"Personally, I think it's, that it's a very bad idea to focus on coal when this [nuclear energy] is already in place... If we have them already running, I feel it's a mistake to close them down in order to focus on coal," Thunberg told German broadcaster Das Erste.
The activist warned against the increase in the use of fossil fuels, although she said she understands the need to reduce energy prices for citizens.
Steffi Lemke, the German minister for the environment, nature conservation, nuclear safety and consumer protection, has ruled out a new extension of the operation of nuclear power plants in the country.
Germany was planning to phase out nuclear energy in 2022. At the beginning of the year, Berlin shut down three out of six nuclear power plants. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has repeatedly said that the issue of extending the operation of nuclear power plants was being studied due to a possible energy collapse this and next winter. The German economy ministry later announced the extension of the operation of the country's nuclear power plants.