‘Make The Climate A Priority Again,’ Says Germany’s Student Activist Neubauer

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Luisa-Marie Neubauer of Fridays for Future takes part in a demonstration in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on June 2. The protest took place while government leaders discussed economic stimulus and other strategies in the fight against the coronavirus.

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Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg (center) holds up a Swedish «School Strike for the Climate» sign while participating in a Fridays for Future march with German climate activists Luisa-Marie Neubauer (left) and Jakob Blasel (right) on March 29, 2019, in Berlin.

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Neubauer (center) gives a statement during an action campaign at a coal-fired power plant of power supplier Uniper in Datteln, Germany, on May 20. the day the company was holding a virtual annual meeting with shareholders.

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Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images

Neubauer (center) gives a statement during an action campaign at a coal-fired power plant of power supplier Uniper in Datteln, Germany, on May 20. the day the company was holding a virtual annual meeting with shareholders.

Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images

Looking at the reopening process, what is most important to you?

We need sustainable, just and transformative coronavirus policies that take our emissions budget and the ecological costs into account. We must ensure the massive funds spent to tackle this crisis do not lead to an acceleration of other crises, especially the climate crisis.

Germany passed a major recovery package. In terms of fighting climate change, what is your assessment of the program?

The economic stimulus program in Germany is aimed at saving the economy, not the climate. In doing so, it saves an economy that degrades the climate to an extent that livelihoods are destroyed. … We know that it would have been possible to actually make the economic stimulus program sustainable and to focus it on the effective well-being of the people and not on the well-being of the strongest lobbies. It is to be hoped that the European recovery program will not repeat these mistakes and will invest where the future is promoted — and not destroyed.

How do you view Chancellor Angela Merkel?

For me, Merkel is no longer the climate chancellor. But she proved long ago that you can drive momentum in international climate policies, and earn a reputation for it. She contributed massively toward this. She is a physicist. She understands the physics behind the climate crisis. Now her legacy is at stake; now is the time for her to drive this forward.

And the president of the United States — how do you see his role in terms of climate?

The United States used to be the world’s police. Now they have become the world’s problem child. That is very destructive and, of course, a disaster for the environment. You have an unpredictable president who obviously doesn’t understand what the climate crisis means and also does not understand that the climate crisis is putting his own country at risk.

It would be a disaster if Donald Trump were reelected. This would have an impact well beyond four years. Structures are being dismantled; you see the mood in the media and across the country, the polarization, international relations: All of this would suffer if Trump were reelected. It’s so tragic.