Status: 30.11.2023, 19:36 PM
By: Patrick Mayer
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A Berlin court has ordered the traffic light federal government to launch immediate programmes for more climate protection in transport and buildings. The consequences for citizens could be significant.
Berlin - First the budget slap, now a climate waddle afterwards: The traffic light federal government of SPD, Greens and FDP has to accept the next setback within a short time.
Specifically, this Thursday (11 November), the 30th Senate of the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg upheld the lawsuits of the German Environmental Aid and the environmental association BUND. The government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is condemned to launch immediate programmes for more climate protection in transport and buildings.
Traffic light federal government condemned: Court calls for immediate programs for climate protection
The federal government can appeal, but the plaintiffs demanded immediate action - for example by setting a speed limit on motorways. IPPEN. MEDIA analyses what the ruling means for consumers and citizens in Germany.
Facing the next major construction site: Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Robert Habeck (The Greens, left) and Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD). © IMAGO / dts News Agency
Climate protection goals of the traffic light federal government: Public transport is moving into focus in transport
Climate protection in transport: The German Environmental Aid is calling for a reduction in emissions from road traffic. The proposals include high-speed cycle connections and sharing systems for electric cars in cities, as well as lower prices for public transport. In rural areas, public transport must be better developed and more money must be spent on it.
"Politicians must stop looking at transport policy from the point of view of the car," says the website of the nature conservation organization: "Motorized individual traffic must be significantly slowed down and cars must be kept out of city centers as far as possible." Is the eternal controversial topic of speed limits now back on the agenda?
Climate protection goals of the Federal Government: "Traffic light" invests enormously in rail network
At the end of 2022, the German government amended the Climate Protection Act, raising the targets for lower CO₂ emissions. Specifically, Germany has committed itself to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 percent by 65 compared to 1990. According to the Federal Ministry of Transport, the traffic light had initiated six measures on the subject of traffic. This includes, for example, the "strengthening of the network of (...) rail passenger transport of the railways, public road passenger transport by bus and tram, light rail and underground railways, as well as cycling and walking'.
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Politicians, for example, introduced the Deutschlandticket. The federal government and Deutsche Bahn are also investing at least 2030 billion euros in the renewal of the rail network by 86. To strengthen public transport, the federal government increased federal funding from 2021 million to one billion euros annually from 665. From 2025, these funds are to amount to two billion euros per year. Climate-friendly new construction projects are subsidised - for example, the second main line in Munich. As a result of the ruling, the German government is now obliged to take countermeasures with additional measures to ensure that the climate targets for the years 2024 to 2030 are met.
Climate protection goals of the traffic light federal government: Political majority for speed limit lacks
This means that if annual milestones are missed, politicians would have to budget significantly more money for them. However, this will be difficult: it was only on 27 November that the Federal Cabinet approved a supplementary budget for 2023. 43.2 billion euros are to be financed from loans. In other words, there is a lack of money in the federal budget everywhere, despite high tax revenues.
This is not the only hurdle: there is no political majority for a speed limit on motorways. The FDP, under Finance Minister Christian Lindner, who is currently heavily criticized, is strictly against it in the traffic light, while the opposition Union had been skeptical. Verdict or not, such a measure would have to be fixed by law. This means that the federal government would first have to introduce a legislative initiative in the German Bundestag. And it doesn't look like that in the current budget chaos.
Environmentally friendly heating alternative: A heat pump is attached to a house. (Symbolic photo) © IMAGO / Eibner
Climate protection goals of the traffic light: There is a lack of craftsmen for the many heat pumps
Climate protection in buildings: The German Environmental Aid is also calling for an immediate renovation programme for public buildings such as schools or daycare centres. Under Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck (The Greens), the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy had launched a "Building Strategy Climate Neutrality 2045". It states, among other things, that "heat pumps are to become the central heat generator". Habeck's ministry, for example, invests in cinema advertising to promote training as a heat pump installer. "Fossil fuels" should be "completely" phased out for heating. The goal must be to "massively increase sales of electrically powered heat pumps," according to the policy paper.
However, according to industry data from April 2023, there is a shortage of around 60,000 heating installers in Germany. So far, the plumbing and heating companies have modernized around 900,000 heating systems a year, the Central Association for Sanitation, Heating and Air Conditioning explained to the Funke media group at the time. The Green-led Ministry of Economic Affairs is calling for 500,000 new heat pumps in Germany every year.
Climate protection targets of the traffic light federal government: Budget hole exacerbates the situation
Ergo: The industry would have to concentrate completely on this. But that's not all: Here, too, after the 60 billion budget hole, there is probably simply a lack of money for further subsidies. Now it is expected anyway that the traffic light government will appeal to the Federal Administrative Court. And there may even be new elections, as demanded by CSU leader Markus Söder. (pm)