Most leading German parties stand by 2045 climate neutrality target ahead of snap election
ZDF
Most of Germany’s leading parties say they are committed to the country’s 2045 climate neutrality target. In the last major TV debate on public broadcaster ZDF before the snap election on Sunday (23 February), chancellor Olaf Scholz’s SPD, the Green Party, the Left Party, and the conservative CDU/CSU alliance all supported the goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions five years before the EU target year 2050.
Carsten Linnemann, secretary general of the CDU, said his party aimed to use as little regulation as possible to achieve the target, arguing that “policymakers have to determine the amount of CO2 emissions, engineers and the industry must find ways to achieve it”. Linnemann said his party did not intend to do away with Germany’s Building Energy Law if it leads the next government, and vowed to ensure greater technology openness in the sector. The country’s heating transition has been a major point of contention between the CDU/CSU and the outgoing government coalition.
The SPD’s secretary general, Matthias Miersch, said that focusing on CO2 prices, an approach proposed by the conservative alliance, would lead people “into a CO2 price-trap” with upward spiraling costs. Green Party foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said reaching the climate targets would ultimately benefit Germany’s industry, which had a lot to gain by selling “climate neutral steel and climate neutral cars”. Left Party co-leader Jan van Aken argued that failing to act on climate change would be more expensive and lead to greater social injustice in Germany than investing in decarbonisation today.
The pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the nationalist-left Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) all rejected the 2045 target. FDP leader Christian Lindner said reaching the target would mean high costs, mirroring the statement of AfD leader Alice Weidel. BSW leader Sahra Wagenknecht claimed “you cannot become climate neutral with today’s technologies” but added she would have “nothing against” achieving climate neutrality in 2045.
Climate change has shifted out of the focus during the current campaign compared to previous elections in 2017 and 2021. Concerns about migration, international security, economic stability, and competitiveness have dominated debates, with the cost of the energy transition for citizens and companies often being a controversial issue also among parties generally supporting effective climate action.
