The Union has accused Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in the Bundestag of softening the climate protection law. "How can you be responsible for that?" asked Andreas Jung, vice-chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, on Wednesday in the government survey with a view to the coalition's decision to waive binding annual and sector targets for emissions in the future. Scholz rejected the allegations and assured that the government was doing everything to achieve the climate targets.
Rather, it is about "further developing" the Climate Protection Act for the future perspective of climate neutrality in 2045, said Scholz. Also, it is not the case that there should be no more annual targets, but rather will continue to "look every year" whether the climate targets for 2030 could be achieved. In the future, it should be checked every two years whether deviations are so large "that we have to make adjustments". After three days of consultations, the traffic light coalition presented a package of measures on Tuesday evening to implement climate protection goals and accelerate planning in Germany.
On the government's plans for a switch to more environmentally friendly heating systems, Scholz said: "This will be an unbureaucratic, simple regulation that takes into account many different issues, but at the same time has in mind: By 2045, our country wants to be CO2-neutral." At the same time, the "concerns of the citizens are taken seriously" and funding programs for the installation of new heating systems are being prepared.
This concerns the obligation envisaged from 2024, according to which 65 percent of newly installed heating systems should be operated with renewable energies. Alternatively, among other things, a perspective on operation with hydrogen should be recognised.
At the beginning of the questioning, Scholz had defended the decisions of the coalition committee. He spoke of "speed", "modernisation" and "acceleration". Scholz listed various planned measures in the infrastructure or transport sector. In the case of buildings, there will be "pragmatic" and "very responsive solutions" so that the country becomes climate-neutral. No one will be left alone with his problems, said Scholz. "But, that's the difference to before: there will be speed, acceleration, and these tasks will all be pursued purposefully. The stalemate of recent decades, which we owe to conservative politics, has finally come to an end. Now it's picking up speed in Germany."
Debate on gun rights
In the government survey, the chancellor also commented on gun rights when asked by the Greens. "We intend to make the gun law so strict that it meets the requirements for the safety of citizens," said Scholz. "This must be a cautious reform", there are already many rules in this area, which must also be implemented. "In this area of tension, we will make a proposal at very short notice," said Scholz.