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Nico Beckert

Nico Beckert Published: January 23rd, 2025

Green cement: German association launches voluntary CO2 label

To promote the use of green cement, the German Cement Works Association (VDZ) has introduced a voluntary CO2 label. The aim is to make the CO2 footprint of different cement products comparable. For example, it will indicate the CO2 content of the product on cement bags or shipping bills. “The new VDZ label can be […]

Nico Beckert Published: January 23rd, 2025

Climate in Numbers: EU countries save billions on fossil fuel imports

EU countries have saved almost 60 billion euros in gas and coal imports over the past six years thanks to the expansion of wind and solar power. This is according to a study published today by the energy think tank Ember. The study shows that the expansion of renewables has saved over 90 billion cubic […]

Nico Beckert Published: January 22nd, 2025

Coal: Why the chemical sector jeopardizes climate targets

Over the past year, China has installed over 350 gigawatts of new solar and wind capacity, once again breaking all records. But while the energy sector is making progress, China’s chemical industry jeopardizes the country’s climate targets. The sector’s coal consumption has risen rapidly in recent years.The government is promoting the use of coal as […]

Nico Beckert Published: January 15th, 2025

German Election fact check: Postponing the coal phase-out if gas-fired power plants are delayed

The demandIn its election manifesto, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) demands that “on the way” to phasing out coal, there can be “no further final shutdown of coal-fired power plants as long as no new gas-fired power plants” have been built to replace them. According to a CDU/CSU parliamentary group discussion paper, “new controllable capacity” […]

Nico Beckert Published: January 14th, 2025

Election fact check: CO2 capture for coal-fired power plants

The traffic light coalition already wanted to regulate carbon capture and storage from industry and the electricity sector. However, its carbon management strategy is still stuck in the parliamentary process – it is unclear whether it will be adopted with the help of the CDU/CSU.The claimThe CDU/CSU also wants to “legally enable” CCS for the […]

Nico Beckert Published: January 9th, 2025

WWF report: Solar obligation would be compatible with the German constitution

A mandatory solar panel requirement for the roofs of residential and office buildings would be compatible with the German constitution. This is the conclusion of a new legal opinion commissioned from a law firm by the environmental organization WWF. Such a “solar standard” could also be implemented “promptly,” the report concludes. According to the WWF, […]

Nico Beckert Published: January 9th, 2025

Climate in Numbers: How much Germany lags behind its EV targets

Germany still cannot get the mobility transition off the ground: Only 13.5 percent of newly registered cars in 2024 were pure EVs – in addition, the proportion of plug-in hybrids was 6.8 percent. Last year, only around 380,000 EVs were newly registered, 27.5 percent fewer than the year before. As the overall market also slowed […]

Nico Beckert Published: January 9th, 2025

Grid security: Suspicion of higher curtailment of Chinese wind and solar parks

China plans to connect at least 200 gigawatts of new solar and wind power capacity to its grid between 2025 and 2027. This is according to a new “Action Plan for Optimizing Grid Control Capacity” from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). The plan states that curtailment, meaning the shutdown of renewable energies during […]

Nico Beckert Published: December 19th, 2024

Renewables: Japan’s new plans show little ambition

Japan aims to generate 40 to 50 percent of its electricity mix from renewable energies and 20 percent from nuclear energy by 2040. This is according to a draft from the Ministry of Industry on the revision of energy policy. Last year, the share of renewables was 22.9 percent and the share of nuclear power […]

Nico Beckert Published: December 19th, 2024

IEA: Why coal consumption could rise until 2027

According to estimates by the International Energy Agency (IEA), global coal demand this year has been higher than ever before. It increased by one percent to 8.77 billion tons. According to the IEA, demand for coal will plateau in the next three years and reach around 8.87 billion tons in 2027.The IEA reports continued significant […]