Traffic is considered a major problem area of German climate protection. The federal government wants to change that with its climate package - but according to a study published by the Federal Environmental Agency in June, drastic cuts are needed. Thus, the commuter tax allowance would have to be abolished and company cars and diesel should no longer be privileged, writes the Süddeutsche Zeitung, citing the paper.
According to the study, the tax on diesel would have to rise by just under 70 cents to 1.19 euros per liter by 2030 to implement the climate targets in transport. So far, diesel is tax-advantaged. Gasoline would have to be 47 cents more expensive. The truck toll would have to be raised, on motorways should apply a speed limit of 120 kilometers per hour. According to the "Süddeutsche Zeitung", the Federal Environment Agency also recommends compensation for social hardships. The goals are "ambitious but feasible".
The investigation was made in the preparation of the climate package, they say. In the final version, however, the commuter allowance was increased. There are no penalties for vehicles with higher fuel consumption. For a moderate version of the CO2 price will be introduced, which initially increases the fuel by three cents per liter. Flying should be more expensive and train travel cheaper. Electric cars should be further promoted.
A summary of the most important measures can be found here. Whether the measures in your wallet make itself noticeable, you can check here.
Whether the Federal Environment Agency may make its assessments public, decides the Federal Environment Ministry. This would have left the development of concrete proposals to the Ministry of Transport, writes the "Süddeutsche Zeitung".
The measures enshrined in the final climate package do not go far enough for the Federal Environmental Agency. "According to our estimates, a climate protection gap of 20 to 30 million tons of greenhouse gases remains," quoted the newspaper authorities boss Maria Krautzberger. The Ministry of Transport is reluctant to introduce unpopular measures. Even in this legislative period, "soft decisions" are necessary.
