Germany rejects criticism it watered down language on gas at G7 summit

The German government is rejecting criticism that it pushed to weaken existing commitments for phasing out natural gas at a summit of leaders from the Group of Seven major industrialized democracies. Environmental campaigners slammed the leaders’ decision in Japan to back the construction of new infrastructure for liquefied natural gas, a planet-warming fossil fuel. Campaign group Greenpeace on Monday called the endorsement of new fossil gas infrastructure “a blunt denial of the climate emergency.” But a German government spokesperson said all G7 countries have now set targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to ‘net zero’ by mid-century or sooner, adding that “in the past Germany has never said it completely rejects the exploitation of new gas fields."