Traffic light groups agree on climate protection law and solar package

The SPD, Greens and FDP have agreed on the long-controversial reform of the Climate Protection Act and a package to promote the solar industry. This also means that the driving ban threatened by the FDP is off the table.

After months of struggle, the traffic light factions have agreed on a new climate protection law. The reform stipulates that compliance with climate targets will no longer be monitored retroactively by sector, but rather will look forward, over several years and across sectors.

So far, if individual sectors such as transport or buildings fail to meet legal requirements for CO2 emissions, the responsible ministries have to submit emergency programs the following year.

Driving bans off the table

Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing described the agreement as a sensible step. The FDP politician explained that the previous law would have entailed massive restrictions on freedom for citizens. “With the agreement, driving bans are finally off the table.” Wissing had previously threatened drastic cuts for drivers, including driving bans on weekends, if there was no early agreement on the reform.

Climate protection minister Robert Habeck also expressed his satisfaction: “Climate protection policy will thus become more forward-looking, more flexible and therefore more efficient,” said the Green politician. In the future, the federal government will have even greater overall responsibility for compliance with climate goals. The solar package is also helpful: “The package is another booster for the expansion of solar energy.” The expansion will be accelerated and implemented with less bureaucracy.

The environmental association BUND, on the other hand, spoke of a blow to climate protection: “Instead of commitment and responsibility, there is now shared irresponsibility. The law has had crucial teeth removed,” said BUND boss Olaf Bandt. Climate protection should be put on the back burner with impunity.

Removing bureaucratic hurdles for solar energy

The controversial reform of the Climate Protection Act was linked to a package of measures intended to accelerate the expansion of solar energy in Germany. The solar package means that bureaucratic hurdles will be removed. For example, the operation of balcony power plants or the use of self-generated photovoltaic electricity in apartment buildings should become easier. The options for solar systems in fields and fields should also be expanded. Financial support for the domestic solar industry (“resilience bonus”) was recently discussed, but the FDP rejected this.

Minister Habeck had already presented a draft for the new law in the summer of 2023. But the FDP didn’t go far enough. Above all, she wanted to abolish the specific targets for greenhouse gas emissions for each individual sector. This was primarily intended to take pressure off Federal Transport Minister Wissing’s problematic area. She has now achieved her goal.