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Germany Was ‘Not Good Enough’ on Climate Change, Merkel Says

“We weren’t good enough but the topic was always important to us,” Merkel said at a press conference.

Germany Was ‘Not Good Enough’ on Climate Change, Merkel Says
Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor, right, gestures while speaking with Nicolas Sarkozy, France’s president, second left, after a high level plenary during the COP15 United Nations Climate Change Conference at the Bella Centre in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg) 

(Bloomberg) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that her government has done too little to combat climate change but that gas emission targets have become an absolute priority now.

"We weren’t good enough but the topic was always important to us," Merkel said at a press conference after meeting regional leaders.

While the government was good at building out alternative energy sources, it fell short of expectations in reducing emissions from transportation.

Her comments come after recent polls showed the Green party soaring forward, while her own Christian Democrats have been sliding steadily.

For months high school students have been protesting every Friday for more action against climate change.

Public opinion surveys also show that environmental issues have become top concerns for German voters.

To contact the reporter on this story: Arne Delfs in Berlin at adelfs@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Ben Sills at bsills@bloomberg.net, Raymond Colitt

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