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The Climate Protection Act is apparently less ambitious than originally planned. This emerges from the final draft from the Ministry of Environment, which the government wants to pass on Wednesday together with the long version of their so-called climate package.
In the paper available to SPIEGEL, in the year 2040, unlike initially planned, no national CO2 reduction target will be defined. The promise that the Federal Republic will achieve greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050 has also been weakened; This goal should now only be "pursued", it says clearly non-binding in the draft. The only goal left was to reduce Germany's CO2 emissions by 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
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The control mechanisms for compliance with the climate goals have also been weakened. The so-called climate council, an expert panel set up by the government, is no longer to produce an annual main report, as it was originally planned, in which the effectiveness of the measures planned for climate protection is reviewed. He should also not be allowed to make any suggestions as to how the ministries responsible can readjust if CO2 saving targets in individual sectors of the economy are in danger of being missed. ( Read here an analysis of the parties' positions on the climate protection package)
After their climate package negotiations on September 20, the Grand Coalition had still sold a stringent control mechanism for their climate goals as their biggest success. The weakening was made according to information from coalition circles at the initiative of the Union faction. The law should happen to the Bundestag and Bundesrat before the SPD party congress on December 6, if possible.
Environmental organizations are appalled by the draft. "What we needed would have been a clear business plan for climate protection," says Kai Niebert, head of the German Nature Conservation Union. "What we got is a plan that leaves the uncertainty and unplannability for sectors."
