This week, the federal government wants to pass its climate protection law. But because the draft falls behind the previous plans, it hails criticism. Now the Chancellor has commented.
There is currently a very large "nervousness" in the discussion, Angela Merkel said at the opening ceremony of the so-called "climate arena" in Sinsheim in northern Germany. She also emphasized the importance of control mechanisms in the concept of the Federal Government.
However, in the draft bill that SPIEGEL has presented, these mechanisms have been weakened. The so-called Climate Council, an expert panel set up by the government, should no longer produce an annual main report, which will review the effectiveness of the planned measures for climate protection, unlike initially planned. He should also be allowed to make any suggestions on how the relevant ministries can readjust if CO2 savings targets in individual sectors of the economy threaten to be missed.
The Chancellor said to the control mechanisms now: "This monitoring, this monitoring, will be crystal clear in the climate protection law anchored". She will ensure that there is reliable and verifiable monitoring.
Ministry of the Environment sees no weakening
In addition to the provisions on control mechanisms, the bill also makes other points less ambitious than initially planned. No national target for CO2 savings for the year 2040 is more defined. The promise that the Federal Republic will achieve greenhouse neutrality by 2050 was also weakened in the draft. (Read more here).
In the meantime, a debate has broken out around the bill. Environmental organizations and opposition harshly criticized the federal government. And also from their own ranks, there was criticism.
The Ministry of Environment has defended its plans meanwhile. "We will not mitigate the Climate Protection Act as part of the climate package, which on the contrary will be the centerpiece of a future-oriented climate policy," said Environment Secretary Jochen Flasbarth.
