Greenpeace dumps coal outside Elysee Palace in energy protest

Greenpeace activists on Wednesday dumped five tonnes of coal in front of the French presidential palace, ahead of a Franco-German ministerial meeting, to press Europe to rapidly convert to renewable energy. Around 10 members of the environmental group parked a truck in front of the Elysee Palace a little before 7:00 am (0600 GMT) and unloaded the coal, a highly polluting energy source that is notably used in Germany. They also dumped polluted water taken off the French coast. The group wants Europe to obtain 45 percent of its energy through renewable sources, like wind and solar power, by 2030. It wants Germany to use less coal and for France to cut down on its use of nuclear energy. The protest came ahead of a meeting later Wednesday in Paris between French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel after a ministerial conference of the two countries. The European Commission has set a target of sourcing 27 percent of the energy needs of member nations from renewable sources by 2030.