Two days after the German government announced a €54 billion ($61 billion) package of measures to tackle climate change, Chancellor Angela Merkel and Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer are to fly to the United States in two separate planes, the Bild am Sonntag newspaper reported on Sunday.

Two Luftwaffe aircraft will transport the two politicians almost simultaneously to the east coast of the US, the paper said.

Read more: Is Germany too stingy to fund the fight against climate change?

Merkel is due in New York at the United Nations climate summit on Monday, where she is expected to confirm that Germany is committed to phasing out coal and will help to save the rainforests abroad. On Tuesday, she will participate in the UN General Assembly's general debate, attended by world leaders.

Kramp-Karrenbauer, who has been tipped as Merkel's possible successor, will meet her US counterpart, Mark Esper, in Washington and return to Germany on Monday.

Read more: When will flying turn green?

Large carbon footprint

Bild criticized the decision to take two planes as flying is harmful to the environment. The paper reported that the pair were initially due to travel on one Airbus A340 that would first land in New York before continuing to the US capital.

A Defense Ministry spokesman told Bild: "In the course of planning this trip, we have made every effort to optimize the use of the aircraft."

Bild reported that Kramp-Karrenbauer had booked a ticket to return to Germany on a passenger flight, but the Defense Ministry was informed by the Chancellery that the defense minister would have to organize other transportation to the US as well. Without providing additional details, the ministry said flight plans were decided based on the official's schedule, destination, flight length and the size of the accompanying delegation.

Both agreed to new climate protection package

On Friday, Merkel and Kramp-Karrenbauer announced a slew of measures aimed at halving carbon emissions in Europe's largest economy by 2030.

As well as raising gas (petrol) and diesel prices, ministers committed to increasing public subsidies for electric cars and offering cheaper rail travel.

Read more: Electric cars: Low earners may never get to drive one

A higher tax on short-haul flights will be levied and the installation of oil-fired heating systems in buildings will be banned.

Germany, meanwhile, aims to close down all its coal-powered plants by 2038 at the latest. Their current production capacity of 42.5 gigawatts should be reduced to 17 gigawatts by 2030, the government said.

Global climate strike in pictures Starting off in the South Pacific The first strike of the day kicked off in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia. Islanders have worked hard in recent years to protect the vital coral reefs that surround the archipelago. However, rising sea levels are placing every island nation in peril.

Global climate strike in pictures Solomon Islands Students in the Solomon Islands, which comprises hundreds of islands in the South Pacific, skipped school on Friday morning to call attention to how climate breakdown threatens their country.

Global climate strike in pictures Hundreds of thousands gather in Australia The first major protests of the day started in Australia, where demonstrators want the government and businesses to commit to a target of zero net carbon emissions by 2030. More broadly, they are seeking for world leaders to commit to real change at an upcoming UN Climate Action Summit.

Global climate strike in pictures Southeast Asia joins the movement Thai students joined the global movement outside of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment in Bangkok. Thailand, as part of the Mekong River basin, has already felt the effects of catastrophic flooding and coastal erosin.

Global climate strike in pictures Borneo burning Demonstrators gathered in Palangka Raya, on the Indonesnian island of Borneo, which is currently covered in smog from forest fires. Borneo is already feeling the devastation from deforestation due to palm oil farming, which has hurt the local human populations as well as dramatically reduce the habitat for orangutans.

Global climate strike in pictures Dhaka demonstration Bangladeshi school students and other climate activists took to the streets of the capital Dhaka. Bangladesh is a major hub for the garment industry, which on top of forcing workers into sweatshop conditions, is one of the most polluting industries on earth.

Global climate strike in pictures London crowds An estimated 100,000 people joined a climate rally in the government district in central London. Similar marches were held in dozens of other European cities, including Paris, Stockholm and Helsinki.

Global climate strike in pictures Blocking traffic Protesters got started before dawn in Germany, with demonstrations planned for almost every major city. Here in Frankfurt, climate strikers blocked rush hour traffic in the city's central Baseler Platz, unperturbed by the chorus of car horns.

Global climate strike in pictures Europe calls for lower emissions Students in the Old Town Square in Prague, Czech Republic, called on their leaders to lower carbon emissions and enact better climate protection. The Prague demonstration was one of 5,000 planned around the world.

Global climate strike in pictures Kenya against coal Activists in Nairobi, Kenya, called for an end to the government's plans to open new coal mines. They want more support for renewable energy sources across the country.

Global climate strike in pictures Leading the way Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenager who started the worldwide climate strike movement, led a major demonstration in New York City. Tens of thousands of people filled Lower Manhattan to march with the 16-year-old from Foley Square to Battery Park. "I hope this will be another social tipping point that we show how many people are engaged," she told Agence-France Presse. Author: Elizabeth Schumacher



mm/sms (AFP, dpa, Reuters)

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