Social Democrats tone down CO₂ floor price ambition in campaign programme draft
The Social Democratic Party (SPD) has toned down its ambition regarding the introduction of a carbon floor price in its proposal for a party programme, to be decided at a federal party conference on 25 June. The party, which currently governs together with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU but trails the conservatives in the polls for the upcoming elections, maintains that it wants to develop a national climate protection law. “We will continue to develop European emissions trading so it can fulfil its function as the key instrument to protect the climate. Should this be impossible to achieve, we will start negotiations to agree minimum prices for CO₂ on a European level," the paper says. A first draft stated the introduction of a minimum price as a goal. Other key provisions on energy and climate policy were left largely unchanged and include:
- Develop national Climate Protection Law in dialogue with all relevant sectors; based on technology neutrality and openness towards innovation
- Examine all subsidies and taxes for the effects on the climate
- Want to examine alternative ways to finance the Energiewende
- “Will make Germany the most energy efficient economy in the world”
- Energiewende: energy must be environmentally friendly, affordable, and the supply secured (all equally important)
- Push sector coupling
- Secure competitiveness of German industry during energy transition
- Prevent carbon leakage / take into account different competition conditions regarding climate protection
- Fossil fuels necessary for way to successful and complete energy transition / natural gas becomes more important
- Uphold ban of unconventional fracking
- Push other countries to exit nuclear power generation / promote removal of EU support for construction of new nuclear power plants
- Promote e-mobility “for climate and industry policy reasons” / push for ambitious EU passenger car emissions limits
Find the paper in German here.
For background on the federal elections read the CLEW dossier Vote2017 - German elections and the Energiewende.