Habeck, Lindner and Scholz at the German headquarters of TotalEnergies
(c) Last generation.
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Berlin, November 24.11.2023th, 11, 45:XNUMX a.m. – As Scholz, Habeck and Lindner Disguised supporters of the last generation have brought a windfall to the fossil energy company TotalerEnegies, representing the entire fossil fuel industry.
At around 9 a.m., the supporters of the Last Generation entered the entrance hall of the German headquarters of TotalEnergies on Jean-Monnet-Str. in Berlin and threw bundles of banknotes around. They shouted: “60 billion for climate protection, where are we supposed to get it? We simply have no money, we cannot afford to invest in a secure future!”
Looking at his hands full of banknotes, the person explained Christian Lindner embodied, then: “Oh, this, this is something completely different. Kerosene for private jet flights, company car rides, all of that can't become more expensive from now on. Total Energies and all the other companies need the 65 billion fossil subsidies. Unfortunately there is absolutely no leeway, our hands are tied.”
Rolf Meyer (66), Speaker of the Last Generation explains: “Each year, 65 billion euros are used to support fossil and environmentally harmful products. A windfall, especially for the fossil fuel companies, with which we could have plugged the 60 billion budget hole directly. It is madness to continue investing in the destruction of our civilization instead of investing this money in socially just change.”
He further emphasizes: “The budget hole may have been plugged for now, but the fundamental problem is far from over. There is a lack of money for climate protection everywhere, but billions for oil, gas and coal are easily available - every year. The last few days have shown us once again how vehemently our government resists recognizing this injustice.”
Tomorrow, Saturday, November 25.11th, at 12 p.m., supporters of the Last Generation, Scientist Rebellion and parents against the fossil industry will gather again Mass occupation on the Street of June 17thto demand a socially just change away from fossil fuels and towards fair. Those involved in the protest today are holding a banner inviting people to take part.
The climate catastrophe is escalating with a currently expected warming of almost three degrees on the global average [1], which means a full six degrees of warming for Germany and threatens the survival of our civilization. [2]
In order to shift towards survival, at least 65 billion euros can be gained through savings on subsidies that are harmful to the climate and the environment and invested in constitutional climate protection, as various actors have been calling for in recent days. [3] According to the calculations of the Federal Environment Agency, 47% of the environmentally harmful subsidies are distributed to the energy sector and 39% to the transport sector. [4]
But instead of changing course in the long term, the government continues to close its eyes to its own failures and duck its responsibility. [5] Oil companies like TotalEnergies continue to make record profits by destroying our climate basis for survival [6] and continue to invest unwaveringly in global warming. [7] Instead of promoting this destruction with billions of dollars, climate-damaging subsidies need to be dismantled in a socially just manner; the proposals for this have long been on the table. [8th]
[1] www.tagesschau.de/wissen/klima/unep-erwaermung-cop-100.html
[2] www.bpb.de/system/files/document_pdf/Leseprobe_Wiegandt_Klima.pdf
[3] Among others, Dirk Messner as President of the Federal Environment Agency, www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/finanz-umweltbundesamt-fossile-subventionen-aben-dpa.urn-newsml-dpa-com-20090101-231116-99-968429; Greenpeace Germany presseportal.greenpeace.de/232049-greenpeace-stellungnahme-zur-beratung-des-bundesbudget ; Baden-Württemberg's Environment Minister Thekla Walker (Greens)
www.tagesschau.de/inland/regional/badenwuerttemberg/swr-bw-umweltministerin-walker-will-flies-teurer-machen-100.html; VCD www.vcd.org/service/presse/pressereleases/vcd-zum-klima-und-transformationsfonds-bahn-milliarden-muessen-fliessen-umweltschaedliche-subventionen-im-verkehr-abenden
[4] p. 98, UBA, Environmentally harmful subsidies in Germany, updated edition 2021www.umweltbundesamt.de/sites/default/files/medien/479/publikationen/texte_143-2021_umweltschaedliche_subventionen.pdf
[5]
Traffic light coalition wants to suspend the debt brake again | tagesschau.de
[6]
www.tagesschau.de/economics/company/oil-companies-record-profits-2022-101.html
[7] presseportal.greenpeace.de/229097-greenpeace-studie-europas-olgruppen-investieren-unbeirrt-weiter-in-erderhitzung
[8]
www.greenpeace.de/publikationen/zwei-klimaschaedliche-subventionen-social-just-breakdown-timeplan; www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de/de/unsere-projekte/nachhaltig-wirtschaften/projektnachrichten/gewinnung-von-umwelt-und-klimaschaedlichen-subsidienen ; germanzero.de/