German government buildings will be allowed to be heated to a maximum of 19 degrees this autumn and winter. The country’s Minister of Economy and Climate, Robert Habeck, said in a statement Friday partly published interview of Süddeutsche Zeitung. The measure — which excludes hospitals, among others — is part of a series of strict German government decisions to save energy. Spain previously announced a similar measure for heating and cooling in public buildings.
For the time being, in Germany it has remained with recommendations to save energy. At the beginning of this month, there was a lot of criticism of the non-committal nature of this, including from environmental organization Greenpeace. That has had an effect: Berlin is now also going to impose obligations. For example, it will no longer be allowed to illuminate buildings, monuments and advertising columns at night. The government is still discussing energy-saving measures for companies.
The need for energy savings is high in Germany. The country relied heavily on Russian gas, but ran into trouble when Moscow cut its gas supplies by 60 percent last month. Habeck accused Russia of economic warfare against Europe. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised a new support package on Thursday to help people who suffer from the high energy prices. “Citizens can count on us not to let them down,” he said.
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