Merkel Justifies Young Peoples’ Agitation For Climate Protection

Posted by Eric Ojo Europe, Latest Headlines Tuesday, November 9th, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged young people to continue to agitate and canvass for climate protection.

Merkel said the protests of young people for more ambition in climate protection are justified.

She made the observation during an interview with Deutsche Welle on Sunday, ahead of the start of the hot phase of the COP26 climate conference holding in Glasgow, Scotland.

“Glasgow has already yielded a number of results. But this is still going too slowly from young people’s understandable perspective,” she said.

She said that the international community has already gotten faster when it comes to climate protection, but she stressed that “never before the gap between scientific estimates and reality widened still further.”

“I tell young people that they need to pile up on the pressure. And we must get faster,” she added.

The chancellor stressed that change needs to happen in this decade. “We have to pay heed to the scientific estimates again, and that means sticking to the global warming of 1.5 degrees [Celsius],” she further stated.

Meanwhile, the interview to Deutsche Welle was one of Merkel’s last as German chancellor, as she prepares to leave office after 16 years following the elections on September 26.

After the mass protests in Glasgow and around the world during the weekend, the COP26 summit kicks off its second and decisive week.

On Monday, several ministers and heads of government travelled to Scotland to give momentum to the negotiations, where some 200 countries represented.

The German Environment Minister Svenja Schulze is to travel to Scotland at the end of the week. The Social Democrat politician is involved in the negotiations on a coalition between her SPD party, the Greens and the pro-business FDP.