Germany must “pull through” politically if Minister of Economics Habeck has his way. The climate goals can no longer be achieved otherwise.
Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck sees a lot of catching up to do in Germany when it comes to climate protection. “We’re not on course,” said the Green politician on Wednesday at the Republica digital conference in Berlin. With a view to the accelerated expansion of renewable energies from wind and sun and a planned energy efficiency law, Habeck said that even if all the measures were in place, it would not be enough to meet the 1.5 degree target – unless the ” “Politically set impulses” create a social dynamic. According to the Paris climate agreement, global warming should be limited to 1.5 degrees.
Habeck said that you now have to “pull things through” politically and work to ensure that there is a social majority. “In the end, politics can’t do it alone if people don’t pull together.” You started too late for that.
“One has to say that we are perhaps moving away from a social majority for change overall,” said Habeck. “We can just decide as a society: do we want to make a positive contribution or do we want to tell each other stories about failure? And I think that’s the key in the end that we’re trying to do it somehow.”
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Coalition struggles for heating law
The coalition is currently struggling over a controversial draft law on the heating law that has already been passed by the cabinet. This stipulates that from the beginning of 2024 every newly installed heating system should be operated with at least 65 percent green energy. The switch is to be socially cushioned by state funding, and there should also be transitional periods and hardship regulations. The FDP in particular wants improvements. Read more here.
Habeck continued to speak of “ideological issues” that separated the partners in the coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP, for example on economic issues. The minister advocates a state-subsidized industrial electricity price in order to strengthen the international competitiveness of German companies. The FDP rejects the plans.
