Open letter against the expansion of the open-cast lignite mine Garzweiler II!​

January 2023

At the beginning of October, Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs, Energy, Climate Protection and Industry of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, announced together with Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck and RWE CEO Markus Krebber that the village of Lützerath is to be sacrificed to the open-cast lignite mine Garzweiler II. This red line must not be crossed: Lützerath must not be evicted, the coal underneath must not be used.

As scientists, we must oppose this eviction: In view of the climate catastrophe, not a single tonne of fossil fuels should actually be subsidised and burnt worldwide any longer.

Quite rightly, the "Expert Council for Climate Issues", whose members were appointed by the German government, notes that there is a "very large gap" to the tightened targets of the Climate Protection Act, whose allowed residual emissions amount to at least 2 degrees of global warming (and only if it were adhered to) [1]. The destruction of Lützerath is symbolic of the ignoring of scientific findings by political decision-makers.

The German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU) recently calculated that for a halfway realistic probability of staying on a 1.5-degree path Germany would have to be "completely" CO2 neutral within a few years. [2]. Scientist Rebellion calls for orientation towards this scientifically justified time horizon. This means that even if physically still possible, there is already no socially and politically plausible way to stay below the 1.5 degree limit agreed under international law in the Paris Climate Agreement. Garzweiler II makes the safe climate zone disappear even further in the rearview mirror. A recent study from the end of November also proves that the coal under Lützerath is not needed [3].

For decades, the energy company RWE has been making profits by destroying our livelihoods. At least 0.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to this company alone [4]. The climate crisis is already claiming thousands of lives, as the floods in Pakistan and Nigeria this summer have shown. Instead of finally holding the long-time drivers of the crisis accountable, RWE's profit interests continue to be protected by the state and defended with police violence.

As scientists, we repeat once again: all fossil fuels must remain in the ground.

In the early phase-out of lignite by 2030 decided by the NRW Ministry of Economics, the Federal Minister Habeck and RWE, we recognise a familiar pattern: promises are made for phase-outs and reductions that refer to a period of more than half a decade, but here and now the promises and voluntary commitments (e.g. of the German Climate Protection Act) of yesterday are broken. In NRW, for example, 600 megawatt units are to continue running until 2024, contrary to the original agreements. This is also made possible by a half-hearted "coal phase-out law" (KVBG) negotiated with the corporations at the federal level with a promised phase-out in 15 years.

The claims of the NRW Ministry of Economics that the agreements on the phase-out in 2030, including the destruction of Lützerath, are "a milestone for climate protection in Germany and North Rhine-Westphalia" and that they are confident that this will bring them "a huge step closer to the 1.5 degree target of the Paris Climate Agreement" are untenable. The same applies to RWE's claim that the agreement "puts RWE on a 1.5-degree path".

We have lost confidence in government policy at the state and federal level, despite all the climate policy measures that have been announced. In view of the climate catastrophe, which has arrived on our doorstep with burning forests, dried-up rivers, floods and extreme heat, we call on all scientists concerned about the preservation of the biosphere to participate in the civil, non-violent resistance in Lützerath. Let us not hide behind complicated models and research projects, as important as they are. We support all climate groups and social movements that resist the eviction and destruction of this village. Some of us are also there ourselves and will block the eviction with our bodies.

As scientists, it is our job to make society aware of the physical reality of the climate crisis, as opposed to the political and economic fiction perpetuated by governments and corporations. Due to the escalating climate crisis, there is a real possibility of a global catastrophe. The damage is irreversible. We therefore call for action in line with the climate emergency and to phase out all fossil fuels as soon as possible, starting with the dirtiest of all fossil fuels, lignite.

As signatories we therefore declare that:
- the eviction and destruction of the village of Lützerath must be stopped immediately,
- civil disobedience is legitimate and necessary to defend Lützerath,
- and some of us will take part in it in the coming weeks.

Let us make Lützerath a symbol of our connection to nature, people, animals and plants on this one, our planet Earth. Let us be disobedient, because scientific insight and love for all living things leave us no other choice.