BERLIN: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday sought to assuage critics who accuse his government of doing too little against climate change after a brutal summer of heatwaves and drought. "We have to further curb climate change and at the same time better adapt to the consequences," Merz said. Germany had to "draw the long-term lessons from extreme situations such as this summer of heat," he said, adding that the biggest EU economy had suffered "significant damage" over recent months.
A heatwave in late June saw Germany break its all-time temperature record three days in a row, topping 42 degrees, and official data shows that the country has registered a record of around 14,000 heat-related deaths this year. The country has seen wildfires and serious impacts on harvests, as well as rivers falling to levels which have restricted crucial navigation routes.
Merz's centre-right CDU/CSU alliance has until now emphasised the need to "balance" climate action against efforts to revive Germany's stuttering economy. It also faces pressure from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is leading in the polls and which denies the scientific consensus of man-made climate change. — AFP
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