BERLIN: In the face of rising energy prices and inflation, the German government has launched a national awareness campaign urging consumers and businesses to conserve energy.
"Anyone who saves energy helps Germany become less reliant on Russian imports while also caring for the environment," said Robert Habeck, Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Economic Affairs and Environment.
Labor unions, environmental organisations and consumer groups are all supporting the campaign, according to the Xinhua news agency. According to a report released on Friday by the German Association of Energy and Water Industries, 77% of Germans are presently conserving energy, primarily to save money.
As per preliminary estimates from the Federal Statistical Office, inflation in Germany reached 7.9% in May, driven by rising energy prices (Destatis). Since the first oil crisis in the winter of 1973-1974, this was the greatest level. Consumer prices will climb even faster this year than in the early 1980s, Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel said on Friday. After forecasting a 4.2 percent gain in December 2021, the country's central bank cut its growth prediction for 2022 to 1.9 percent.
Environmentalists have criticised the German government's efforts, claiming that the "individual household" campaign "does not do credit to the complexity of the issue."
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