All parties fail: No election program is enough for climate targets


All parties fail
No election program is enough for climate goals

Man-made climate change is considered to be the greatest challenge of our time. The election manifestos of the major parties – with the exception of the AfD – therefore contain measures to achieve Germany’s climate targets. But the conclusion of the German Institute for Economic Research is sobering.

According to a study, none of the election programs of the larger parties can achieve the German climate targets. “The differences between the parties are clear – but no program provides conclusive concepts to fully achieve the goals set in the new Climate Protection Act for the year 2030,” is the conclusion of a study by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW).

The Greens program does the best because it contains specific and appropriate proposals. “Nevertheless, the overall concept is not sufficient to achieve the Climate Protection Act goals by 2030.” The FDP is rated worst. Market concepts such as the CO2 price and international climate policy are praised. However, there was a lack of specific concepts in individual sectors in order to use the remaining time effectively.

According to the law, Germany must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 65 percent compared to 1990 levels by 2030. 40 percent have been achieved, although a setback is expected this year after the corona crisis has subsided. After the Greens, the left is praised in the DIW study commissioned by the “Climate Neutrality Foundation” for good concepts in the transport and energy sector. However, it neglects the role of a reasonable CO2 price and instruments in the industrial sector and global climate policy.

CDU / CSU and SPD follow roughly on par: they would recognize the challenges with their proposals. However, they are neither specific enough nor suitable to achieve the goals in the short time. The AfD has a special role among the parties because it denies man-made climate change and is therefore the only one that does not commit to the goals of the Paris Agreement.

DIW expert Claudia Kemfert complained that, despite the central importance of climate protection, hardly any party adequately addressed it in their program. “That is insufficient in total,” she said. “Instead of ghost debates, the parties are called upon to finally provide the necessary content for successful climate protection.”

.