German President Steinmeier to hold climate talks with German carmakers

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will host the start of a series of talks on Germany’s post-pandemic economic development on Thursday (11 February). The topic of this first dialogue is ‘Industry and climate protection using the example of the automotive industry’.

How can the German economy recover after the coronavirus crisis without falling back into old patterns? How can the structural change toward an ecologically sound industry work for all concerned?

Steinmeier wants to address these pressing questions for the future in a series of dialogues. The automotive industry will be the first in the series.

Where does Germany stand?

The aim is to discuss ways of achieving the mobility of the future, which Steinmeier will discuss with Ottmar Edenhofer, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Hildegard Müller, president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry, Jörg Hofmann, chair of IG Metall, and many other guests.

Steinmeier will take on the role of the questioner in this perspective dialogue to explore where Germany currently stands.

Focus on digitalisation

Steinmeier has already held various expert talks on the subject and will open the dialogue with his own address.

In these expert talks, he has gained an impression of what the automotive sector of the future could look like, his office told EURACTIV in response to a request for comment. Accordingly, the digitalisation of the automotive sector will play an important role.

Ways to decarbonise the automotive industry by ending the internal combustion engine, using renewable energy in production, and manufacturing batteries for electric cars in an environmentally friendly way are also expected to be addressed.

source:euractiv