Yesterday, we made RWE an offer to buy the 12,000 year old Hambach Forest from them for €1 million. Our goal is to preserve the forest for future generations by turning it into a nature reserve, accessible to everyone.
RWE has now officially rejected our offer. But not only that: after we inquired how we could make a follow-up offer more attractive for them and thus more likely to be accepted, they let us know they would not engage in any further discussions with us. They have closed down all channels of communication about this topic. In light of the power RWE as a billion Euro company has in Europe and the privileges they enjoy, we find their communication shut-down unacceptable.
When we last spoke to them, RWE indicated that they are confident they will be allowed to continue cutting down the Hambach Forest soon. Their position clashes with the public interest: according to the most recent surveys, 75% of Germans want the Hambach Forest to be preserved. On top of that, RWE’s plans to continue mining for lignite are a breach of international climate agreements Germany signed and promised to adhere to. This has turned the topic into a situation of international outrage. The latest UN IPCC report clearly identified Germany as one of the biggest climate culprits because of its continuous large-scale lignite exporting. Our reputation as a reliable partner in the fight against climate change is at stake.
What personally upset me most after talking to RWE, is that they don’t seem at all interested in the public opinion. Yesterday, an RWE spokesperson indicated to us that they didn’t care about its standing with the public, since they don’t deliver energy to end consumers but rather provide other energy companies. According to them, end consumers don’t realize they are supporting RWE which is why they are not afraid to lose customers. I find this kind of attitude arrogant and unacceptable.
We will continue trying to get RWE’s leadership level to wake up. We will not back down until RWE agrees to continue negotiating and to enter serious discussions about phasing out coal as soon as possible.
Until then, I would like to ask all of you to switch to a real renewable energy provider. Currently, most Germans still either consume energy from conventional sources or fake ‘green energy’ provided by greenwashers. So if you haven’t switched to one of the certified green energy providers on this list yet, chances are your energy consumption is powered by coal from the Hambach mine.
We will continue to do everything in our power to preserve the Hambach Forest and to fight for an immediate transition away from coal. Under no circumstances will we accept that a monopolist’s greed and focus on nothing but profits is being prioritized over the interest and health of the public as well as the future of our planet.
Our offer to buy the Hambach Forest to turn it into a nature reserve remains active until the end of October. On top of that, we are currently considering a second offer. Stay tuned, and thank you for your overwhelming support.
Best,
Christian
