Tuesday, October 5th, 2021
“Light years apart”
Greenpeace criticizes black-green talks
The Greens are striving for a traffic light coalition with the SPD and FDP. But they have not committed themselves. Today’s meeting with the leaders of the Union is critical of Greenpeace, because the parties have huge differences on climate protection. The environmental organization calls for an immediate program.
According to the environmental organization Greenpeace, the Greens cannot enter into a coalition with the Union, the SPD and the FDP if these parties do not fundamentally change their climate protection policy. However, the Union and the Greens fit together the least, said Greenpeace managing director Martin Kaiser to the editorial network Germany (RND). “The Greens and the Union are light years apart when it comes to climate protection,” said Kaiser. The Union and the Greens are sounding out possibilities for government cooperation in an exploratory meeting on Tuesday.
Neither the SPD, the Union nor the FDP would come through coalition negotiations without fundamentally changing their previous positions, for example on phasing out coal, expanding renewable energies, switching to clean mobility or agriculture without factory farming, said Kaiser.
For example, the Greens want solar systems on roofs to be compulsory. From 2030 onwards, only emission-free cars are to be registered – that would be the end of the classic combustion engine, which is powered by fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel. The Union rejects bans, relies on incentives. For example, she wants a subsidy program with interest-free loans for owners for more solar roofs. It is also controversial between the Union and the Greens whether the CO2 price in the transport and heating sectors should rise faster – as the Greens want.
Germany as a global role model
Regardless of their composition, according to Kaiser, it is clear that the next federal government must provide answers to the climate crisis with an immediate program in order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, the Greenpeace boss told the RND.
The CDU-affiliated Economic Council, however, would like an alliance between the Union and the Greens. Association Secretary General Wolfgang Steiger told the RND: “We need a broad political consensus for Germany as an industrial location on climate policy,” said Steiger. This goes “only with the Greens”. They would have to be convinced that Germany, as an industrialized country, needs more technology openness and fewer bans, said Steiger.
Germany can only win as a global role model and draw other countries along. If Germany were to lose industrial market shares, other states would be deterred from following the path.