“We lack the income”
Scholz puts off citizens with climate money
08/30/2023, 3:30 p.m
In order to compensate for rising CO2 prices, the traffic light promises citizens climate money. The chancellor concedes, however, that we will have to wait a while. Technically, the administration is not that far and the abolition of the EEG surcharge has torn a hole in the state coffers, according to Scholz.
On the question of introducing climate money for citizens, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz referred to the lack of income for financing. From the government’s point of view, there is currently “a negative balance,” said the SPD politician after the cabinet meeting in Meseberg. After the abolition of the EEG surcharge for the promotion of renewable energies, 20 billion euros were missing in income. “And the revenues from carbon pricing have not yet reached this magnitude.”
“The citizens were relieved before we had the income,” Scholz summarized. He pointed out that the technical possibility is now generally being created first to enable such payments to all citizens. Such a system for “direct transfers” was not yet available for the aid in the corona pandemic.
Linking of bank accounts and tax numbers in progress
Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner said he assumed “that this payment mechanism will be available in 2024”. Accordingly, a database is currently being created in which bank details and tax numbers are linked in order to enable such payments. However, the FDP leader did not comment on a possible climate money at a time.
The climate money was agreed in the coalition agreement and is intended to offset the costs of emissions trading. It should therefore compensate for the planned price increase and ensure “the acceptance of the market system”. A date for an introduction was not mentioned in the coalition agreement. The CO2 price, on the other hand, is expected to rise from 30 to 40 euros per ton in the coming year. Consumers will then feel this when heating or refueling, among other things. Billions in revenue from CO2 pricing flow into the special climate and transformation fund, from which the federal government finances investments in climate protection.