Berlin:
Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed the have to have to “speed up” the fight against climate modify, as the death count from devastating floods in Germany reached 177 on Thursday.
Merkel, who is retiring just after September elections, stated that Germany and other nations had “not done enough” to meet the purpose set out in the Paris climate accord of capping international warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius.
“We shouldn’t pretend that we haven’t done anything, but it’s true that not enough has been done to reach the aim of staying well under two degrees and as close to 1.5 degrees as possible,” Merkel told reporters.
“That is not just true of Germany, but of many countries across the world, which is why we need to increase the tempo.”
Merkel had currently referred to as for more quickly climate action last Sunday as she visited flood victims in Rhineland-Palatinate state.
One of the regions worst hit by last week’s devastating floods, Rhineland-Palatinate stated Thursday that its death count had reached 128, taking the total count to 177 in Germany and 209 across Europe.
Merkel’s cabinet authorized a big emergency help package Wednesday for flood-stricken regions, unlocking some 400 million euros ($470 million) in instant relief.
“We have also made clear that this sum will be increased if it proves not to be enough,” Merkel stated Thursday.
She added that society faced a “profound transformation” as European governments looked to attain carbon neutrality in the coming decades.
Merkel, who will leave workplace just after 16 years following the September 26 poll, defended her record on the atmosphere.
She pointed to new emissions reductions targets agreed by her government earlier this year, which imply Germany now aims to attain carbon neutrality by 2045, 5 years earlier than the prior target.
The move came just after Germany’s highest court demanded the government revise its targets, which it stated had been not ambitious adequate.
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