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Germany becomes first major nation to phase out coal and nuclear

Germany becomes first major nation to phase out coal and nuclear

Angela Merkel

Germany has passed a law to phase-out coal as an energy source by 2038 amid protests by environmental activists.

The climate activists are furious over the gradual timetable of the decision and said that the government is making a lot of compensation to the energy companies.

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The country earlier committed to phase-out nuclear energy by 2022.

The bill that was approved by both houses of parliament on Friday called for closing the last coal-fired power plant by 2038 and provided compensation of 50 billion euros to mining companies and the regions affected by it.

The activists are angry over 4.3 billion euros aid that the power oganisations will get from the government.

"Germany, the country that burns the greatest amount of lignite coal worldwide, will burden the next generation with 18 more years of carbon dioxide," Greenpeace Germany’s executive director Martin Kaiser said, reported Associated Press.

Economy Minister Peter Altmaier told lawmakers on Friday that the "fossil fuel age is irrevocably coming to an end in Germany with this decision," urging critics to not "talk it down".

Germany will do away with nuclear energy by 2022 and coal by 2038 at the latest, and will subsequently cut down greenhousegas emissions by 55 per cent by 2030 at 1990 levels.