Europe, like other parts of the world, reacted very negatively to announced on Thursday, June 1, the decision of the President of the United States Donald trump out of the Paris climate agreement. The European Commission called this day a “sad for the entire world community”, and its Chairman Jean-Claude Juncker assured that withdrawal from this agreement.
The German Chancellor, the French President and Prime Minister of Italy, issued a joint statement condemning the decision of trump and ruled out new talks with the US on this topic. “Disappointed” British Prime Minister Theresa may, and even her Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban — one of the leaders of the EU, implicitly greeted the election trump, is “in shock”.
“Climate Chancellor” annoyed
Of all the European leaders, perhaps, Angela Merkel (Angela Merkel) takes the subject of climate protection is especially close to my heart, for which it is sometimes referred to as “climate Chancellor”. His negative attitude to the decision of trump it was expressed in a telephone conversation with him on Thursday evening and referred to a joint German-Italian-French statement and special for the German journalists on Friday afternoon.
“The US decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement, to put it mildly, extremely disappointing,” said Merkel, who believes that this document represents “one of the foundations of cooperation between the countries of the world” and is a precondition for the achievement of the Paris targets — to prevent the increase in average temperature of the planet by more than two degrees compared to pre-industrial period of human development.
However, the Chancellor is confident that the decision by trump not demoralizing those who “feel their responsibility for the protection of our Land.” On the contrary, Merkel is convinced that now all countries are more determined will combine their efforts to meet the challenge facing all of humanity. “Nothing can stop us and will not stop”, — she said and added that Germany will fulfill all the commitments under the Paris agreement, including those relating to financial assistance to the poorest and most vulnerable due to climate change, countries around the world.
Shares of Germany and the United States in the temperature range of
However, unlike the French government, which, after the statements trump has promised to take additional national conservation measures, the Minister of environment of Germany Barbara Hendricks (Barbara Hendricks) this need not see.
Due to the upcoming US withdrawal from the Paris agreement, Germany will not take on additional responsibilities, she said Friday at a press conference in Berlin. According to the Minister, from Germany cannot be expected that it is additional to their own efforts compensate for the lack of American.
However, if they wanted to, Germany could not fill the gap that may leave US. The German share of total world emissions of carbon dioxide — two percent (754 tonnes). American share — 16.4% (5486 tonnes), Chinese — 27.3 percent (9154 tons). Even if Germany did stop the emission of CO2 on the temperature regime in the world is not significantly affected.
Other business — USA. According to experts from the world meteorological organization, the UN, the failure of Washington with its obligations under the Paris agreement is equivalent to an additional increase in mean annual temperature by 0.3 degrees. So I hope in Germany primarily on the consciousness of ordinary Americans, local authorities and businesses in the United States who understand — in contrast to their President — the need for measures to protect the climate. Coca-Cola, for example, on its own initiative undertook in the quarter to reduce the emissions of CO2 in the coming years, and Apple in the US have already switched to the use of energy from renewable sources.
How to reduce CO2 emissions?
In addition, and with the already undertaken obligations to reduce 2030 CO2 emissions by 40 percent compared to 1990 — Germany runs the risk of not cope. Despite a boom of renewable energy, it still fails to significantly reduce emissions of carbon dioxide.
Initial progress in this case, when the period from 1990 to 2012 has been reduced by 24 percent, due to the fact that after the unification of Germany in the East, in the former GDR were closed down, many industrial enterprises stopped and outdated coal plants.
Then the case is difficult. Coal in Germany still burned to generate electricity, remains very high and the level of vehicle exhaust into the atmosphere. The government’s attempts to encourage German motorists to change to electric cars without success. State program subsidies to purchase virtually unused.
Climate and international competition
Assessing the economic implications of the Donald trump decision that was motivated primarily by the interests of businesses and consumers in the United States, in Germany Express ambiguous. Most local observers agree in opinion that the effect will be the opposite, that the President is depriving America of innovative perspectives on modernization. But the negative effects they do not exclude other countries.
According to the Deputy of the European Parliament, German conservative Herbert Royle (Herbert Reul), decision trump could put European industry at a disadvantage and to create a competitive advantage in the global market for us.
This effect will be strengthened, says the President of the Federal Association of chambers of Commerce of Germany (DIHK), Eric Schweitzer (Eric Schweitzer), if other countries start to take further measures in climate protection to compensate for the US withdrawal from the Paris agreement.
But the head of the Federal Association of wholesale and foreign trade Germany (BGA) Anton boerner (Anton Börner) does not see the negative economic consequences for Germany in the near future. At the same time, he notes that growing uncertainty and insecurity, according to Berner, “is poison for investors,” the deterioration of the overall economic situation in the world will inevitably affect the United States.
But truly radical complications — and for German, and for the world economy — Anton boerner waits if trump will not only speak about the benefits of protectionism, but also to take measures to restrict free international trade.
