renewable energy. . With a new generation of coal power stations coming on line, any further emission reductions look further away than ever.

Nuclear is still providing 17% of Germany’s electricity output, according to the World Nuclear Association, and this will need to be replaced by 2022 at the latest, adding yet more pressure on the grid.
Regardless of who wins the political battle, Germany does not appear to have a cat in hell’s chance of getting anywhere near its target." Chart above via Paul Homewood



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