"Climate check" filter for new laws in Germany could be presented by December – media

The German economy and climate ministry (BMWK) is edging closer to introducing a “climate check” for all new laws that could become a prerequisite for future lawmaking in the country, newspaper Tageszeitung (taz) reports. The climate check is a key component of the government parties’ coalition treaty. “First conceptual deliberations” took place in the ministry and a first draft of the corresponding new law could be introduced by the end of 2022, about one year after the government took office, a ministry spokesperson told the newspaper. The goal would be “to make climate action a truly cross-sectional task for all ministries.” The Green Party-led BMWK will introduce a checklist that other ministries, for example those for transport, finance or agriculture, then need to apply to gauge the effects of a given law on the climate. Ministries themselves will be tasked with analysing the effects on greenhouse gas emissions and possible mitigating or offsetting measures, while either the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) or an expert council will assist the administrations in screening the laws’ effects. However, a detailed concept for the mechanism does not yet exist, the ministry spokesperson said.

The coalition treaty of the Green Party, the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Free Democrats (FDP) said the parties would ensure climate action is treated with equal importance across all branches of government and therefore introduce a climate check that ensures compliance. Proposals to give the economy and climate ministry a right to veto the other ministries’ proposed laws on grounds of climate action, akin to the finance ministry’s veto in budget questions, did not make it into the coalition treaty.