Politicians increasingly turn to eco-friendly automobiles for their transportation needs
The German Environmental Aid (DUH) has revealed that only 87 out of 238 top politicians in the country drive fully electric vehicles, with many relying on climate-damaging official vehicles instead.
Among the 11 federal ministers, only four drive fully electric cars, while seven use plug-in hybrids. However, the DUH's analysis assumes that plug-in hybrids are mostly used in combustion mode, raising questions about the actual environmental impact of these vehicles.
The analysis also shows that many of these official vehicles emit significantly more CO2 than an average car currently registered in Germany. For instance, the vehicles of Chancellor Friedrich Merz and some other federal ministers were excluded from the evaluation due to their heavy armor, but they would have likely contributed to the high CO2 emissions if included.
The DUH's criticism of the lack of progress in transitioning to fuel-efficient official vehicles in the federal government is particularly pertinent in the face of the advancing climate crisis. Among Germany's 16 state premiers, only one, Winfried Kretschmann (a Green party politician), uses a fully electric car.
The DUH's figures are not entirely comparable with other statistics due to assumptions about plug-in hybrids and the number of cars per top politician. However, the ranking only lists one vehicle per politician, and many politicians have multiple cars.
Hamburg's Mayor Peter Tschentscher is listed with a plug-in hybrid, not an electric car. Interestingly, four federal ministers drive purely electric cars: Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan, Education Minister Karin Prien, Environment Minister Carsten Schneider, and Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger.
The DUH's findings highlight the need for a more concerted effort by Germany's top politicians to transition to more environmentally friendly vehicles. The switch to electric vehicles is crucial in the fight against climate change, and it is hoped that these findings will spur action and encourage more politicians to make the switch.
[1] Source: DUH analysis (Deutsche Umwelthilfe) [4] Source: DUH press release (Deutsche Umwelthilfe)
Read also:
- Stone mining has transformed the once renowned 'Sada Pathor' into a desolate, post-apocalyptic landscape.
- Revised Tax Policy for Motor Vehicles Pushed for Greater Eco-friendliness, Suggested by Court Auditors
- Solar Energy Generated in Uckermark Supplies Messe Frankfurt with Eco-friendly Power
- Switzerland conducts a public vote on the future of nuclear energy
