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Dietmar Woidke (SPD), Prime Minister of Brandenburg, speaks.
© Bernd Settnik/dpa
Brandenburg wants to achieve climate neutrality by 2045.
But the country's climate plan was on hold and now called environmentalists into action.
Now there are new discussions within the government.
Potsdam - Environmental protection organizations have accused Brandenburg's Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD) of irresponsibly blocking the climate plan.
The dispute within the cabinet made up of the SPD, CDU and Greens now seems to be moving.
Next week there will be talks between the State Chancellery and the Environment Ministry.
“We are very angry at how the Prime Minister is single-handedly preventing climate protection,” said the state chairwoman of the Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation Germany (BUND), Franziska Sperfeld, on Friday in Potsdam.
Around 40 organizations as well as numerous scientists and farmers wrote an open letter to Woidke.
They are urging that the state government quickly adopt the climate plan that has already been drawn up to achieve the targeted CO2 savings.
But this climate policy strategy was on hold for the time being because, according to Woidke, there is still a need for advice.
The climate plan is a cross-departmental strategy with numerous measures to achieve climate neutrality by 2045. It is about saving climate-damaging emissions in many areas such as building and living, industry, transport and agriculture.
When asked on Friday, government spokesman Florian Engels said that the State Chancellery had submitted its information on the climate plan to the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Protection on Thursday.
“The climate plan must bring together economic development, prosperity and sustainability.
“It must also be implementable and realizable.” When the consultations have been completed, the climate plan will be submitted to the cabinet, said the government spokesman.
“The implementation of climate protection in Brandenburg is not hindered by the longer climate plan process.”
When asked, Environment Minister Axel Vogel (Greens) said that the State Chancellery's statement would now be evaluated in the ministry.
“Discussions will take place with the State Chancellery next week, as a result of which the climate plan will be approved in the cabinet.”
The alliance of environmentalists in Brandenburg said to Woidke: “After many delays, it is only up to him to present the final plan to the cabinet for adoption.” It would be the Prime Minister’s job to go ahead and promote the climate plan, said BUND state chairwoman Sperfeld.
“Yes, it will cost something, but doing nothing costs more in the long run.”
The scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Wolfgang Lucht, also expressed his incomprehension and said: “Time is running out.” Brandenburg has a good climate plan that was carefully developed and scientifically supported.
“Shirking from this is postponing a problem into the future that is getting worse every year.” Regarding the environmentalists’ letter, Minister Vogel said that it shows that many social actors and groups support the decision on a binding framework for the state government’s climate protection activities considered necessary and urgent.
dpa