Sven Egenter

Some healthily honest machine room talk by German env min Schneider @umweltministerium.de

He wants to get the legally binding climate action programme out of the way before a raft of regional elections could make political decisions harder to reach in Germany in 2026

Train accident after heavy rain highlights need to adapt to growing climate risks A deadly train accident in southern Germany has raised questions of how prepared the country’s transport infrastructure is to withstand extreme weather events fuelled by climate change. Authorities in the state of Baden-Württemberg said the accident near the city of Ulm was likely caused by a landslide, after heavy rainfall in the hilly region damaged the tracks, newspaper Tagesspiegel reported. 

Train accident after heavy rain in southern Germany highlights need to adapt to growing climate risks

Fatal crash likely caused by landslide as country's railway company seeks to better prepare for extreme weather

Climate activists call EU-US trade deal “disastrous signal for climate action”

- Agreement would massively increase EU imports of US fossil fuels
- Chancellor Merz says deal avoids hardship for German economy

www.cleanenergywire.org/news/climate...

Vattenfall and Germany's central bank call on government to stay the course on energy transition

“Europe will only remain competitive if it leaves fossil fuels behind. Not the other way around.”

www.cleanenergywire.org/news/vattenf...

One recent, very important topic seems adoption of American right's playbook to alter the discourse in European countries. e.g. alt-right in Germany seems to be working down the list (create alternative media-sphere, discredit public broadcaster/mainstream, force center-right media to follow etc.)

German households saved over €2 bln by switching energy providers – regulator German households are saving money on electricity and gas bills by increasingly changing suppliers or securing better contracts, the country's network agency BNetzA said. "In 2024 alone, German households were able to save around 2.2 billion euros in energy costs by switching contracts and suppliers," said BNetzA head Klaus Müller.

German households saved over €2 bln by switching energy providers – regulator

"Switching to competitive providers is currently particularly attractive," said BNetzA head Klaus Müller

www.cleanenergywire.org/news/german-...

Germany lacks coherent plan for protecting citizens in case of electricity or weather emergencies, districts say Germany is not sufficiently prepared to protect its citizens in the event of widespread power outages or large-scale natural disasters, Kay Ruge, head of the German Districts Association (DLT), told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung (NOZ). "There is no comprehensive, overarching plan," he said, adding that "civil protection has played no role in political prioritisation in recent years."

Germany lacks coherent plan for protecting citizens in case of electricity or weather emergencies, districts say

Rhine river could warm drastically by 2100 hitting ecosystems, economy – report

As a result, aquatic habitats and moorlands face increasing pressures & authorities may be forced to impose water use restrictions, authors say

www.cleanenergywire.org/news/rhine-r...

When folks ask me why @cleanenergywire.bsky.social thought our reporting on all facets of Germany's energy transition may have important lessons for others: look no further than the grid story, one we covered extensively for good reasons since our launch in 2014. www.cleanenergywire.org/topics/Grid

EU places ocean energy at heart of clean power push The European Commission has included ocean energy among the technologies eligible under the 5% innovation target.

EU places ocean energy at heart of clean power push

Von der Leyen vs. Weber: The EU’s climate fight reaches its endgame The two EU conservative heavyweights’ growing divisions are coming to a head over a crucial 2040 climate target.

Von der Leyen vs. Weber: The EU’s climate fight reaches its endgame

The two EU conservative heavyweights’ growing divisions are coming to a head over a crucial 2040 climate target.

CLEW Webinar: After two months in office - What to expect from Germany’s government in energy and climate? If not, find out what the network is about here and register as a member here. The network is an additional service to journalists that can be helpful when researching a global energy transition story.

Germany eagerly awaits convincing plans on climate & energy by the new gov't of chancellor Merz by the end of summer

Join the CLEW newsroom TOMORROW (9 July) to get their take on how this is going!

www.cleanenergywire.org/webinars/cle...

Access to state support and EU emissions trading key to scaling carbon removals – report Carbon dioxide removals (CDR) from the atmosphere will be key to reaching climate neutrality, and the scale-up of relevant technologies requires subsidies and the integration into European emissions trading systems (EU ETS), said a report commissioned by the lobby group German Association for Negative Emissions (DVNE).

Access to state support and EU emissions trading key to scaling carbon removals – report

www.cleanenergywire.org/news/access-... #emissions #CDR

German government tackles false green claims in line with EU law

www.cleanenergywire.org/news/german-... #greenclaims

Green hydrogen from Oman could power European industry - but at what cost?

Analysts have serious doubts whether shipping hydrogen over long distances will ever be a cost-competitive option

www.cleanenergywire.org/news/green-h...

A landmark moment for Polish clean energy!

For the first time, renewables generated more electricity than coal in June.

While coal still provided ~60% of Poland's power in 2024, this is a huge step in their energy transition. The trend is clear: the future is clean.

Germany set to miss EU social climate fund deadline, but ministry denies reports that funds are at risk

Environment ministry says government to have full access to €5.7bln in subsidies despite missing 30 June deadline

www.cleanenergywire.org/news/germany...

Thanks to all of you who already contributed!

