Germany Remains Dependent On Coal Despite Strong Push Towards Renewables

Bucket excavators and other heavy mining machinery work to extract lignite coal from the pit of the Jaenschwalde open-pit coal mine on October 11, 2018 near Griessen, Germany. The Jaenschwalde mine feeds coal to the nearby Jaenschwalde power plant, which is the fourth highest producer of CO2 emissions of any power plant in Europe with approximately 25 millions tons annually. Germany has invested heavily into renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, though critics charge the government is not doing enough to phase out the country's continued reliance on coal. Of the 20 biggest CO2 emitting coal-fired power plants in Europe, eight are in Germany. (Footage by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)