Germany committed to emissions cuts - but it balks at curbs on car speeds

Germany arrives at the Kyoto conference with more to boast about than most of its neighbours. Bonn is not only among the most vociferous advocates of drastic action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; it can also claim responsibility for Europe's most dramatic cut in emissions. Between 1987 and 1994, carbon dioxide emissions in Germany fell by 15 per cent and the government promised in 1990 to achieve a 25 per cent cut by 2005.

But a closer look at Germany's success shows that it owes less to environmentally-minded government action than to the coincidence of German reunification and the closure of many old, dirty east German factories and power stations. Its cut in emissions is similar in nature to Britain's, which was due to the closure of old power stations following the privatisation of the electricity grid.

Germany's commitment to safeguarding the environment is undoubtedly genuine and environmental protection was written into the constitution in 1994.

In the mid-1970s the generation radicalised by the 1968 student revolts staged nationwide protests against the opening of new nuclear power stations. For these young radicals, who already despised their parents for their part in the second World War, Germany's post-war economic miracle had become a destructive machine for producing and consuming at the expense of the country's natural resources.

The success of the Green Party alerted the mainstream parties to a growing public interest in environmental issues. The Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats adopted policies to protect the environment and Bonn began to campaign internationally for stricter measures against pollution.

But an attempt to introduce a speed limit on a small stretch of motorway in Berlin a few years ago met with massive public resistance and led to the loss of all Green Party seats in the state parliament.

Experts agree that the most effective means of cutting carbon dioxide emissions is to cut down on car use and to encourage motorists to drive more slowly. But the German public refuses to countenance any increase in fuel tax and the country's powerful car manufacturers have been slow to respond to calls for more environmentally-friendly models.

An improvement could follow next year's general election if Chancellor Helmut Kohl's centre-right government is ousted by a coalition of Social Democrats and Greens. The Greens are committed to introducing an "environmental tax" to encourage manufacturers to consider the ecological impact of their products.

But the environmentalists will not have a clear run if, as most observers predict, the Social Democrats are led by Lower Saxony's prime minister, Mr Gerhard Schroeder. Mr Schroeder is unlikely to welcome any measures to curb car use - after all, he sits on the board of Volkswagen.