Students protest against climate change : young people have the right to

Mr Edenhofer, "coal exit now" and "climate change now" is the name of it on the billboards of the young people of the Fridays-for-Future movement. The package claims to solve a very complex problem. How realistic are these claims?

These requirements are a clear Statement: it can't go any further! The policy is bogged down in tactical Details, but loses the battle against climate change. That the young people have right, now back to the proposals made by the transport Commission. These are very despondent. Even the young people know that it takes compromise. But the compromise is that the policy is doing far too little, because you lose the small-Small and the bickering of interest groups.

The young people are afraid that the world no longer looks in a couple of years ago as it is today, because the earth is warming. How justified are these Worries?

Fully justified. The heat of the summer of 2018, has also led us in Germany, that extreme weather events are already a reality. These extremes will increase. Even today, they have in other regions of the world with devastating consequences for people and nature. The agriculture suffers, food prices are on the rise, whole tracts of land can, in the long term will be uninhabitable if it doesn't rain, or the sea level is rising. In a four-to five-degree warmer world, the climate-change-induced Migration will increase. This will cause social tensions, also in Germany. The Protest of young people against the current policy is also one of the very solidarity: We want the policy not only has the national interests in mind, but the governments of the world must tackle climate change together. We are a community of fate.

How large is Germany's responsibility to curb climate change?

It is often said: Germany can't save the world, and we are much too small. And we should not succumb to the delusions of grandeur, to claim it of the world Savior. No one claims that a quick Coal is already the agreement of the Paris climate agreement phase-out in Germany alone, can be adhered to, to limit the warming to a maximum of two degrees. But it's our role model: The coal plays still a big role. Germany can and must get out of the other industrialized Nations demonstrate how to cost-effectively from coal. This includes, of course, to compensate possible losers of this change. We can do the same. Germany has to bring in the international negotiations, its weight, the global climate protection forward. The international community can win the battle against climate change only if all participate.

What are the first measures that the Federal government is preparing just?

The most Important thing is, not always new, more ambitious objectives and at the same time, the increasingly half-hearted. The set climate goals up to 2030, to implement, clearly belongs to the approved Coal phase-out by 2038 to lead to success. This includes, for me, quite clearly, a price for CO2 in the sectors of energy, transport and heat. The policy needs to bring a climate protection act, which not only ambitious goals but also shows that market economies are able to achieve these goals through technological innovations. It is particularly important to consider the issues of energy transition and the digitization of stronger together. In the end, it's also about how a social-ecological market economy in 2050 might look like. A very different tax policy. When we set about increasingly to electric mobility, then there will be big failures in the gasoline and diesel tax. This replacement must be created. We also need a Reform of government spending, which takes up, in which areas investments must be made for a climate-friendly society. It is currently missing. Our policy just says too often, only wealthy societies could afford climate protection. In fact the opposite is the case: anyone Who promotes climate protection, prosperity at risk.

do you know the climatic scene for years, as there were also many movements that have come and gone. Fridays for the Future, is, nevertheless, something Special?

Which actually has a new Dimension. Because the paradigm has changed. Earlier it was said that climate protection could only operate below the public radar. You must not make so, that the people will know it best. And of climate policy has always been claimed that it can inspire anyone, this is not a campaign issue. This is different today. And now these young people, the demand is very energetic climate protection. They will also speak very loud and widely audible, it is important to stop global warming. The young people also say very clearly: If you do nothing, you forfeit your to our future – and since we no longer make. That was not so yet.

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Fridays for the Future, cheers for Greta and today is an award

Annette Kögel Helena Piontek, Maria-Mercedes Hering, Victor Quickly

The interview was conducted by Nora Zaremba

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