Leopoldina boss worried: Haug calls for a boost in eco-power

Will there still be a chemical industry in Germany in 2045? Climate researcher Gerald Haug is still undecided in view of the upheavals that politics and business have to deal with because of climate change.

Leopoldina boss worried: Haug calls for a boost in eco-power

Will there still be a chemical industry in Germany in 2045? Climate researcher Gerald Haug is still undecided in view of the upheavals that politics and business have to deal with because of climate change. But one thing is certain: things shouldn't go on at this snail's pace.

The President of the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina has called for an accelerated expansion of renewable energies and the phase-out of coal. Gerald Haug, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, also warned of the end of the so-called primary industry, especially the chemical industry in Germany, and criticized the "increasing over-regulation" of the EU.

"We have to invest massively in renewables. That was far too slow," said the climate researcher. "We are getting off everywhere without boarding," the scientist stated. "If the southern roofs were covered with photovoltaics, we would have an expansion by a factor of four."

"We have to force the phase-out of coal - even if we need a little more this winter and next," said Haug, referring to the war in Ukraine. "For our climate goals, it is important to really phase out coal by 2030. For this we need many more renewables, but also more gas and hydrogen power plants." The gas power plants would have to be "hydrogen-ready".

"I'm very worried that if we don't act now, we'll lose entire industrial sectors - especially in the raw materials industry," warned the Leopoldina President. "That would mean a much higher dependency on Asia and especially China." He considers it a "fundamental mistake" to completely outsource the chemical industry from Germany and Europe - especially with regard to the goal of climate neutrality by 2045. Over-regulation leads to "incredible uncertainties" in the industry.