DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ German speed limit could cut more CO2 than previously thought -study
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Riham Alkousaa | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In an earlier study, with a different methodology, the agency expected such limit to result in 2.6 million CO2 cuts. To meet its 2022 greenhouse reduction target, the sector's emissions should have not exceeded 138.7 million tonnes of CO2-equivalents. In 2021, transport in Germany emitted some 148 million tonnes of CO2, missing its target by around 3 million tonnes. The transport ministry says its programme will cut some 13 million tonnes in the coming years, compensating for the 2021 missed target. Germany's ruling coalition has failed to agree on a speed limit due to opposition from the FDP.

☆ Germany's gas situation is secure this winter, regulator says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] The landfall facilities of the 'Nord Stream 1' gas pipeline are pictured in Lubmin, Germany, March 8, 2022. REUTERS/Hannibal HanschkeBERLIN, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Germany's gas supply situation is secure and gas shortage is unlikely to happen this winter, the head of the country's network regulator said on Tuesday. "With savings, gas inflows, good storage levels ... We are very, very optimistic that we will no longer have to worry about a gas shortage this winter," Klaus Mueller said at an energy summit organised by Handelsblatt newspaper. Mueller said he expected a relatively warm winter which will help the power supply situation in both France and Germany. Reporting by Riham Alkousaa, Christoph Steitz and Vera Eckert Editing by Paul CarrelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Greta Thunberg arrested at German mine protest, will be freed later - police
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LUETZERATH, Germany, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Climate campaigner Greta Thunberg was detained alongside other activists on Tuesday during protests against the demolition of the coal village of Luetzerath but the entire group will be released later in the day, according to police. It might take hours or they will go immediately," a spokesperson for regional police in Aachen said, speaking about the whole group of demonstrators. Activists have said Germany should not be mining any more lignite and should focus on expanding renewable energy instead. "Greta Thunberg was part of a group of activists who rushed towards the ledge. "Germany is one of the biggest polluters in the world and needs to be held accountable," she said.

☆ Germany in talks with Iraq over possible gas imports - Chancellor
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani hold a news conference at the Federal Chancellery in Berlin, Germany January 13, 2023. REUTERS/Michele TantussiBERLIN, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Germany is in talks with Iraq over the possibility of importing natural gas from the oil-rich country, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday, as Berlin scrambles to diversify its energy sources to replace a drop in Russian fossil fuel shipments. "We also talked about possible gas deliveries to Germany and agreed to stay in close contact," Scholz told journalists in a joint news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Berlin. Scholz did not give further details on the volumes of gas Germany hopes to import from Iraq. Baghdad has offered opportunities to German companies to invest in using Iraq's natural gas and the gas generated as a byproduct from oil production, al-Sudani said, adding that Iraq wants to deliver gas through a pipeline via Turkey to Europe.

☆ Police clear first buildings in abandoned German coal village
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Christian MangLUETZERATH, Germany, Jan 12 (Reuters) - German police were trying to clear hundreds of climate protesters holed up in an abandoned village in western Germany for a second day on Thursday, in a continuing standoff over the expansion of a coal mine. For over two years demonstrators have occupied Luetzerath, a village in the brown-coal district of the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, to stop the expansion of the Garzweiler lignite coal mine, run by energy firm RWE (RWEG.DE). Protesters have formed human chains, staged sit-ins and occupied deserted buildings which will be razed to make way for the mine's expansion. The company has said it supports both energy transition and a temporary increase in the use of lignite-fired plants to tide Germany through the energy crisis. Reporting by Riham Alkousaa and Wolfgang Rattay, editing by Rachel More and Raissa KasolowskyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ German police clash with activists in showdown over coal mine expansion
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Many Greens oppose the mine's expansion, but Economy Minister Robert Habeck of the Greens party has fronted the government's decision. Some activists dumped 250 kg (551 lb) worth of coal blocks in front of a local Greens party headquarters, German media reported. Some of the activists have built treehouses in Luetzerath, believing these would make it harder for police to force them to leave. The move echoes a similar protest in 2013 in the Hambach forest, which delayed an RWE coal mining project for years and became a symbol of anti-coal demonstrations. Those include firing up mothballed coal power plants and extending the lifespan of nuclear power stations after Russia cut gas deliveries to Europe in an energy standoff that sent prices soaring.

