Federal Environment Minister Lemke is moving away from her opposition to the use of bio-diesel – at least this could be an option for farmers. There are no concrete plans yet; discussions are currently underway in the Ministry of the Environment.
So far, farmers have no real alternative to fossil fuels – which has also led to their strong criticism of the planned removal of the agricultural diesel subsidy. Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke is now also in favor of the use of fuels made from vegetable oils, also known as biodiesel.
“If we can reserve them for agriculture and use them there, then as Environment Minister I consider that to be a sensible solution,” said the Green politician ARD capital studio.
Cautious change of course without a concrete timetable
Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir had previously spoken out in favor of this. However, he has recently been rather cautious about whether the ongoing discussions with the Federal Environment Ministry could lead to an agreement.
Lemke also does not want to comment on an exact timetable. “The devil is in the details as to how such a reservation for the agricultural sector, or even for watercraft, can succeed,” she said.
Lemke deviates from ban plans
This would mean that Lemke would at least partially move away from her plan to gradually ban biofuels by 2030. However, she seems to be sticking to a ban on cars. So it doesn’t make sense to produce fuel on a large scale on limited arable land. “That’s not efficient, that’s not good for nature,” emphasized Lemke.
The Environment Minister can also imagine tax relief or even a complete tax exemption on plant fuels in agriculture. This would be an additional incentive for farmers to convert their vehicles, as not all engines are suitable for pure biodiesel operation.