Diesel cars are subsidized by the state.
The aviation industry gets help from the kerosene tax exemption.
Coal is subsidized.
The aim is to reduce emissions of climate-damaging greenhouse gases.
That not only sounds paradoxical, it is: The federal government subsidizes climate-damaging projects, even though climate protection is a key project for the traffic light coalition.
In 2018, Germany invested around 65 billion euros in subsidies that supported projects that were harmful to the environment and the climate, according to the Federal Environment Agency.
Almost half of this is accounted for by air and road traffic.
Why right there?
Christina Deckwirth from the Lobbycontrol association says in the podcast that too many stakeholders from the fossil fuel economy are still getting involved: »The car industry is one of the sectors that is very closely linked to politics.
There are a lot of side changers there, such as former politicians who now have lobbying jobs in the auto industry.
And that is also reflected in the subsidies.” Is it really that simple?
How powerful are lobby groups and how do they exert influence?
In this episode of Climate Report, we look at government subsidies and the role of economic interests.
Guest is Christina Deckwirth from the Lobbycontrol association.