In a joint statement after a call between President Joe Biden and Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the United States said it would provide Ukraine with Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles while Germany would provide Marder Infantry Fighting Vehicles. The U.S. weapons package, to be announced on Friday, is expected to include about 50 Bradley Fighting Vehicles as part of security assistance totalling about $2.8 billion, U.S. officials told Reuters. Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskiy expressed his appreciation for Germany's contribution, saying on Twitter that "Germany is making an important contribution to intercepting all Russian missiles!" The decision was announced after Scholz's government faced a chorus of calls from within his three-way coalition to beef up military support for Ukraine after France announced it was sending light AMX-10 RC armoured combat vehicles. That includes weapons that "Ukraine needs to free occupied areas and the people who are suffering under Russian terror", she said.

"It always rains a lot here, it's very cold and it's January and it feels like summer," said Bilbao resident Eusebio Folgeira, 81. French tourist Joana Host said: "It's like nice weather for biking but we know it's like the planet is burning. Scientists have not yet analysed the specific ways in which climate change affected the recent high temperatures, but January's warm weather spell fits into the longer-term trend of rising temperatures due to human-caused climate change. "The record-breaking heat across Europe over the new year was made more likely to happen by human-caused climate change, just as climate change is now making every heatwave more likely and hotter," said Dr Friederike Otto, climate scientist at Imperial College London. French national weather agency Meteo France attributed the anomalous temperatures to a mass of warm air moving to Europe from subtropical zones.

☆ Germany's finance minister sees 2023 inflation at 7%
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Germany's finance minister expects inflation in Europe's biggest economy to drop to 7% this year and to continue falling in 2024 and beyond, but believes high energy prices will become the new normal. Pushed by spiking energy prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and falling Russian energy exports, Germany's year-on-year inflation has slowed slightly in November to 11.3% from a high of 11.6% the month prior. read moreLindner said Germany needs an "unbiased" energy policy in order to keep industry ticking, adding that domestic gas and oil fracking and nuclear energy should be considered in the energy sources mix along with renewables. Production of natural gas and oil has been declining in Germany, mainly because unconventional fracking is banned and nature protection laws make it difficult to seek permission for new drilling. Reporting by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Andrew CawthorneOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The downside is that will increase carbon emissions and for the longer term, the firm is considering a switch to hydrogen, which is a much cleaner energy source provided it is produced using renewable power. "We want to be one of the first large companies in Bavaria to switch to hydrogen," Craig Barker, managing director of the 87-year-old firm, told Reuters. It also announced an action plan to support small and medium-sized companies as they switch to climate-neutral production, including expanding hydrogen infrastructure. More is required to accelerate investments in hydrogen, including a Hydrogen Act to cut bureaucracy and regulate the hydrogen ramp-up quickly, utility industry association BDEW said earlier this month. "2023 must provide new impetus for investments in renewable energies, hydrogen, hydrogen-capable gas-fired power plants and energy networks," BDEW president Kerstin Andreae said.

☆ Germany's 2022 renewable power production rises but still behind 2030 target
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Riham Alkousaa | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 12 (Reuters) - Germany's power production from renewable energy rose in 2022, but it is still below the threshold needed to reach the target of generating 80% of electricity from renewables by 2030, the Environment Agency said on Monday. Renewable energy is expected to account for around 46% of German power consumption this year, up from 41% a year earlier, the agency said in its annual report. Only around 0.8% of land in Germany is currently designated for onshore wind power. Photovoltaic power generation rose 23% in 2022 year-on-year to 61 TWh, the agency said, citing a jump in installations and "very sunny weather". Heating from environmental heat and near-surface geothermal energy also rose 13% year-on-year.

Leaders of Arab League states spanning the Gulf, Levant and Africa began arriving in Riyadh on Thursday when Xi received a lavish reception by Prince Mohammed and signed a China-Saudi partnership pact with King Salman, demonstrating deepening ties. Oil giant Saudi Arabia is a top supplier to China and the joint statement reaffirmed the importance of global market stability and energy collaboration, while striving to boost non-oil trade and enhance cooperation in peaceful nuclear power. Xi invited King Salman to visit China, Saudi state television reported. Diplomats said the Chinese delegation would sign agreements and memoranda of understanding with several states in addition to Saudi Arabia, which inked an MOU with Huawei on cloud computing and building high-tech complexes in Saudi cities. The Chinese tech giant has participated in building 5G networks in most Gulf states despite U.S. concerns over a possible security risk in using its technology.

