Chancellor Angela Merkel has rejected stricter EU greenhouse gas emission reduction targets as the discussion about climate change and an exit of Europe’s biggest economy from coal- and lignite-fired generation has led to violent clashes in a German forest over the weekend.

Merkel was reacting to a proposal made last week by European Commissioner for climate action and energy, Miguel Arias Cañete, to raise the EU’s emission cut target to 45% by 2030 instead of the 40% the block has aimed for so far, which had already been criticized by German engineering and industry groups.