A German Green Party leader has called on the federal government to implement a climate protection emergency program in the wake of a record-breaking dry spring in Germany. According to the German Weather Service, the spring of 2025 has been one of the driest on record, with severe consequences for the environment, including withering fields and an increased risk of forest fires.
Katharina Dröge, the chair of the Green Party’s parliamentary group, criticized the government for not prioritizing climate protection in its recent policy proposals. “The looming record drought once again shows how the climate crisis is already affecting our lives, with fields drying up and the risk of forest fires rising, even in Germany” Dröge said in an interview.
Dröge accused Chancellor Friedrich Merz of being “completely uninterested” in climate protection, citing the lack of a climate-focused emergency program in the government’s recent policy proposals. While the government has prepared a long list of policy proposals, climate protection is not even mentioned, Dröge noted.
The Green Party leader warned that ignoring the climate crisis would be a “responsible and short-sighted” move, with devastating consequences for the people of Germany. “Without sufficient climate protection, life in Germany will become more expensive and uncertain for everyone” Dröge said.
The German Weather Service’s preliminary report suggests that the spring of 2025 has been the driest in Germany since 1881, with only two other years, 1893 and 2011, seeing less rainfall between March and May.