Hi, I’m Zahra from Fridays for Future and I am active in climate justice activism.
Right now, coal phase-out in Eastern Germany is getting decided – that’s why we will demonstrate tomorrow at the open-cast mining Welzow in the Lausitz.
All of us are needed – why?
The amount of CO2 that we have left to emit without crashing the 1.5 degree border is getting smaller every day.
At the same time, the coal company LEAG in the Lausitz still wants to burn 700 million tons of coal. That is over 3x more then the 1,5°-border allows.
Keep in mind: 1,5° are also too much. Right now we are at 1,2°. And the climate crisis is already escalating today, it’s costing millions of people their life standard, already today, especially in the global South.
Right now, Habeck is negociating with LEAG about coal phase-out, Woidke & Kretschmer are there, too – they are desperately clinging onto the dirty coal.
The negotiations threaten to take a dark turn like Lüzerath – one that says climate protection but the amount of coal is not nearly restricted enough!
Delaying the coal phase-out is problematic for two reasons – I already talked about overstepping the 1,5°-border, but Kretschmer & Woidke are accepting an uncoordinated break of structure without any social cushioning. The price will be paid by the workers in the region – and all of those who suffer from the climate crisis the most.
Even from an economic point of view, Selbst marktgetrieben ist coal power generation will not be profitable from 2023 at the latest. The talk about waiting with coal phase-out simply doesn’t add up. Time is running!
People in the region dont’ only need a future in a cimate worth living in, they also need fair solutions for the coal workers and real offers and chances for young people in the Lausitz! Companies’ profit interests can’t be valued over the well-being of people!
Climate protection and social justice work together – because the climate crisis always hits the hardest at those who are the least responsible for it – it aggavates any form of discrimination and social injustice.
Coal phase-out in Easten Germany is a central lever to fight the climate crisis – and the negotiations are happening right now – that means our protest ist important right now!
Join us tomorrow at the open-cast mining Welzow – We start from Dresden at 9:45am by bus, meeting point is Neustadt rail station.