And to the rest: today's the last chance to tell us in detail what kind of @cleanenergywire.bsky.social you need.

Survey link in first comment.

Germany's LEAG suspends H2UB green hydrogen plan Plans to build one of Europe's largest green energy hubs on the site of disused coal-fired power plant units in eastern Germany have been postponed indefinitely, energy firm LEAG said on Friday.

Germany's LEAG suspends H2UB green hydrogen plan

Plans to build one of Europe's largest green energy hubs on site of disused coal plant postponed indefinitely

5-Point Plan: Implementing the EU Emissions Trading System for Buildings and Transport Effectively and Fairly in Germany From 2027, the new EU Emissions Trading System (ETS-2) is expected to put a price on CO₂ emissions from the buildings and transport sectors across Europe for the first time. Fuel suppliers will be required to purchase CO₂ certificates to cover emissions in these sectors. In this paper, Germanwatch presents a 5-point plan for an effective and socially just implementation of EU emissions trading in Germany, developed in cooperation with Climate Alliance Germany, Diakonie Deutschland and 12 other partner organisations.

Implementing the EU ETS 2 effectively and fairly

Germanwatch presents 5-point plan for socially just implementation of EU emissions trading in Germany

'Excessive regulations' | German utility EWE shelves 50MW green hydrogen project ArcelorMittal's cancellation of green steel programme in Bremen also "significantly influenced" our decision, firm tells Hydrogen Insight

'Excessive regulations' - German utility EWE shelves 50MW green hydrogen project

ArcelorMittal's cancellation of green steel programme also "significantly influenced" decision

📢TOMORROW

Webinar: On the frontlines of climate conflict – Global heating as a driver of worldwide violence

Part of #LCAW25, London Climate Action Week

With speakers Peter Schwartzstein & Nisreen Elsaim

Moderation by @egenter.bsky.social

Sign up: www.cleanenergywire.org/webinars/lca...

Germany's @jochenflasbarth.bsky.social says the EU's #NDC + 2040 #climate target must be adopted before #COP30

"It's imperative that the EU NDC is derived from the EU 2040 climate target. This will now be a major task for the Danish EU Council presidency," he told @egenter.bsky.social and me

Military has understood strategic advantages of low-carbon technology – security researcher

"It’s now a widespread understanding that renewable energies offer a range of strategic advantages for the military," says @oleadolphsen.bsky.social

www.cleanenergywire.org/news/militar... photo: Bundeswehr

“No harmless rebranding” – Investment funds drop sustainability claims following new EU guidelines on names EU rules have pushed many investment funds to drop terms like “sustainable” or “climate” from their names if they could not live up to the promise, even though guidelines did not cause fund operators to design their portfolios in a more sustainable way, said NGO Finance Watch Germany (Finanzwende). A joint assessment of more than 15,000 funds on the European market by NGOs urgewald and Facing Finance found that 674 funds, whose former name would have required an end to fossil fuel investments under the new rules, were simply renamed.

“No harmless rebranding” – Investment funds drop sustainability claims following new EU guidelines on names

This is the kick-off for a new series of research-based deep-dives into a broad range of climate technologies - essentially fact-checks seeking to disect which technologies could really be game-changers in driving down emissions and which ones are mere hyperbole.

More on up-and-coming climate technologies in @cleanenergywire.bsky.social's new package

👉Q&A on CCS www.cleanenergywire.org/factsheets/q...
👉Interview on CCS's meaning for cement production www.cleanenergywire.org/news/carbon-...

Social leasing could make electric cars affordable for poorer German households – report A social leasing scheme could make it possible for low-income households in Germany to switch to an electric car without having to bear the upfront costs of buying a vehicle outright, found a report by environmental non-profit Öko-Institut. “Social leasing should enable low-income households to use electric vehicles at greatly reduced leasing rates – without having to have large savings or take out loans,” explained the institute's mobility transition expert Nelly Unger.

Social leasing could make electric cars affordable for poorer German households – report

Germany could take inspiration from and adapt French system to local circumstances, authors said

www.cleanenergywire.org/news/social-...

A quarter of Germans want solar systems on their balcony or garden – survey A quarter of people in Germany either already have or plan to install a mini solar module on their balcony or in their garden, found a survey by comparison portal Verivox. Around nine percent of those surveyed already had a system installed, with a further 17 percent planning to buy one. Compared to results from 2024, interest dropped five percentage points from the 22 percent of people surveyed who said they had plans to acquire a plug-in solar unit. Actual ownership increased by one percentage point compared to the previous year.

A quarter of Germans want solar systems on their balcony or garden – survey

Heat, drought, low water levels trigger concerns about health and shipping in Germany The mild winter and low rainwater levels could have severe consequences for Germany's agriculture, shipping industry and public health. Large parts of the country are experiencing extreme drought, according to the drought monitor of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research. These dry topsoils could impact crop yields, researchers warned, with March 2025 among the driest springtime months on record.

Heat, drought, low water levels trigger concerns about health and shipping in Germany

Crop yields and pregnant women affected, while experts say shipping restrictions and mosquito infestation likely

www.cleanenergywire.org/news/heat-dr...