German economy and climate action minister Robert Habeck has delivered a blunt critique of United States climate policy and per capita emissions, urging that it’s time to “solve the f***ing problems.”
“Politicians should not simply pass problems on to the next generation,” he reportedly said during a speech to students at Columbia University in New York, adding that lawmakers need to address today’s problems instead of fixating on outdated politics.
“Solve the f***ing problems,” he said, as he called for better climate protection.
Habeck said the U.S. is not on track to meet its climate goals, despite its commitment to achieve a net-zero economy by 2050. And neither is Germany for that matter, he added, promising that he’s focused on getting his own country back on track.
He acknowledged that the Biden administration’s ambitious Inflation Reduction Act is a step in the right direction, but also remarked that the legislation is problematic from a European and German standpoint, resulting in a subsidy competition that the U.S. won by taking on more debt. He contended that there is no longer fair competition, reports German news outlet Zeit Online.
Compared to Europe, he added, the U.S. has low energy prices and no carbon pricing mechanism.
The U.S. also has one of the highest levels of carbon dioxide emissions globally, showing that the country “has not taken the necessary steps to substantially change this by 2050,” Habeck added.
In 2023, the U.S. broke a record by producing more crude oil than any other country ever, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported this week.
Over in Germany, the government recently revealed plans to support carbon capture and storage (CCS) as part of the effort to reach greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045. “Industry association BDI welcomed the proposals, while several environmental NGOs criticized that it opens the door to the continuation of old fossil fuel business models,” writes Clean Energy Wire
Carbon Brief says Habeck recently responded to a German Federal Audit Office report that the energy transition made the country’s electricity too expensive and threatened energy security. He countered that power generation prices are at pre-war levels, while renewable energy expansion is accelerating.
“I’m not saying we’re done,” Habeck said. “But to say that the federal government is not doing enough…is a remarkable perception that has nothing to do with reality.”
