Climate protection cornerstone of govt coalition agreement in Baden-Württemberg

The Green Party and the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) have concluded a new coalition agreement in the southern German state of Baden-Württemberg following the 14 March elections there. Climate protection is one of the most important issues for the new government, according to public broadcaster SWR. The coalition agreement calls for solar power arrays to be installed on new buildings and for new wind farm sites to be allocated in state-owned forests and land. “The state's buildings should become climate-neutral as quickly as possible,” the agreement states, adding that the government will “strive for exemplary energy standards and operate an ambitious energy management” and “consistently implement and develop the energy and climate protection concept for the state's own properties.” The agreement also calls for new photovoltaic projects along motorways and train routes. The government, which will continue to be led by Green Premier Winfried Kretschmann, aims to further develop the state budget in accordance with the Paris Agreement as well as with "environmental, social and human rights standards", the agreement reads. To that end, it will seek to comply with the 1.5 degrees Celsius target and global sustainability goals in all its financial policy decisions. The state's funding programmes are also to be reviewed for their climate relevance. "We want to make Baden-Württemberg climate-neutral, we want to successfully cope with the structural change in our economy and counteract structural breaks, and we want to strengthen the cohesion of our society," said Kretschmann. The agreement looks set to pave the way for the coalition partners to achieve their goal of making Baden-Württemberg -- home to automaker Daimler -- “an international benchmark as a climate action state.”

The continuity of the coalition between the two parties is seen as a blueprint for a potential coalition at the federal level following the German elections on 26 September. The Greens remain the largest party in the state with 32.6 percent of the vote, while the CDU has logged its worst result in the state’s history, falling to 24 percent.