On June 1, 2016, Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed to the framework for a deal with state premiers on renewable energy law reforms in Germany. The proposed agreement is intended to reduce costs and control the speed of providing green power sources in the future. It would expand onshore wind by an increase of 2.8 gigawatts per year--approximately 1,000 wind turbines. Green subsidies in Germany have led to an expansion of renewable energy, accounting for one-third of Germany's electricity in 2015, particularly wind and solar.

The European Commission is taking Poland to court due to Poland’s inability to tackle poor air quality. Poland is Europe’s most polluted country, with pollution levels more than double those in France. More than 40,000 Poles die each year due to air pollution. Poland uses coal and, on occasion, garbage to heat the country’s homes. South Poland, near the ski resort towns, feels the effects stronger than the rest of the country due to local neglect of environmental rules.

The French Farm and Environment ministries announced that they would use the European Union’s opt-out scheme to ensure France’s ability to prohibit the production of genetically modified (GM) crops. In March 2015, the EU agreed on an opt-out scheme that permits EU countries to exclude themselves from requests for GM cultivation. The only GM crop currently grown in Europe is Monsanto maize, produced in Spain and Portugal. Other crops are being reviewed for approval by the EU.

The German Ministry for the Environment released a plan for interim storage of the country's nuclear waste as the nation mulls over final disposal options after shuttering its nuclear fleet following the Fukushima disaster in 2011. The plan identifies four sites to be used, including one in the Isar region of Bavaria, which prompted outcry from state officials. The plan has its proponents as well, with Germany's four largest utility companies offering to dismiss several pending lawsuits if the plan leads to a lasting agreement.

Negotiators settled on a draft agreement of the REDD+ forest conservation plan during United Nations climate talks in Bonn, Germany, in mid-June. Key issues hammered out in Bonn include reporting requirements for forested countries, payments for non-carbon benefits of forest protection, and the use of non-market mechanisms for REDD+ payments. While some critics worry that unresolved financing issues will still prohibit implementation, many observers are now hopeful the unexpected agreement will play an important role at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Paris later this year.

The German government has announced changes to its renewable energy subsidy program for buildings in an effort to meet carbon emission reduction goals. Though renewable sources generated nearly 28% of Germany's electrical use in 2014, they only accounted for about 10% of the energy used to heat buildings. The recent reforms are designed to help the country meet its goal of 14% generation from renewables for that category by 2020. Changes to the program include financial support for companies that invest in renewable heating sources and stringent energy efficiency criteria.

Data released by transmission grid firms on Friday, November 14, show that Germany’s energy capacity from renewable sources will increase by 23% between 2015 and 2019; however, related costs will also rise by over a fifth. The calculations are required in annual data from four transmission system operators to help gauge the cost of renewable energy subsidies, which are passed on to consumers as a surcharge on energy bills.

In an effort to meet EU rules, Germany has drafted legislation that would raise the surcharge paid by German industrial companies that produce their own electricity. The legislation seeks to address objections the European Commission made to an initial draft of Germany’s renewable energy bill. The Commission had requested that Germany treat households and industry equally, rather than granting heavy industry discounts or exemptions from the surcharge.

A plan to better distribute renewable energy throughout Germany has been met with significant resistance. While nearly 25% of Germany’s energy came from renewable sources in 2013, the production of green energy is highly uneven—the North is soon to produce more wind energy than it needs, while the South is still heavily dependent on nuclear power. The proposed energy highway, which would run from Wilster in Schleswig-Holstein to Grafenrheinfeld in Bavaria, would help resolve this imbalance. In the South, however, a protest movement has sprung up in response to the plan.

In an effort to contain rising power bills, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet supported plans to tax owners of renewable energy plants for use of their own electricity. The proposal would require clean energy plants to pay 70% of the EEG-Umlage, a fee paid by power consumers that renewable energy producers are exempt from at present.