Germany faces criticism over planned gas extraction in UNESCO Wattenmeer

The German federal cabinet has approved an agreement with the Dutch energy firm ONE‑Days to develop a cross‑border gas field whose platforms will be built off the island of Borkum. Drilling is expected to yield 4.5–13 billion m³ of gas per year, roughly 6‑16 % of Germany’s 2024 consumption, but the wells would extend into the German sector of the Wattenmeer, a UNESCO World Heritage site home to endangered species such as harbour porpoises, grey seals and numerous birds. Environmental groups argue the modest gas volume does not justify the damage to the sensitive marine ecosystem and that the project contradicts climate‑policy goals. WWF spokesperson Jannes Fröhlich reiterated the call to end all gas and oil extraction in the Wattenmeer by 2030, warning that fossil‑fuel operations risk the region’s protected nature and accelerate sea‑level rise. The decision now awaits approval by the Bundestag and Bundesrat, while the trilateral Wattenmeer conference in Esbjerg (Denmark) brings together officials from Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands to set a joint action plan. Birgit Brennecke of the Klimaliste Deutschland condemned the cabinet’s move as a “fatal setback” for climate protection, urging a shift toward renewable energy and stricter safeguarding of the heritage site.