The outcomes will significantly impact Europe's energy transition.

The topic of today's message is Germany, where voters will cast ballots in a federal election on February 23. The outcomes will significantly impact Europe's energy transition.  
The largest steel manufacturer in the country, Thyssenkrupp AG, received €2 billion ($2.1 billion) in subsidies two years ago to help finance the purchase of a hydrogen furnace. It was a high point in Germany's planned shift to clean fuel and the largest commitment of its type. Plans to burn hydrogen, however, have been put on hold. Funding for important energy transition initiatives has been unavailable since the government's fall late last year have been put on hold, and the main political parties have stated that other things are more important to them. In order to reduce carbon emissions by two-thirds by the end of the decade, Germany has invested billions in subsidies. 
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However, Europe's largest economy is about to reduce those efforts and relinquish its leadership role in the bloc's energy transition at a time when climate issues are still largely unsolved. Countries all over the world are looking to Germany to help bridge the gap as the US, under Donald Trump, is pulling back from international climate initiatives. Those who are familiar with state operations say such might be wishful thinking. It had already been difficult for the departing administration of Social Democrat Olaf Scholz, whose coalition comprised the Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats — due to financial limitations, and the public stated that it is highly probable that additional cuts to climate-related financing will be made following the elections. 

Krisztian Bocsi According to Hans-Martin Henning, leader of a government climate advisory group, "the comprehensive embedding of climate policy measures in an overall political strategy is now more important than ever" in light of the diminished influence of the US and the imminent social and economic concerns posed by climate change. A report on the remaining targets for Germany to meet its 2030 climate goals was just produced by his organization. The foreign office and intelligence service released another report this week that listed climate risk as one of the top five concerns facing the nation. The conservative Both the departing Social Democrats and the opposition, which is ahead in the polls, have committed to achieving net neutrality by 2045. However, they have put security and immigration concerns ahead of the energy transition since Trump's return to the White House and a series of attacks by unsuccessful asylum seekers in Germany. Additionally, the conservatives have stated that they intend to increase NATO expenditure while adhering to the nation's stringent borrowing regulations, which will restrict their financial flexibility. Thyssenkrupp received subsidies totaling €2 billion ($2.1 billion) to assist with the cost of a hydrogen furnace. 
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 Although the conservative bloc has outlined its energy transition  , a few spontaneous comments  Friedrich Merz, the chairman, has raised concerns among renewables experts. Steelmakers have been on edge since Merz voiced skepticism last month on the timescale for green steel, and a remark that windmills are "ugly" led trade unions and wind industry executives to defend the sector. The conservatives and Social Democrats have pledged to lower energy prices, a crucial concern for voters, but have provided few specifics in their final push before Germans cast their ballots on February 23. Julia Metz, Program Lead for Climate and Industrial Policy Germany at the think tank Agora Energiewende, stated, "I don't understand how this is supposed to work financially." According to her group, achieving net neutrality "will not work" and will cost €93 billion a year through 2030 without the use of government incentive programs.

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