Germany to quit coal by 2038

Under relentless pressure from both pro and anti-coal groups and after several rounds of (internal) negotiations, Germany’s Coal Commission has finally decided that the country will shutter all of its 84 coal power plants by 2038 – and even by 2035, if possible. The commission has also announced €40 billion in compensation for its utilities and the nation’s four coal mining regions post-phaseout.

The move is significant as – being one of Europe’s largest economies – Germany still derives about 40% of its electricity from coal, and has an installed capacity of 45GW of coal-fired power. However, even its 2035 deadline has been criticized as being “too late”. The country is also quite likely to fall well short of its 2020 climate commitments as it struggles to reduce emissions.