No climate deal yet

Protesters at Berlin's famed Brandenburg Gate (AFP Photo)

BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government struggled Friday to find a deal on a broad climate plan despite overnight talks dragging over 12 hours, as protesters prepared to ramp up the pressure for change.

The plan, which covers a slew of measures from tackling emissions in the energy and industrial sectors, to incentives for zero-emission electric vehicles or public transport, was due to be unveiled on Friday.

But after a marathon session through the night, sources close to the talks said Merkel and other political leaders were still locked in negotiations.

A key sticking point was the question of how to better price harmful carbon emissions from oil, gas and coal into economic activity in order to incentivize clean alternatives.

While Merkel’s party wants to expand the trading of emission certificates, her junior coalition partners, the Social Democrats, have called for a carbon tax.

The EU’s biggest economy is set to miss climate targets for next year but has committed itself to meeting the 2030 goal of a 55 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels.

Export powerhouse Germany accounts for around two percent of the worldwide emissions blamed for heating the Earth’s atmosphere, melting ice caps, rising sea levels and intensifying violent weather events.

After two blistering summers and with tens of thousands joining climate school strikes started by Swedish teen Greta Thunberg, protesting voices have grown louder, putting pressure on the government to take decisive action.