German industry cautions against rushing climate policy decisions

German industry representatives have called on the government to wait for the European Union’s reform proposals before making key changes to national climate and energy policy, writes Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. “The German government should coordinate its next steps with the more ambitious European climate requirements for member states and sectors announced for the summer, instead of making hasty decisions that may soon be outdated,” industry association BDI deputy managing director Holger Lösch told the newspaper. While it was good to provide planning security with medium and long-term targets, these should not be too detailed too early, he said. “Given the dynamics of innovation, it makes no sense to lock in today's knowledge with detailed sector targets for such long periods of time,” said Lösch. German Engineering Federation (VDMA) managing director Thilo Brodtmann agreed and said technical progress will open up “new possibilities that we do not yet know about today.”

A landmark ruling from Germany’s top court saying the country’s climate law was insufficient has catapulted climate to the top of the political debate as government coalition partners and opposition parties shifted into election campaign mode. Following the ruling, the parties have started to outbid each other on climate targets and more ambitious instruments and measures. German climate policy has been largely aligned with EU requirements and must be adapted as the bloc agrees more ambition. The European Commission is set to unveil its proposals for a complete overhaul of EU climate and energy legislation by mid-July.