German minister lists green successes since Bonn climate talks

German minister lists green successes since Bonn climate talks

Frankfurt (Platts)--3Jun2005


The combined efforts of countries around the world have led to an increase in
power generation from renewable energy sources and a rise in investment in
energy efficiency, Germany's environment minister Jurgen Trittin said Friday.
Trittin's comments come exactly a year on from the international renewable
energy conference held in Bonn last year when EU and government chiefs pledged
to limit the rise in global warming to 2 degrees Celsius in the next 100
years. 

The German government plans to subsidize the expansion of renewable energy
with Eur500-mil ($614-mil) over the next five years and funding to date meant
the share of photovoltaic, wind and biofuel technology in German power
production rose respectively by 20-40%, 20% and 14% last year compared with
2003. "The share of power generation [in Germany] has almost hit 10% and with
that has almost doubled over the past five years," Trittin said in a
statement. Germany wants to generate 12.5% of its power from green sources by
2010, and 20% by 2020.

But while there are 130,000 jobs in the German renewables sector, critics
claim that with each job created there are losses in the coal sector. World
leaders in Bonn also committed to cut greehouse gas emissions by 15% to 30% by
2020, Trittin said, adding that by 2015 a total of 1.2-bil mt of carbon
dioxide emissions would be saved each year through the efforts by the
countries involved. 

The World Bank committed to increase the amount of money given to green power
and energy efficiency by 20% annually. There are 85 planned projects in the
renewables sector at a total cost of Eur842-mil. In addition, the German
federal development ministry has plans to increase energy efficiency and
expand renewables in 18 countries. 

Energy-hungry China this year passed a law for renewable subsidies to reach
its aim to generate 10% of its power from green sources by 2010, and double
that by 2020, Trittin said.

This story was originally published in Platts European Power Alert
http://europeanpoweralert.platts.com

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