(Bloomberg) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel called global warming “real” and “alarming” in her New Year’s address, saying she will do “everything in her power” to make sure Germany makes a meaningful contribution to tackling it.“It is our children and grandchildren who will have to live with the consequences of what we do, or fail to do, today,” Merkel said in the written version of a televised address that will be broadcast on Tuesday.“So I am devoting all my powers to ensuring that Germany makes its contribution -- ecologically, economically and socially -- to getting to grips with climate change,” added the German leader.Merkel acknowledged the shortcomings of a much-criticized package of measures her coalition government agreed in September, saying she is aware that some are concerned the measures are too demanding, while others fear they do not go far enough.Germany’s upper house of parliament approved the core element of the package this month, including a higher levy on carbon pollution than first planned. Critics ranging from environmental activists to utilities decried the initial tax as too low to help stem global warming.“The warming of our planet is real. It is alarming,” Merkel said. “It, and the crises emerging from global warming, are caused by humans. So we must do everything humanly possible to overcome this challenge to humanity. It is still possible.”\--With assistance from Brian Parkin.To contact the reporter on this story: Iain Rogers in Berlin at irogers11@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Schaefer at dschaefer36@bloomberg.net, Iain RogersFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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