No rigid sector targets
Traffic light groups agree on climate protection law and solar package
April 15, 2024, 3:06 p.m
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The traffic light has been fighting over the climate protection law for months. With the new, more flexible law without rigid sector targets for greenhouse gas emissions, the way is also clear for the planned solar funding package. Most recently, the FDP made several threats to persuade the Greens to give in.
After months of negotiations, the traffic light agreed on a new climate protection law and a package to promote the solar industry. With the more flexible law without rigid sector targets for greenhouse gas emissions, the way is also clear for the planned solar funding package, the three traffic light factions announced.
“Abolishing the annual sector targets in the Climate Protection Act ensures that there will be no driving bans,” said FDP deputy parliamentary group leader Lukas Köhler. From now on, the only thing that counts is that the climate goals are achieved overall and no longer where emissions are reduced. In four years it will then be checked whether the other regulations in the Climate Protection Act can also be abolished.
His Green colleague Julia Verlinden emphasized: “We are giving climate protection in Germany a strong update that will make it fit for the next 20 years on Germany’s path to climate neutrality.” The new climate protection law also binds the federal government for the first time to put in place concrete climate protection measures for the period from 2030 to 2040.
SPD deputy parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch said that as a result of the amendment “not a single gram of CO2 can be emitted.” At the same time, the solar package provides “impetus for the expansion of photovoltaics, wind power and biomass”.
The solar package is intended to remove bureaucratic hurdles for the expansion of solar energy in Germany and thus advance the expansion. The operation of balcony power plants should become easier, as should the use of self-generated photovoltaic electricity in apartment buildings. The options for solar systems in fields and fields should also be expanded.
The FDP created a threatening backdrop
Climate Minister Robert Habeck had already presented a draft for a new law in the summer of 2023. The cabinet had already passed the reform of the climate protection law last June and the solar package in August. Since then, both have been discussed in the Bundestag – an exceptionally long time. The FDP blocked the project – above all, they wanted to abolish the annual targets for greenhouse gas emissions for each individual sector. This primarily takes pressure off Volker Wissing’s problem area of traffic.
The following applies so far: If individual sectors such as transport or buildings fail to meet legal requirements for CO2 emissions, the responsible ministries must submit emergency programs in the following year. With the reform, compliance with climate targets should no longer be monitored retroactively by sector, but should be directed towards the future, over several years and across sectors. If it becomes apparent in two consecutive years that the federal government is not on track to meet its climate target for 2030, it will have to make adjustments. By then, Germany must by law reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 65 percent compared to 1990.
FDP leader Christian Lindner recently appealed to the Greens not to block the project. Otherwise, “draconian restrictions on freedom, including driving bans for combustion engines” would be conceivable in Germany, he said. Transport Minister Volker Wissing had previously warned in a letter to the parliamentary group leaders about cuts for drivers and even driving bans.