German energy giant RWE said Tuesday that it will phase out the burning of coal by 2030, saving 280 million metric tons of climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions.
The decision will accelerate the closure of some of Europe’s most polluting power plants and a vast lignite strip mine in western Germany.
It will also prevent the eviction of residents of several villages and farms west of Cologne near the Garzweiler mine. The exception is Luetzerath, a hamlet that has been the focus of protestsby environmentalists and which will now need to be cleared to extract more coal in the short-term.
The government argues this is necessary to ensure energy security amid the fallout of Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
RWE’s announcement boosts the German government’s efforts to bring forward the deadline for phasing out coal use by eight years as part of the country’s goal of ending its greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.
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