The climate protection law is still being examined by the government. Transport Minister Wissing is now putting pressure on people – and is warning against car-free weekends.
In the dispute over a reform of the climate protection law, Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) has warned of drastic cuts for drivers – including driving bans on weekends. This emerges from a letter from Wissing to the chairmen of the traffic light factions SPD, Greens and FDP. It was available to the German Press Agency; the “Bild” newspaper first reported on it.
According to Wissing’s argument, driving bans could become necessary if the planned reform is not passed quickly. In order to achieve so-called climate sector goals in transport according to the current law, a significant reduction in the mileage of cars and trucks would be necessary. This would “only be possible through restrictive measures that are difficult to communicate to the population, such as nationwide and indefinite driving bans on Saturdays and Sundays.”
Greens: “This claim is simply wrong”
The Greens reacted indignantly. “This claim is simply false,” said deputy group leader Julia Verlinden to the dpa. “A minister should not stir up unfounded concerns among people.”
The letter comes in the middle of negotiations between the traffic light factions about reforming the climate protection law. The cabinet decided on this last June and the first reading in the Bundestag was in September.
The climate protection goals are bindingly regulated in the law. It stipulates that climate-damaging emissions of greenhouse gases will be reduced by 65 percent by 2030 compared to 1990. Permissible annual emission levels have been set for individual sectors such as industry, energy, transport and buildings.
Reform is part of the coalition agreement
The key point so far is the following mechanism: If sectors fail to meet the targets, the responsible federal government departments have to make adjustments in the form of emergency programs – to ensure compliance with emissions levels.
According to the federal government’s draft law, compliance with climate targets should no longer be checked retroactively according to the various sectors – but rather looking into the future, over several years and across sectors. In the future, the federal government as a whole should decide in which sector and with which measures the permissible total amount of CO2 should be achieved by 2030 – but only if the target is missed two years in a row.
Requirements for reducing emissions in individual specific sectors are to be abolished. The FDP in particular is pushing for a reform of the law, which is part of the coalition agreement.
Habeck: “No one stuck to it”
The departments in whose responsibility climate targets are missed still have a “political responsibility,” Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) said in June when presenting the plans. The current law looks good on paper, but in reality it has had too little effect, said Habeck: “No pig has adhered to it.”
According to the Federal Environment Agency, 10.1 percent fewer climate-damaging greenhouse gases were emitted in Germany in 2023 than in 2022. There were significant declines in the energy sector; the Federal Environment Agency justified this with a lower use of fossil fuels to generate electricity and heat.
According to the authority, the transport sector in particular needs to make adjustments when it comes to climate protection. He is clearly missing his climate goals again. The data is assessed by a panel of experts on climate issues. This report will be presented next Monday.
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