https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Germany released its latest climate action plan, which purportedly aims to meet the country's goals of achieving significant emissions cuts by 2030 and later years. But environmental groups say the measures announced are not nearly enough. https://www.thelocal.de/20260325/environmental-groups-say-germanys-new-climate-action-plan-is-deceptive Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:14:27 +0100 environmental-groups-say-germanys-new-climate-action-plan-is-deceptive Germany risks missing its climate targets for 2030 and 2045, according to a draft of the government's climate action plan obtained by AFP on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.de/20260211/germany-at-risk-of-missing-2030-climate-targets Wed, 11 Feb 2026 10:00:59 +0100 germany-at-risk-of-missing-2030-climate-targets Germany’s greenhouse gas emission cuts slowed sharply in 2025 as the North Sea experienced its warmest year on record, piling pressure Wednesday on the conservative-led government to boost climate protection efforts. https://www.thelocal.de/20260107/north-sea-sees-warmest-year-on-record-as-german-emissions-cuts-slow Wed, 07 Jan 2026 15:26:50 +0100 north-sea-sees-warmest-year-on-record-as-german-emissions-cuts-slow The share of renewables in German power production almost stagnated in 2025, data showed Monday, as concerns grow about a shift away from green policies under conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz. https://www.thelocal.de/20260105/germanys-energy-transition-put-on-the-back-burner-in-2025 Mon, 05 Jan 2026 15:02:10 +0100 germanys-energy-transition-put-on-the-back-burner-in-2025 The German capital has set a new precedent by becoming the first state to adopt a Climate Adaptation Act. The law says that the city should have one million trees in fifteen years time, to be financed in part by the federal government's special fund. https://www.thelocal.de/20251105/berlins-new-law-promises-a-million-trees-by-2040 Wed, 05 Nov 2025 11:59:56 +0100 berlins-new-law-promises-a-million-trees-by-2040 The morning sun shines on lush vines as harvesters pick grapes. The hillside vineyard looks like it could be in Italy but lies near Berlin, where climate change has transformed winemaking. https://www.thelocal.de/20250921/warmer-climate-boosts-north-german-vineyards-for-now Sun, 21 Sep 2025 10:08:06 +0200 warmer-climate-boosts-north-german-vineyards-for-now Environmental campaign group Greenpeace has slammed the fact that budget flights between destinations in Europe are still often significantly cheaper than travelling by train. https://www.thelocal.de/20250822/unfair-budget-flights-in-europe-up-to-26-times-cheaper-than-train-routes Fri, 22 Aug 2025 18:32:46 +0200 unfair-budget-flights-in-europe-up-to-26-times-cheaper-than-train-routes Wildfires have so far ravaged more than one million hectares of land in European Union countries this year, a record since recording began in 2006, according to AFP analysis of official data. https://www.thelocal.de/20250822/record-eu-wildfires-burnt-more-than-1mn-hectares-in-2025 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 10:56:46 +0200 record-eu-wildfires-burnt-more-than-1mn-hectares-in-2025 Photos taken at various locations year after year give a sense of just how quickly parts of Germany are changing as the climate warms. https://www.thelocal.de/20250820/in-pictures-how-the-climate-crisis-is-visibly-changing-germany Wed, 20 Aug 2025 18:26:58 +0200 in-pictures-how-the-climate-crisis-is-visibly-changing-germany Natural disasters like floods and fires destroy homes and displace people around the world each year, including in Germany. https://www.thelocal.de/20250729/map-where-in-germany-residents-have-been-force-to-move-by-extreme-weather Tue, 29 Jul 2025 14:47:40 +0200 map-where-in-germany-residents-have-been-force-to-move-by-extreme-weather Human-caused climate change made recent European heatwaves up to 4C hotter in many cities, pushing temperatures into deadly territory for thousands of vulnerable people, scientists have said. https://www.thelocal.de/20250709/climate-change-made-european-heatwave-up-to-4c-hotter-study Wed, 09 Jul 2025 11:03:43 +0200 climate-change-made-european-heatwave-up-to-4c-hotter-study Germany has just been hit by a punishing, record-breaking heatwave that had a major impact on how the country functioned. With more extreme heat to come here's what we can expect in future. https://www.thelocal.de/20250703/school-closures-to-rail-disruptions-how-germanys-record-breaking-heatwave-hit-the-country Thu, 03 Jul 2025 17:14:18 +0200 school-closures-to-rail-disruptions-how-germanys-record-breaking-heatwave-hit-the-country Short, intense summer rainfall in Europe's Alpine regions is likely to become more frequent and severe in the future because of global warming, according to a study released Thursday by the University of Lausanne (UNIL). https://www.thelocal.de/20250620/climate-change-could-double-summer-rainfall-in-the-alps-study Fri, 20 Jun 2025 16:44:32 +0200 climate-change-could-double-summer-rainfall-in-the-alps-study Europe has thousands of incredible swimming spots around its beaches, lakes and rivers, but which countries have the cleanest and dirtiest waters? https://www.thelocal.de/20250621/revealed-where-in-europe-has-the-cleanest-and-dirtiest-swimming-spots Sat, 21 Jun 2025 11:12:22 +0200 revealed-where-in-europe-has-the-cleanest-and-dirtiest-swimming-spots Southern Europe is home to most of the continent's iconic summer vacation destinations. But as temperatures rise, some of those spots are getting too hot. Here are some cooler alternatives you can reach from Germany. https://www.thelocal.de/20240730/five-coolcation-spots-you-can-reach-by-train-from-germany Tue, 30 Jul 2024 18:55:52 +0200 five-coolcation-spots-you-can-reach-by-train-from-germany Forward looking weather models suggest Germany will see above average high temperatures this summer, including a so-called "heat-dome" event in July. Here's what meteorologists are saying. https://www.thelocal.de/20250610/will-germany-see-extreme-heatwaves-this-summer Tue, 10 Jun 2025 13:32:55 +0200 will-germany-see-extreme-heatwaves-this-summer Water levels in Germany's lakes and rivers are low following dry winter and spring seasons. How severe is the drought and what can you do to help conserve resources? https://www.thelocal.de/20250520/do-i-need-to-prepare-for-water-shortages-in-germany-this-summer Tue, 20 May 2025 15:34:09 +0200 do-i-need-to-prepare-for-water-shortages-in-germany-this-summer Germany's environment minister has warned of a high risk of forest fires and poor harvests after a "worrying" lack of rain in recent weeks. https://www.thelocal.de/20250417/germany-sees-worrying-record-dry-spell-in-early-2025 Thu, 17 Apr 2025 11:31:09 +0200 germany-sees-worrying-record-dry-spell-in-early-2025 Spring has been far too dry so far, sparking the first round of forest fires and wildfires in Germany. If the trend continues, some regions look set to cancel their traditional Easter bonfires this year. https://www.thelocal.de/20250414/will-germanys-easter-bonfires-be-cancelled-this-year-due-to-drought Mon, 14 Apr 2025 13:36:58 +0200 will-germanys-easter-bonfires-be-cancelled-this-year-due-to-drought The Union and SPD have pledged to stick to Germany's emissions targets, but activists say their plans could worsen the climate crisis rather than solving it. What do the parties plan to do on climate - and will it be enough? https://www.thelocal.de/20250411/denial-of-reality-is-germanys-future-government-ignoring-the-threat-of-climate-change Fri, 11 Apr 2025 15:06:42 +0200 denial-of-reality-is-germanys-future-government-ignoring-the-threat-of-climate-change