THERE is a lot to be said for Germany at the moment, a better economy than us, better beer and a much better headway towards cutting its CO2 emissions.
Indeed, according to today’s Guardian the country's CO2 emissions have fallen by 2.4% since 2010 thanks to its renewable agenda.
And experts suggest the drop has come thanks to its perseverance in backing wind and solar power.
In the first six months of 2012, the amount of electricity produced in Germany using renewable energy rose from 20% to 25%, bringing the country closer to its targets of 35% by 2020 and 80% by 2050.
Yet, according to figures released earlier this year only 3% of the UK's energy currently comes from the sun and wind.
This is despite nine out of 10 people saying they would like to see the government ramp up the UK's use of clean domestic energy and reduce the country's reliance on imported gas, according to You Gov poll.
According to figures released by government agency Germany Trade and Invest, 16% of the electricity produced by renewable energy during that period was through solar power.
So why can’t we be more like Germany?
Firstly, Germans are much more incentivised to embrace solar PV technology.
Their Renewable Energy Act subsidises producers who invest in wind and solar energies through feed-in tariffs, and according to a study undertaken by TNS Emnid, a German media and social research institute, every fifth German is ready to invest in solar power.
Back across the North Sea, our weaker economic state means the promise of the ‘greenest government yet’, has been put on the back burner, while Chancellor George Osborne tries to stave off a triple dip recession.
Most recently a definitive target for carbon emission reductions was postponed to 2016 (after the next election) and feed-in-tariffs (the money paid to solar PV panel owners) continue to drop.
There is also greater need for alternative energy sources in Germany after Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to abandon nuclear power following the Fukushima disaster.
Here, ministers announced in October up to six new nuclear plants will be built in Britain, meaning there is less need to focus on wind and solar energy.
And maybe Germans just care more? Germany has a much greener ethos embedded in its culture than we do. Their green groups garner greater support, and thus have greater political sway.
But most importantly, the decision to invest heavily in green technology means it is not just carbon emissions Germany is decreasing, but also its unemployment levels.
Which is probably the best argument I can give, given the economic climate, for taking a leaf out of our Deutsch brothers and sisters, and investing in green technology.
