A German energy executive has been badly injured in an acid attack, his company confirmed early Monday. Bernhard Günther, the CFO of energy giant RWE's green subsidiary, Innogy, was struck as he crossed a park in Haan, a well-to-do suburb of Düsseldorf, on Sunday.

"We are deeply shocked," said Innogy chairman Uwe Tiggs. "Our thoughts are with Bernhard and his family and we wish him a speedy recovery."

Read more: Attack on Innogy CFO not the first in Germany

Two unknown perpetrators poured acid over the 51-year-old's face before fleeing the scene on foot, according to a statement Günther made to police.

The victim staggered home to get help and was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries. His condition is now believed to be stable.

Düsseldorf police said they were investigating "in every direction," but that they had no current leads to the motive.

Read more: US tourists hospitalized after acid attack in France

Initial speculation

Watch video 01:23 Share Fight for Hambach Forest Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/2oZO8 Fight for Hambach Forest

According to popular German daily Bild, investigators were probing whether the attack on the 51-year-old executive had anything to do with the ongoing fight between environmentalists and RWE over a forest between the western cities of Cologne and Aachen.

Hambach Forest, which is over 12,000 years old, is extremely rich in biodiversity compared to other forests in Germany. However, due to development, only ten percent of the original forest remains. Since 2012, RWE and environmentalists have been in conflict over the company's open-pit lignite mine on the site, which at 33 square miles is the largest in Europe.

Over the years, environmentalists have staged a series of occupations in the forest to try and stop mining company vehicles from entering the woods.

Climate savior or sinner - how green is Germany's energy production? Addicted to coal The future looks bright for Germany’s biggest surface coal mine. Even as the country introduces climate protection measures and switches to renewable energy sources, its dependence on coal-fueled power plants is unabated. Continued reliance on coal means Germany is unlikely to meet its 2020 emission goals. That's not good for the environment, but the view from the Hambach mine remains impressive.

Climate savior or sinner - how green is Germany's energy production? Stripping the earth The Hambach surface mine stretches seemingly endless into the horizon. Located west of Cologne, it is Germany’s largest surface mine at 4,300 hectares - and expanding. Despite efforts to use more renewable energy sources, Germany’s industry still relies on the cheap brown coal to supply 40% of its energy needs.

Climate savior or sinner - how green is Germany's energy production? Disappearing villages It won’t be long before the village of Manheim disappears. The nearby Hambach mine is expanding and will soon engulf the houses. Already many of the residents in the 1,000 year-old village have abandoned their homes. Since 1989 four similar villages have been razed to make room for the brown surface mine.

Climate savior or sinner - how green is Germany's energy production? No alternative By 2020 the diggers will have reached the village. Until then, workers will tear down the remaining houses and the residents will relocate. Kurt Rüttgers, one about 500 remaining residents and owner of the local pub, has watched the town fade and disappear: “Since my childhood I have known Manheim would disappear one day. It’s sad, but there seems to be no alternative to coal mining right now.”

Climate savior or sinner - how green is Germany's energy production? Investing in renewable energy Elsewhere in Germany, companies have made the switch to renewable energy sources. Soaring 109 meters above the surrounding fields, these wind turbines located about an hour from Berlin’s city center, provide emissions-free energy for the capital.

Climate savior or sinner - how green is Germany's energy production? Harvesting the wind Some 27,000 wind turbines have sprouted up across the country in the last decade. Although animal rights activists argue the giant propellers cause harm to birds and some people complain the towers are an eyesore in the landscape, the turbines are Germany’s biggest source of renewable energy. Until recently, the government heavily subsidized wind parks.

Climate savior or sinner - how green is Germany's energy production? Could housing save the climate? For some Germans saving the climate starts at home. Years ago artist Priska Wollein decided to build her atelier near Berlin as a passive energy house to reduce her carbon footprint. Built mostly out of wood, it’s heated by geothermal energy and the ventilation is specifically modified to keep warmth inside.

Climate savior or sinner - how green is Germany's energy production? The home of the future What if a house didn’t just reduce its energy consumption, but rather generates more of it? That’s one of the proposals the German housing industry has come up with in response to new building regulations on energy efficiency. Referred to as the energy plus house, the new model of home is designed to produce its own energy primarily through solar power.



es/rt (AFP, Reuters)