Comment: The new climate protection law – pragmatic and correct

Despite a heated debate, the federal government made the right decision on the climate protection law. Because the previous sector targets had something of a climate planned economy. It’s the overall balance that counts.

The reform of the climate protection law is correct. The previous rules – with their annual sector targets – were all too static and inflexible, had something of a climate planned economy.

It is well known that forecasts are difficult – especially when they relate to the future. When the climate protection law came into force in 2019, no one could have known that Russia would invade Ukraine in 2022. Among other things, this led to Russia turning off the gas tap, Germany bringing old coal-fired power plants back online and also shutting down the last nuclear power plants. That was bad for the climate balance of the energy sector. But it’s also not entirely predictable.

It is good that Germany still achieved the overall climate targets it had set itself last year. This is crucial. In agriculture and waste management things are progressing faster than expected. And the additional greenhouse gas savings there even made up for the gap in transport and buildings. Why shouldn’t everything be offset against each other when the overall balance is correct?

For many it is only black or white

Critics of the reform should be told that Germany’s previous climate protection law is quite unique internationally in its fragmentation. In its climate protection regulation, the very climate-conscious European Union – despite strict requirements – does without annual sector targets for the individual states.

Even countries with their own climate protection laws leave plenty of room for pragmatism without losing sight of the overall goal. Unfortunately, Germany often has a hard time with pragmatism when debates are initially ideologically charged. And that is the case with climate protection.

For many it is only black or white. Climate apocalyptists face climate change deniers – often unforgiving, sometimes even violent on some streets when the climate stickers are on the road again.

In the international comparison very ambitious

This federal government is pursuing a very ambitious climate policy – also in international comparison. Even today, almost half of the electricity in this country is generated from renewable sources over the course of a year. The pace of expansion is now even to be tripled.

The state is investing hundreds of billions in climate change. And the industry is to be converted to green hydrogen, which initially costs a lot and is likely to bring competitive disadvantages in the short term. It is uncertain whether the promise of sustainable prosperity will materialize in the 2030s. It can work, but it can also go terribly wrong.

climate protection policy must be considerate

The heated debates about the heating law have shown that many citizens are already concerned that they will be overwhelmed. Crowbar climate protection policy may be well received in green milieus, but it generates increasing rejection from others. An ambitious climate protection policy must also take this into account.

The traffic light government is well advised not to open up the next political battlefield in transport policy. Even if the transport sector has undoubtedly lagged the furthest behind the sector targets. Just think pragmatically: When it comes to transport, the climate-friendly switchover will take some time, but things are moving faster elsewhere.