Germany is currently hosting United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) climate talks in Bonn among the backdrop of a historic decision by German Chancellor Angela Merkel to shut down the country’s nuclear plants by 2022.
Following the disaster at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant, Merkel made the decision to close nuclear plants in the country--all 17 of them.
Germany is the world’s sixth-largest producer of nuclear energy, which accounts for 26 percent of domestic production. With 17 nuclear plants across the country, nuclear produces one-quarter of its electricity.
Nuclear, while not terribly popular in most countries after the Fukushima incident, will continue to be a part of clean energy portfolios in most countries, including the United States – the world’s leader in nuclear. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu confirmed this position following the Japan disaster. And RFF Fellow Anthony Paul said that in his research, from a purely economic model, a large supply of nuclear energy will be necessary to satisfy a significant switch to clean energy.
So why stop now?
The move may have been an attempt to win over the country’s Green party backers- who won 20 percent of the vote in elections in March. The Greens are vehemently opposed to nuclear energy and highlight the greater efficiency of renewables. Partnered with an increase in public opposition to nuclear after Fukushima, Merkel may be attempting to gain support from the Greens. This clashes with a law she passed six months ago extending nuclear energy production in the country by up to 14 years.
(Germany’s nuclear reactors. Data by: World Nuclear Association)
While the switch to renewable energy sources marks a historic step for the country, greenhouse gas emissions will rise in the short term. The closure of nuclear plants will add 40 million tons of CO2 to the atmosphere per year, a four percent increase annually in the country’s emissions.
"We will see a pick-up in German coal burn," Barclays Capital analyst Amrita Sen told Reuters. "Longer term, they will be using more renewables and gas but this year and next, we should see a lot of support for coal burn."
Last year, making the case to extend the life of nuclear plants in the country, Merkel said that the capacity for renewables is not there yet, and will not be reached until 2050, the year the country was planning on phasing out nuclear.
"We need nuclear power as a form of bridging technology," she said previously.
While closing the plants 28 years earlier may increase public support and rev up investment in renewables, it could also increase carbon output before the country is ready for the renewable energy switch.
Public opposition to nuclear energy after Fukushima at odds with the need for nuclear energy in order to meet carbon reduction targets boils down to a complicated negotiating situation in the UNFCCC.