In February, 45 companies and organizations in Europe’s largest economy will introduce a 4-day workweek for half a year. Employees will continue to receive their full salary. Advocates argue that a 4-day workweek would increase worker productivity and, by consequence, help alleviate the country’s skilled labor shortage.
In 2023, GHG emissions in Germany fell to 673 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, according to Agora Energiewende. That is down 46% compared to the reference year of 1990 and the lowest level since the 1950s. At the same time, carbon emissions were about 49 million tons below the German national target of 722 million tons as specified by Germany’s Climate Protection Act and 73 million tons lower than the prior year.
The European Commission has agreed that Germany should be allowed to pay the energy giant RWE some €2.6 billion in state aid for the early closure of coal power stations. Under German law, no more electricity is to be produced from coal from 2038 onward. However, this new agreement moves the date forward to 2030.
In 2021 almost 140 countries agreed to an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development deal they are meant to implement from next year to prevent big companies from avoiding taxation by transferring profits to low-tax countries. Germany has now formally implemented that commitment.
It is Germany’s largest-ever offshore wind auction and marks a substantial milestone in Germany’s quest for renewable energy expansion and is worth about $13.96 billion.
This year, Germany will add at least 9 gigawatts to its 67 gigawatts of solar capacity, with much of the growth driven by rooftop installations. It will also add around 3 gigawatts to its 58 gigawatts of onshore wind.
Liquid hydrogen is a giant pain to handle, but it’s one of the few technologies with a genuine chance of decarbonizing long-range flight.
The wooden objects are highly revered by the country’s Indigenous Kogi mountain people, and their return is the latest in a string of cultural restitutions by Germany and other European nations.
A recently approved bill stipulates that any heating system installed in new or old buildings after January 1, 2024 must be 65% based on renewable energy.
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the European Parliament have also applied to join the suit.
