Holding Merkel’s coalition to account over energy
Germany’s Green Party stands out as the only political faction in the country with a consistent and clear renewable-energy and environment commitment.
Verlinden, its spokesperson in the federal parliament, has been unrelenting in arguing the cause.
The public has seen the bickering conservative/social democrat coalition pay lip service to the energy transition while dramatically slowing down expansion of Germany’s onshore and offshore wind, and solar PV.
In Verlinden’s view, continued Green-Party diligence in "stating the facts and their implications" on climate change increases the chances of stronger support for climate protection in parliament after the next regular federal elections in 2021.
She reprimands the federal government for not fixing a clear coal and lignite phase-out path much earlier instead of delegating the task to a non-government commission, with no guarantee of swift implementation when it does finally make its recommendations.
Earlier action would have sent signals to neighbouring countries to swiftly build up their own wind and solar capacity, instead of relying on imports from cheap but dirty Germany lignite plants.