DUBAI, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and China have signed memorandums of understanding on hydrogen energy and the encouragement of direct investment between the two states, state news agency (SPA) said on Thursday, during a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Riyadh. Xi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also signed an agreement for harmonization between the kingdom's 2030 vision and Beijing's belt and road initiative, SPA added. Reporting by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China's Xi to visit Saudi Arabia, attend Chinese-Saudi summit- SPA
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

DUBAI, Dec 6 (Reuters) - China's President Xi Jinping will be in Saudi Arabia from Dec. 7 to Dec. 9 on an official visit to the kingdom and to attend a Chinese-Saudi summit, state news agency SPA said on Tuesday. Reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi Writing by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Frank Jack DanielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Volkswagen to discuss new software roadmap on Dec. 15 -Handelsblatt
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) Chief Executive Oliver Blume will present a long-delayed new software strategy for the carmaker at a supervisory board meeting on Dec. 15, Handelsblatt newspaper reported on Monday, citing company sources. The Audi brand will hand over leadership on autonomous driving software to Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, the report added. The supervisory board called in May for management to present a roadmap for the carmakers' software unit Cariad, after multiple years of delays to planned new software iterations and overspending. The board expected a new roadmap by the summer break, Reuters reported, but former Chief Executive Herbert Diess' departure from the company delayed plans. New chief Blume wants to first determine what the software will look like, and then the car models will follow, Handelsblatt reported.

☆ EU to adapt state aid schemes in response to U.S. subsidy package, von der Leyen says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Dec 4 (Reuters) - The EU will adapt its state aid rules to prevent an exodus of investment triggered by a new U.S. green energy subsidy package, the bloc's chief executive said on Sunday. "Competition is good ... but this competition must respect a level playing field," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a speech in the Belgian city of Bruges. "The (U.S.) Inflation Reduction Act should make us reflect on how we can improve our state aid frameworks and adapt them to a new global environment," she added. The topic is one of several on the agenda of the EU-U.S. Trade and Technology Council meeting on Dec. 5. Reporting by Sabine Siebold and Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Gareth Jones and David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Lawmaker says EU should complain to WTO over U.S. Inflation Reduction Act
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 4 (Reuters) - The European Union should file a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the next few months regarding the United States' green energy subsidy package, the head of the European Parliament's trade committee was reported as saying on Sunday. The U.S. and the EU have so far sought to be conciliatory about the bill, saying last week they would seek to tackle the bloc's concerns about the package, known as the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act. EU members worry the $430 billion bill, with generous tax breaks for U.S. companies, may disadvantage European companies from car manufacturers to makers of green technology. read moreOfficials from both sides are due to address the issue at a meeting next week, but Bernd Lange, the chair of EU parliament's trade committee, said he no longer expects a negotiated solution as only small changes could still be agreed through talks. Reporting by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Frank Jack DanielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Germany to set up climate protection contracts with industry in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Expert Analysis | Reuters Professional | The Subsistence Farmer S Son Pushing For A Better Shake For Smallholders At Spices Brand Mccormick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 4 (Reuters) - Germany will set up so-called climate protection contracts with industrial companies next year to support a transition towards cleaner production and a switch to hydrogen, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Sunday. "The aim is to efficiently develop a green industry along the value chain that becomes marketable," Habeck was quoted as saying by Funke media group. Habeck did not give details of what such agreements would consist of. Reuters reported on Wednesday that Habeck was planning to award companies in energy-intensive industries including chemicals and steel 15-year subsidy arrangements that he called climate protection contracts, in return for reducing carbon emissions in their production. Reporting by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Frank Jack DanielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Germany to force energy providers to justify future price hikes
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 3 (Reuters) - The German government plans to allow energy providers to raise prices next year only if objectively justified, the economy ministry said on Saturday, denying a media report that Berlin planned a ban on all energy price hikes for consumers. "Not every price increase is automatically illegal," an economy ministry spokesperson said, but added that the ban would apply to unjustified price hikes that exploited consumers. Mass-selling Bild newspaper reported the government wants to ban all electricity and gas suppliers from increasing prices next year. Energy suppliers in Germany would have to prove that the price increases they plan are justified, for instance if they have rising procurement costs, the ministry added. The cabinet approved a cap on gas and electricity prices in an expedited process last month as part of efforts to tackle soaring energy bills for households and businesses.

