German Media: Germany Needs China to Drive Climate Protection
According to German TV station ARD: Germany once led the world in photovoltaics. Today, China dominates global markets in nearly every climate technology sector. Germany now needs China to advance climate protection. Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) is on his first official visit to Beijing and Shanghai since taking office, aiming to win China as a partner in climate protection.
China is adopting climate-friendly technologies across many regions. In just the past year alone, China's newly installed solar capacity has reached three times the total amount currently existing in Germany. China holds approximately 80% of the global share in photovoltaic raw materials and supply chains. In contrast, Germany’s solar industry has largely exited the market—last year, even the final major producer went bankrupt.
Schneider stated that China has made tremendous efforts toward climate protection over the past decade. For years, the Chinese government has sought to reduce dependence on oil and natural gas, resources that are limited within China itself. “That’s why China has heavily invested in electric vehicles and solar energy,” said Schneider, “which has significantly driven down global solar panel prices. As a result, solar panels now account for 90% of global energy growth and capacity expansion—entirely thanks to China. We should therefore express our gratitude for this.”
According to the German government website, Schneider called on Chinese companies to invest more in Germany, including through joint ventures. He emphasized that both sides can learn from each other in emerging technologies. This position was also supported by his Chinese counterparts during discussions.
China plans to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060 and is massively expanding solar, wind, hydroelectric, and nuclear power facilities. At the same time, it continues building new coal-fired power plants. With rapid economic development, China’s energy demand remains extremely high. China is thus both one of the world’s largest drivers of climate protection and the largest emitter of carbon dioxide.
For Germany, China serves as both a role model and a competitor in climate technology. On the controversial issue of heat pumps, China similarly leads global production (accounting for about 40%). Speaking about China, Schneider remarked: “Once they make up their mind, they stick to it firmly and don’t waver.”
He also noted that in the field of circular economy—recovering and reusing raw materials from products—China is likely to follow a similar developmental path. “Currently, we still lead in Germany, and I hope we can maintain this advantage.”
Germany seeks fair and equal cooperation and aims to secure China as a crucial partner in international climate agreements—for example, in the 2025 failed global plastic treaty. This becomes especially important following the U.S. withdrawal from key mechanisms such as the Paris Agreement. Amid U.S. resistance to climate action under Trump and uncertainty surrounding Europe’s "Green Deal," electrification and decarbonization have become significant export strengths for China.
In contrast to Washington, Beijing clearly prefers to present itself as a more reliable partner, which could help strengthen bilateral collaboration. During a meeting in Beijing, China’s Minister of Ecology and Environment stated: “Your visit will further promote our cooperation and help alleviate uncertainties in the international situation through Sino-German collaboration.” While not directly mentioning the United States, he emphasized that both China and Germany are “responsible nations.”
Source: rfi
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861310271617180/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s).