As of: March 27, 2024, 6:01 p.m
By: Amy Walker
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The federal government had actually agreed in the coalition agreement to introduce climate money to cushion rising energy prices.
The Greens are now showing their colors and saying: Next year it will happen.
Berlin – Climate money remains a contentious issue in the federal government: The money for all citizens announced in the coalition agreement is actually intended to cushion rising energy prices.
But so far the coalition has not been able to agree on a payment date.
The technical requirements for this should be available from the end of this year.
However, Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) has so far rejected a payment before the next federal election.
Now Lindner and the traffic light coalition are facing further headwinds from the federal states.
On Friday (March 22nd), the Federal Council passed a resolution calling on the government to pay out the climate money from next year.
And the Green parliamentary group is also taking a stand and wants to finally implement climate money.
139 euros in climate money goes to citizens' money recipients
“Climate money combines justice and climate protection.
We want to pay it out as soon as possible,” said the deputy parliamentary group leader of the Greens in the Bundestag, Andreas Audretsch, to the Tagesspiegel on Friday.
On the same day, the Federal Council asked the traffic light to start paying out climate money by 2025 at the latest.
An alliance of environmental and social associations wants to show how much money that could end up being with a new test: They want to use a lottery to pay climate money to 1,000 recipients of social benefits such as citizen's benefit and housing benefit to show how it works.
Those chosen will then receive 139 euros each.
Helena Steinhau, the founder of the Sanktionsfrei association, which is affiliated with the alliance that advocates basic security without sanctions, explained: “Anyone who earns little or receives citizen's benefit is already living in accordance with the 1.5 degree goal of Paris .” At the climate conference in Paris, the global community set itself the goal of limiting global warming, if possible, to less than 1.5 degrees compared to pre-industrial times.
Poorer people cause the fewest emissions but bear the highest burden of transformation, said Steinhaus.
“This is unfair in every respect.” In addition to the Paritätischer Gesamtverband and Sanktionsfrei, the members of the alliance also include Fridays for Future, Campact, Oxfam and the BUND.
Economist supports the project: 139 euros in climate money is a “noticeable sum”
And the leading economist and President of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), Marcel Fratzscher, also supports the project, which he supports scientifically.
“Scientific studies show that low-income households are generally significantly more burdened by the CO₂ price than wealthy households,” he said.
Climate money could provide greater relief for low incomes and is becoming increasingly important as CO₂ prices rise.
“Climate money now”: demands at a climate demonstration in Kiel – but the payment is delayed.
© IMAGO/Petra Nowack
Fratzscher sees a lack of acceptance in society as the biggest hurdle to successful climate protection.
“The climate money is part of the coalition agreement, it is a promise from the federal government that it has not yet fulfilled.” The fact that the income from higher CO₂ prices is not available because it flows into subsidies for industry should not be an argument, this Breaking promises to citizens.
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According to Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP), a per capita payment is technically possible from 2025.
Every citizen should get money back from the state.
However, that would cost billions.
It is unclear whether and when the coalition will implement its announcement.
A capitation fee is a good instrument because it creates transparency, says Fratzscher.
For people with very low incomes, an amount of 139 euros is a “noticeable sum”.
The topic is very complex and one should not only base the design on income, but also take other factors into account.
People in rural areas or poorly insulated apartments are more burdened by higher energy prices.
The alliance advocates a social staggering of climate money, i.e. higher amounts for poorer people.
That would be more complicated, admitted Steinhaus.
“But it would also be fairer.”
With material from dpa