Environment Council Issues Reprimand

Environmental protection in Germany is too often ignored, given the country's economic doldrums, the German Council for Environmental Advisors said in its annual report. Germany's environmental experts accuse the government of compromising on emissions trade in climate talks, and thereby having missed a "historical opportunity." As a result of compromises, power stations are allowed to pollute to such a degree that a move toward climate-friendlier technologies and fuels have been "dramatically" weakened. Considering that, in the next 15 years, every second power station must be either shut down or renovated, Germany needs to reject fossil fuels, the council said. Also, the government has been too weak on noise reduction, the council concluded.