Kiel, Germany – Climate researcher Mojib Latif of the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel has criticized Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Economics Minister Katherina Reiche (both CDU) for prioritizing economic concerns over climate action in light of the current heatwave. Speaking to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, Latif stated that the extreme weather events are a direct consequence of climate change.
“We are experiencing new records” Latif said. “End of June was the hottest it has ever been. The extremes are increasing. Yet, year after year, with the exception of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen new highs in emissions. French President Emmanuel Macron has recently questioned European climate goals and in Germany, climate protection is no longer a top priority.
Latif further noted that the Chancellor and the Economics Minister are emphasizing the need for the economy to lead the way on climate action, a direction he finds concerning. “It’s actually crazy and hard to comprehend, especially when looking at Southern Europe, where temperatures are not only significantly above 30 degrees Celsius but also exceeding 40 degrees.
He countered the argument that climate protection hinders economic growth, asserting that the opposite is true. “The economy actually benefits from climate protection”. Latif also expressed concern about the current state of international cooperation, highlighting geopolitical tensions as a major obstacle to effective climate action. “International cooperation is currently not the pinnacle of world politics. Instead, states are fighting each other, sometimes in the most literal sense. This is the worst possible prerequisite for climate protection”.