German lawmakers in the Lower House of Parliament on Friday, July 3, 2020 passed a bill allowing the phasing out of coal in the country by the year 2038.
This, they said, also included billions of euros in aid for the regions affected by the overhaul.
Germany heavily relies on coal, which accounts for around a third of the country’s energy needs.
According to the German Economy Ministry, by comparison, neighbouring France gets around three per cent of its energy from coal.
The regions whose economies depend on the coal industry are to receive €40 billion (or $45 billion) in state aid under a plan to support them through the overhaul.
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government lauded the gradual coal phase-out as a vital step in Germany’s push toward becoming more environmentally-friendly.
However, climate and activists and some opposition lawmakers argued that the move was too late.
