Breaking Germany’s coal addiction

The world’s fourth-largest economy has set 2038 as the deadline for reaching zero coal, not a moment too soon, say Johan Rockström and Owen Gaffney.

Germany is about to break its coal addiction. Last year, the government created a 28-member ‘coal commission’ — comprising scientists, politicians, environmental campaigners, trade unions, and utilities representatives — with the unenviable mandate of deciding when the country would get clean.