Friday April 28, 2023
“But the installation ban must remain” Habeck approaches the FDP in the heating dispute
Heat pump instead of gas heating: Habeck does not want to negotiate the green core of his law.
(Photo: picture alliance/dpa)
Despite the cabinet decision, Habeck’s heating law in the traffic light is still controversial. The Greens politician signals to the FDP that there is room for negotiation. However, he doesn’t want to give way a millimeter when it comes to the central point of criticism from the liberals.
Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck is willing to compromise in the heating dispute with the FDP. “Transitional periods can be negotiated, social cushions can be increased,” said the Green politician in Kiel in the evening to the editorial network Germany (RND). “You can look at the income limit again,” stressed Habeck. “The Bundestag will certainly do something in its wisdom.”
However, the most important point of the Building Energy Act, the extensive ban on installing new oil and gas heating systems, is non-negotiable. “That’s the core of the law, it can’t be destroyed – we don’t need it without it,” said the Economics Minister.
Finance Minister and FDP leader Christian Lindner had not previously prevented the passing of the law on heating replacement in the cabinet, but had expressed concerns in a minute. At the weekend, the FDP party congress criticized “the wrong climate and energy policy of the Greens” and announced a major need for change in resolutions in order to bring the reform “in line with the goals and values of the Free Democrats”. The core of the liberal criticism is precisely the installation ban, which Habeck absolutely wants to adhere to.
SPD wants exception for all pensioners
At the same time, Habeck rejected demands from the SPD to the RND to extend the exemption from the installation ban for new gas and oil heating systems for people over 80 to all pensioners. “I don’t think that’s right,” he said. “We shouldn’t make too big a time exception.”
Habeck said he was confident that he would be able to get the entire package of laws passed in the coalition through parliament before the summer break. “I firmly believe that the agreement that was reached in the coalition is in place,” he said. “The paramount task of our generation is to stop climate change. That’s what we will be measured in the history books.”
Habeck’s reform of the Building Energy Act stipulates that from January 1, 2024, every newly installed heating system must be operated with 65 percent renewable energy. Pure gas or oil heating systems should therefore no longer be newly installed.
Source: ntv.de
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