By Moritz Rommerskirchen

BERLIN, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- In Germany, the European Union's (EU) most populous country, an activist group called Last Generation has disrupted airport operations and road traffic, attacked works of art, and most recently sawed off the tip of a huge Christmas tree erected in front of the capital's Brandenburg gate.

A vast majority of Germans do not support the radical methods used by these climate activists. A recent survey conducted by Civey showed that 86 percent of Germans believe that the activists are even "harming climate protection."

Climate campaigners have carried out similar stunts across Europe. In Britain, activists threw soup over Van Gogh's famous Sunflowers painting and have now threatened to permanently destroy a work of art as their next move.

Galleries in Spain, Italy, France and the Netherlands have all been targeted by groups attacking iconic works of art in the name of climate protest. Klimaatklever, a new word to describe climate activists who glue themselves to art, has even been voted Dutch word of the year.

Numerous politicians in Germany from across the political spectrum have repeatedly criticized Last Generation's methods. Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke of "highly dangerous" actions, stating that he did "not understand what good it does for the climate to smear works of art."

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser tweeted that she supported a "police clampdown" on illegal road blockades citing the risk of blocking emergency vehicles. "Activists resort to means that do not help the important cause of climate protection, but instead are causing considerable damage."

In the United Kingdom, radical climate activists received longer jail sentences already in 2021. In November this year, two campaigners who targeted Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring were each sentenced to two months in prison by a Dutch court.

Last week, German investigators raided the homes and premises of Last Generation members. The climate activists stopped the flow of oil to the PCK Schwedt refinery in eastern Germany and are charged with disrupting public operations.

The actions of Last Generation seem at odds with the German government's clear climate pledges. The country seeks to rely solely on renewable energy by 2035, aiming to be completely carbon neutral by 2045, five years ahead of the EU target.

This week, Germany played a leading role in the update of the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). Based on work started in Germany in 2022, EU legislators agreed to introduce a carbon price on buildings and road transport fuels, while setting up a fund to cushion the impact on households and invest in green energy.

Germany amended its first national climate law last year, setting annual sector targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. If a target is missed, that reduction must still be achieved over the next years to avoid lowering the ambitious targets.

Despite the share of renewables rising to around 42 percent in 2022, coal energy grew due to gas shortages amid the energy crisis in Europe. A recent report by the government's expert council on climate issues warned that Germany is a long way from achieving its mid-term climate targets.

The government's targets do not address some of the more specific aims of Last Generation, which wants Chancellor Scholz to address the "climate catastrophe" and demands more specific and immediate measures, including a 100 kilometers per hour speed limit on all highways and a nine-euro train ticket for the whole of Germany.

Despite the criticism, raids and prison sentences, Last Generation refuses to be deterred and has promised "peaceful but more intense" action with "disruptions at every turn."

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed concern that Last Generation will "undermine the broad social support (required) to take more decisive climate protection or, more specifically, rob us of the opportunity increase this support." Enditem

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