Germany to abandon fossil fuels by 2045. How does the rest of Europe compare?

Germany has announced plans to abandon fossil fuels completely by 2045, marking it as the third European country to do so. Despite almost every nation committing to reducing reliance on coal, oil, and gas at the UN COP28 climate summit in 2023, few countries presented concrete plans. This issue was a contentious topic at the COP30 talks in Belém the following year, but it was excluded from the final agreement due to opposition from oil-producing nations.

Germany's transition plan focuses on expanding renewable energy production, increasing the use of electric vehicles, and leveraging the EU's carbon trading schemes to push industrial polluters towards cleaner alternatives. Environment Minister Castern Schneider attributes the urgency to the situation in Iran, where rising oil and gas prices have made daily commutes costly and unreliable.

While Germany's roadmap is ambitious, it falls short of the more stringent goals set by France and the Netherlands. France aims to phase out fossil fuels by 2050 and has already scheduled the closure of its last two coal-fired power plants by 2027. The Dutch government's National Energy System Plan also targets a fossil fuel phase-out but lacks a definitive timeline.

Experts argue that although Germany's commitment is commendable, it does not align sufficiently with the current climate crisis and its historical responsibility. They urge Germany to strengthen its national roadmap, redirect public funds towards renewable energy, and eliminate financing for fossil fuel projects to achieve genuine economic prosperity, energy security, and affordability.