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Green parliamentary group leader Göring-Eckardt: "We must not ask too much of anyone"
Photo: via www.imago-images.de / imago images / ari
Even days after the initiative of the Green top candidate Annalena Baerbock to increase the price of petrol by 16 cents in the coming years, the topic is still controversial.
SPD leader Saskia Esken recently accused Baerbock of doing a “disservice to our environment” because the price increases could “turn away from common commitment to our climate”.
The Green Party leader Katrin Göring-Eckardt is now putting the demand into perspective - and warning her party not to overdo it when it comes to CO2 pricing.
»I believe that we are exactly right with a CO2 price of 60 euros.
That is a sensible, ambitious amount, ”she told the newspapers of the Funke media group.
"We must not overwhelm anyone," said the group leader with a view to amendments to the electoral program to raise the fee from the current 25 euros to 60, 90 or 120 euros by 2023.
Göring-Eckardt also advised against demonizing vacation flights.
Nobody should "feel bad on a Mallorca vacation".
However, "short-haul flights should become superfluous," for example through the expansion of the railroad.
At the same time, Göring-Eckardt emphasized that the Paris climate agreement can only be fulfilled if buildings make a large contribution to reducing CO2.
One of the keys is energy-efficient renovation - from the solar roof to climate-friendly heating and thermal insulation.
The state must start a funding offensive here.
The Greens want to adopt their election program for the federal elections in September at a largely digital party congress from Friday and officially nominate party leader Annalena Baerbock as candidate for chancellor.
Government climate advisors join the debate
Most recently, the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Council for Sustainable Development intervened in the debate on the price of petrol with a statement.
The government's climate advisors propose the principle: "Allow as much market as possible, use as much regulation as necessary."
For fuel for refueling as well as oil and natural gas for heating, a fixed price per tonne of CO₂ of initially 25 euros has been in effect since January.
This was decided by the grand coalition in autumn 2019, as well as a gradual increase in this price up to 55 euros in 2025. Converted to the gasoline price, this corresponds roughly to what the Greens are proposing for 2023.
Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer recently called for a CO2 brake should fuel prices rise too sharply.
"It has been decided to gradually move into higher CO2 prices in order to have time for innovations," said the CSU politician of the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung".
»Only: If the prices at the petrol pumps were to gallop away in the short term due to a crude oil boom, a CO2 price brake would be needed.
Otherwise we will quickly choke off the good economy that we now have despite Corona, "said Scheuer.
fek / dpa