“Exporting abroad is dishonest”
Federal Environment Agency calls for German CO2 storage
March 7, 2024, 3:17 a.m
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The traffic light coalition is planning to start storing CO2. However, camps on mainland Germany should be excluded. According to the head of the Federal Environment Agency, Economics Minister Habeck’s plans amount to foisting the garbage on other countries.
In the debate about the underground storage of carbon dioxide, the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) is accusing the traffic light coalition of unfair plans. In an interview with the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, UBA boss Dirk Messner called for storage facilities to be built in Germany. “I think it would be dishonest if we exported most of this garbage and imposed it on others,” Messner told the paper. “We should treat it like we do with other waste: dispose of it in our own country first, even if that leads to uncomfortable discussions.”
Just last week, the Green Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck presented a strategy for storing carbon dioxide, the so-called “Carbon Capture and Storage” (CCS). In it, the coalition excludes deposits on the mainland. Instead, the CO2 should either be stored abroad or under the North Sea. In the past, affected citizens had vehemently resisted storage on land, and previous attempts to introduce CCS had failed.
Habeck received mostly criticism from the traffic light coalition for the initiative. Unlike the Federal Environment Agency, Green and SPD politicians did not criticize the planned export abroad, but rather the storage on the high seas and the general turn to the controversial technology.
“We must avoid what can be avoided”
At the same time, UBA boss Messner criticized the coalition plan to also allow the innovative technology in fossil gas power plants. This was “not a convincing idea,” he said, according to SZ. “We have limited storage worldwide.” But they are necessary for those emissions for which there is no other solution – for example from industry or agriculture. In these areas, global climate neutrality cannot be achieved without CCS. “If we want to win this fight, there is only one way: What can be avoided, we have to avoid,” said Messner, referring to fossil emissions from power plants. “Everything else is misleading.”
Habeck received support from the Union faction. “It was high time for the Green climate minister to make a move here,” said CDU politician Jens Spahn to the “Tagesspiegel”. “So far, the traffic light has only ever gotten out of technologies, but with CCS it should finally make a bold entry.”