Germany’s recent decision to disassemble a major wind farm while simultaneously expanding an adjacent open-pit lignite coal mine underscores the vicious hypocrisy of the Global North when it comes to actual action by governments on the climate crisis. Once again, the developing world is confronted by a paradox of environmental advocacy and contradictory actions by a major European power.
While developed nations champion sustainability, renewable energy, and sustainable growth on paper and camera, their easy pivot to fossil fuels to solve short-to-medium-term supply issues while actively criticising the developing world’s difficulties (while remaining mum on why those difficulties exist in the first place!) throws further light on the broader issues surrounding climate change and the question of responsibility.
Turbines to Coal: Germany’s Conflicting Moves
German energy behemoth RWE is leading the way by dismantling a significant wind farm in North Rhine Westphalia in the western region. This initiative involves removing operational wind turbines, with plans to eliminate seven more. These actions would lead to the excavation of an estimated 15 to 20 million tonnes of ‘brown’ coal from an adjacent open-pit lignite coal mine. For the uninitiated, brown coal is among the most eco-unfriendly energy sources that contributes to massive pollution.
Energy Security vs. Environmental Commitments
RWE and the German government proffer energy security as the rationale to the counterintuitive strategy. They point to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, asserting that this geopolitical crisis imperils Germany’s energy stability. To meet the nation’s energy demands and circumvent potential shortages, the expansion of the Garzweiler coal fields is presented as essential. Germany’s Minister for Economy and Climate Action, Robert Habeck, defends the expansion as a necessary step, attributing it to the prevailing “energy crisis.”
In fact, Germany’s green policy bids fair to miss their target of net zero by 2045. How’s that for a kicker?
The Fine Print: A Broader Perspective
This expansion of the coalfield, executed under a pact between RWE and the German government, comes with a significant caveat. The agreement stipulates that RWE commits to a complete coal phase-out by 2030 – a commendable advancement from the previous deadline of 2038. Minister Habeck previously hailed this arrangement as a triumph for climate protection.
(If this were a text message, my response would be “LOL”)
The contradictory path on which the government appears to be set raises serious questions about the sincerity of such commitments – and how seriously to take them in the future.
Backlash and Critical Voices
Predictably, this decision has not gone unnoticed by climate activists and concerned citizens. The move to disassemble functional wind farms to make way for increased coal extraction has ignited a firestorm of criticism. Fabian Hübner, a senior campaigner at Beyond Fossil Fuels, a coalition of climate activists based in Germany, expresses vehement disapproval. Hübner stresses that the urgency of the current climate emergency demands concerted efforts to expedite renewable energy adoption. Actions that divert resources from this pressing endeavor, especially those that involve sacrificing existing renewable infrastructure to amplify fossil fuel extraction, stand unequivocally condemned.
The push-pull between climate goals and energy security underscores how even nations with noble intentions can perpetuate a cycle of environmental degradation, leaving the developing world to grapple with its consequences. As the global community strives for equitable solutions to climate change, such instances serve as stark reminders of the intertwined challenges faced by both the developed and developing worlds.
Image Courtesy: financialexpress.com
