Germany sets tougher power goals to protect climate

Electricity pylons stand in front of the lignite-fired power plant Niederaussem of German RWE AG energy company west of Cologne in this December 3, 2006 file photo. The German government aims to cut electricity consumption in the country by 11 percent by 2020 and generate over a quarter of its power via environmentally friendly methods by then, government sources said on Thursday.

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany aims to cut electricity consumption by 11 percent by 2020 and generate over a quarter of its power through environmentally friendly methods, Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Thursday.

Germany has made tackling global warming a priority of its twin presidencies of the European Union and Group of Eight (G8) industrial nations and in a wide-ranging speech to parliament, Gabriel presented Germany's own plan to combat the problem.

Europe's biggest economy has come under fire from the EU for dragging its heels and also faces resistance from outside the bloc, notably from the United States, on global efforts.

Gabriel said it was time to act.

"We have all witnessed the dangers of climate change in the last few months. We only saw winter in the calendar in Germany," he told the lower house of parliament.

Confirming a Reuters report, the Social Democrat minister raised the target for the share of electricity to be sourced from wind, hydro-electric or solar power to 27 percent by 2020 from a figure of 20 percent in the coalition agreement.

Boosting green electricity output this way would reduce Germany's carbon dioxide (C02) emissions by 55 million tons in comparison to 2006, Gabriel said.

Cutting power consumption 11 percent via greater efficiency would save another 40 million tons of CO2, he added.

"These measures are very ambitious -- but doable," said the minister. "We are taking the implementation of climate protection goals seriously for the first time."

Gabriel also said it was essential for other countries, notably the United States and developing nations, to act.

The EU has agreed to reduce its C02 output by 20 percent by 2020 in comparison to 1990 and if other industrial and emerging nations support the drive, the 27-member bloc envisages raising the target to a 30 percent reduction.

JUNE G8 SUMMIT

Merkel wants to make progress at a June G8 summit in Germany but President George W. Bush is reluctant to make binding international commitments to curb greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming.

"If we succeed in breaking the deadlock between the United States and some industrial countries on the one hand and developing countries on the other, the chances do not look bad. I am quite optimistic," he said.

Germany has said it is prepared to make a 40 percent cut if other nations support the EU drive, which would involve Germany cutting waste gas emissions by 270 million tons by 2020 compared to 2006.

To enable this, Germany aims to raise the proportion of biofuels in use to 17 percent from five percent now.

Social Democrat Gabriel also reiterated his view that nuclear energy was not the answer to combating climate change.

The ruling coalition, between Merkel's conservatives and the Social Democrats, has agreed not to reverse the phasing out of Germany's atomic power plants agreed under the previous government even though conservatives favor nuclear energy.