[1/6] QatarEnergy CEO and Qatar's Minister of Energy, Saad al- Kaabi and ConocoPhillips CEO, Ryan Lance attend the signing ceremony of two sales and purchase agreements to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Germany, in Doha, Qatar, November 29, 2022. The deal, the first of its kind to Europe from Qatar's North Field expansion project, will provide Germany with 2 million tonnes of LNG annually, arriving from Ras Laffan in Qatar to Germany's northern LNG terminal of Brunsbuettel, QatarEnergy's chief executive said. ICIS head of energy analytics Andreas Schroeder said the starting date of 2026 was late, as Germany needed LNG for 2023 and 2024. The deal comes a few days after QatarEnergy signed a 27-year sales and purchase agreement with China's Sinopec. The North Field is part of the world's biggest gas field, which Qatar shares with Iran.

REUTERS/Imad Creidi/File PhotoDOHA, Nov 29 (Reuters) - QatarEnergy and ConocoPhillips (COP.N) on Tuesday signed two sales and purchase agreements to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Germany for at least 15 years from 2026, the first such supply deal to Europe from Qatar's North Field expansion project. The deal will provide Germany with 2 million tonnes of LNG annually, arriving from Ras Laffan in Qatar to Germany's northern LNG terminal of Brunsbuettel, QatarEnergy's chief executive said. "(The agreements) mark the first ever long-term LNG supply agreement to Germany, with a supply period that extends for at least 15 years, thus contributing to Germany's long-term energy security," Saad al-Kaabi said in a joint news conference with ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance. The deal comes a few days after QatarEnergy signed a 27-year sales and purchase agreement with China's Sinopec. The North Field is part of the world's biggest gas field that Qatar shares with Iran, which calls its holding South Pars.

☆ Volkswagen says all brands have halted paid activities on Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A Volkswagen logo is pictured in a production line at the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg, Germany March 1, 2019. REUTERS/Fabian BimmerBERLIN, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) brands have halted all paid activities on Twitter until further notice, a spokesperson for the company said on Wednesday. A spokesperson for Volkswagen said all the brands had followed the advice, while Audi had opted to halt organic activities, such as direct posts, and only respond to questions from clients on the website. WirtschaftsWoche had previously reported that Audi had halted all activities on the social media platform, citing company sources. "We are monitoring the situation closely and will decide on the next steps depending on developments," an Audi spokesperson added in an emailed statement to Reuters.

☆ Germany to emerge from crisis stronger with new trade, energy policies - Scholz
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Germany is strong enough to weather the crisis caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and emerge stronger from it thanks a new approach to energy, defence and trade policy in Europe's biggest economy, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday. "Germany has the strength to master the crisis and emerge stronger from it," the Social Democrat chancellor said, adding his government would do more than stick to the status quo. Since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, Germans have faced soaring energy prices due to disruption to supplies from Russia. The government will not be able to completely stop a surge in energy prices through subsidies but can reduce them to a bearable level, Scholz said. Caps on electricity and gas prices to be introduced by Berlin next year will bring energy costs to a level experts did not expect to see before 2024, he added.

☆ Germany must trade with China warily, economy minister says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Nov 23 (Reuters) - No one is suggesting Germany should stop trading with China, but Beijing's investments in critical sectors must be examined closely, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Wednesday. "Nothing speaks against continuing to maintain economic relations with China," Habeck said at a conference organised by the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper in Berlin. "That means in the critical sectors of our economy, we have to judge and prohibit the strategic influence of critical investments," Habeck said. Germany is seeking to reduce its dependence on Beijing and is developing a new China strategy, but it could be a tricky task with deep trade ties between Europe's and Asia's biggest economies. From a European point of view, the Act is a violation of the World Trade Organization's rules that cannot be accepted in the long term, the minister said.

☆ Rewe drops ads with German soccer association over armbands row
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BERLIN, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Major grocery chain Rewe has scrapped its advertising campaign with the German Football Association after soccer's global governing body cracked down on players wearing 'OneLove' armbands in support of diversity at the Qatar World Cup. Several soccer associations had said that their team captains would wear the armband in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal. The German Football Association said on Tuesday associations backing the armband were faced with "extreme blackmail," and it had dropped plans for players to wear it because it was unfair for them to shoulder the consequences. Separately, Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE) on Tuesday said it planned to talk with the German Football Association about the armbands controversy. The German Football Association (DFB) is the world's largest, with more than 7 million active members.

Search resuls for: "Riham al"

25 mentions found