German Chancellor Angela Merkel says there “is no doubt” that climate change is caused by humans, and that the international community needs to listen to scientists and young people around the world.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel

“We have all heard the wake-up call of youth,” said Merkel, referring to the global youth movement in support of climate protection.

“Germany has one percent of the world’s population and two percent of the world’s emissions,” Merkel said at the UN Climate Action Summit.

The German chancellor also presented some of her country’s climate measures, which the government agreed last week.

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“We will phase out nuclear energy in 2022, and by 2028 at the latest phase out coal,” she said.

Similarly, she met with youth climate activist Greta Thunberg on the sidelines of the UN Climate Action Summit, according to a German government spokesman.

Her spokesman Steffen Seibert posted an image of Merkel sitting next to Thunberg at the UN on Twitter: “Meeting before the speeches at the UN Climate Action Summit: Chancellor Merkel meets Greta Thunberg.”

They both spoke at the UN climate summit later. There had been speculation over whether Thunberg and Merkel would meet while they were both in New York.

Vanguard News