"Our greenhouse gas emissions are decreasing far too slowly. Without a rapid change of course, the hot year 2018 would be a completely normal year in just 20 years, and in 40 years it would even be a cool year. Climate change is real and the time for action is now," said Wolfgang Lucht after the meeting. He attended it as a co-chair of PIK's research domain Earth System Analysis, but is also a member of the German Federal Government's Council of Environmental Advisors (Sachverständigenrat Umweltfragen), a professor at Humboldt University Berlin, and a member of #ScientistsForFuture. "The protests for more climate protection show that there is a growing willingness among the population to change course fundamentally. And it's not just about the climate; the poisoning and destruction of the natural environment, which is progressing despite many important successes, should also be stopped. The messages of science challenge us to show strategic courage. An environmentally friendly renewal of Germany's infrastructure can become a boost for our economy, and a boost for social justice, in the next 30 years".
