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IG Metall and BDI are demanding more money for the climate-neutral restructuring of the economy
Photo: Sylvio Dittrich / imago images / Sylvio Dittrich
"The clock is ticking," is the first sentence of the position paper by the union and business association. For too long, Germany "managed the transformation into the digital and climate-neutral future rather discouraged, instead of shaping it confidently." That is why IG Metall and BDI are jointly calling for the future federal government to accelerate the conversion work and invest more. The redesign is the greatest challenge in the coming years, the German industrial model is at stake. "That is why indispensable impulses must be set with massive public investments within a very short time."
»Tackling the priorities for groundbreaking decisions in favor of our location - that must be the guiding principle for the upcoming coalition negotiations.
It has to be about overcoming stagnation and securing competitiveness «, says BDI President Siegfried Russwurm.
In addition to a growth program, faster planning and approval procedures, including faster legal channels and the start of administrative reform, are important.
"Decisions on energy and climate policy will determine the weal and woe of industry and modern industrial society," says Russwurm.
Demand: More than 500 billion euros
A lack of framework conditions endangered the change towards climate neutrality, says Jörg Hofmann, first chairman of IG Metall: "A lack of planning security, inadequate infrastructure and limits on the financing of huge investments, especially for small and medium-sized companies, stand in the way of this." Public sector investments to provide infrastructure and stimulate private investment.
“We see a need of over 500 billion.
Euros in the years up to 2030, ”says Hofmann.
This also includes enormous efforts in the qualification of the people and an active labor market and regional structural policy that prevents unemployment.
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In the joint position paper, the two organizations consider public investment to be "imperative" in three areas:
In the general infrastructure,
such as power grids, digital networks or in the mobility sector.
From the expansion of the district heating infrastructure to the development of a Europe-wide hydrogen infrastructure, from investments in e-mobility and charging stations to massive expenditures in rail and local public transport, "which are necessary for the success of the traffic turnaround".
In the industrial policy support of decarbonization
.
For example, energy-intensive basic industries such as steel or cement are to receive support in converting to CO2-free production processes and more funding for battery and semiconductor technologies as well as financial support for medium-sized companies in financing investments in new business models.
Support of sustainable business models
in industrial areas in order to quickly achieve profitable operations.
In terms of financing the required investments, however, trade unionists and company representatives remain vague.
However, they have no doubts about who has to decide: "BDI and IG Metall expect the political actors of a possible traffic light coalition to quickly come to an agreement on possible sources of funding in the context of exploratory talks and the following coalition negotiations."