Now the work begins for the Ampel-Coalition: Particularly high expectations weigh on Robert Habeck, who heads the so-called super ministry, in which the agendas for economy and climate protection are bundled. A ministry under green management should therefore ensure that Germany achieves the climate protection goals.
It is well known that in order to move something forward, you need skills and money. Christian Lindner from the FDP is responsible for the finances. So when Habeck presents the opening balance rightly demanded by the environmental associations when he takes office in order to show how big the gap is between the goals in the Climate Protection Act and the measures in the coalition agreement, then he then has to ask Lindner for financial resources – maybe even beg.
Finance Minister’s right of veto
It is largely at the discretion of the finance minister whether and to what extent funds flow for the necessary transformation process. Lindner has a kind of veto right, which the Greens had actually demanded for the climate protection ministry. The only result is that every draft law is subjected to a “climate check”.
Yes, other ministries must also seek funding from the finance department. But what about the competencies to really promote climate protection as a priority? Eight years ago, under Sigmar Gabriel, responsibility for climate policy came to the Ministry of Economic Affairs. This is followed by further presentations and employees from the Ministry of the Environment, which is thereby weakened even more.
Annalena Baerbock from the Ministry of the Environment was able to bring responsibility for international climate policy to the Federal Foreign Office. In future, Baerbock and not Habeck will act as chief negotiator at climate conferences. What is the result of an internal power struggle in the Green leadership means a weakening of the government member who is actually responsible for climate protection if Habeck cannot appear on the international stage as a representative of Germany.
The fatal design flaw, however, is that the Climate Protection Ministry lacks the skills for the transport sector. Whether Germany achieves its climate goals is not only decided by energy generation and industry. The transport sector is currently responsible for around a fifth of greenhouse gas emissions in Germany. While significant reductions have been achieved in other sectors since 1990, emissions from traffic have even risen slightly – especially on the roads.
In the coalition negotiations, the Greens not only failed to enforce a general speed limit on motorways. With the FDP politician Volker Wissing, there is a man at the top of the Ministry of Transport who wants to lower the vehicle tax for diesel vehicles and generally continue a car-friendly course. So that the goal of a greenhouse gas reduction of 40 to 42 percent by 2030 can be achieved, the Minister of Transport has to go along with it. Or to put it another way: Whether the Green Habeck can deliver depends crucially on the Liberal Wissing.
The super ministry in Austria as a model
The Greens should have orientated themselves to Austria when designing the ministries. Your party friend Leonore Gewessler has headed the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology since the beginning of 2020 – this is actually a super ministry that does justice to this name.
Especially with its initiatives in the transport sector, Gewessler was able to score and give weight to the Greens in the government with the ÖVP. The rush for the affordable climate ticket for public transport, which is valid for all of Austria, was so great at the beginning that the website collapsed. Gewessler also did not shy away from canceling planned road construction projects such as the Lobau tunnel in Vienna. This caused anger among other parties, but gave the Greens credibility that they are serious about climate protection. Habeck has far fewer opportunities to intervene, his alleged super ministry is not so well equipped with the skills to implement an effective climate protection policy.