"With the anticipated strong cash generation of our base business, we expect to grow our dividend, buy back shares and invest in lower carbon businesses," Chief Executive Michael Wirth says
"Those affected need some reliability on the path to climate neutrality," Merkel said. "I don't want to unravel this again after one year."
Climate activists say that without an earlier coal phase-out, the more ambitious climate protection targets which Merkel's government just agreed on cannot be achieved.