Focus on climate crisis
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Reporting on climate change is one of the major journalistic challenges of our time. The climate crisis is also one of the most important issues of humanity for SPIEGEL. For this reason, we support an international initiative that seeks to take a look this week: "Covering Climate Now" was initiated by the Columbia Journalism Review and the Canadian newspaper "The Nation", with more than 200 media companies around the world, including the Guardian, El País, La Repubblica, The Times of India, Bloomberg or Vanity Fair. SPIEGEL is dedicating the cover story of the current issue to the climate crisis this week and every day pays special attention to mirror.de
The day of the decision is approaching. The Climate Cabinet of the Federal Government will meet next Friday. At the end of the long-awaited meeting, the Grand Coalition wants to have adopted the basic measures to combat climate change.
It is not only ecologically, economically and socially to future issues (Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke in the general debate in the Bundestag of a "humanity challenge"). The survival of the federal government may also be at stake. In the SPIEGEL interview, Vice-Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) recently declared climate policy on the coalition question.
In the video: Merkel in the Bundestag
John MACDOUGALL / AFP
There is no shortage of proposals for individual measures. CDU and CSU recently agreed on their positions.
- Among other things, the Union parties want to make flying more expensive and cheaper to travel by rail, expand freight transport by rail and expand truck tolls and lower electricity prices. In addition, companies should be able to write off investment in climate protection more strongly than before.
- The Social Democrats also want to promote public transport and reduce air traffic: on the one hand, by reducing VAT on long-distance train tickets. In addition, the SPD Group is calling for a one-euro ticket per day for local transport, ie 365 euros per year. Furthermore, the party wants to invest in the switch to electric cars and penetrates to one million additional charging stations. These should be built on roads and public parking spaces by 2025, said Scholz of the "Bild am Sonntag". (For an overview of the parties' views on each issue, see here.)
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However, there is still a lack of agreement on decisive points. The Union wants to set up a climate bond to finance climate protection spending. The Social Democrats are against it; Scholz, in particular, rejects any kind of climate bond. The interest on such a bond would be a gift for the investors from the federal budget, said the Minister of Finance after SPIEGEL information recently in a joint meeting of budgetary politicians from the Union and SPD Group.
Most importantly, crucial issues remain unanswered on the key issue of the carbon price. It is true that the coalition partners are in agreement that such a price, which would make the consumption of diesel, gasoline, heating oil and natural gas more expensive in transport and heating, should be introduced.
What form he should ultimately have, the union and SPD still argue. The Social Democrats prefer a carbon tax; the Union relies on trade in allowances.
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Christoph Schmidt criticized in an interview with SPIEGEL that the coalition was discussing individual measures for climate protection before it had agreed on the principle of the CO2 price. It is not decisive whether the price is determined by means of a tax or an extension of the certificate trading, but first of all that it is determined at all.
"But the coalition gives the impression that the CO2 price is one measure among many," says Schmidt. The economics see it very differently. The CO2 price is the key signal for the economy and consumers, on which all other measures should be based. "This order is very important to us."
Economic and climate expert Ottmar Edenhofer, who advises the government, also warned against "crises of faith" on this point: "A tax and certificate trading work in the same way, if done correctly." Both measures set price signals.
GroKo partners seem to be approaching - but a "set of problems" remains
Although there was no breakthrough in the recent negotiations on Friday night. The talks were but constructive, it said from coalition circles. The news agency Reuters reported that the planned climate package should have a volume of at least 40 billion euros in the next four years.
The CO2 price is also characterized by compromise lines. A mixed model is now in discussion, reports the "World on Sunday", citing government circles. This could look like the government is introducing allowance trading, but with lower price limits.
Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on the Grand Coalition to find a comprehensive solution rather than just piecemeal. The climate activists of "Fridays for Future" have called for Friday for protest events. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also called on the German government to make a major leap in climate policy. "A grand coalition has to deal with the big issues and I'm sure that's the expectation in large parts of the population," said Steinmeier in an interview with SPIEGEL.
The coalition partners want to meet again on Thursday - one day before the meeting of the Climate Cabinet. "It is clear that we need an overall agreement on the complete package," said the acting SPD leader Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel in view of the crucial days that are now imminent. However, "a whole series of problems" still had to be discussed and solved.