The CDU will not take a vote at its February party congress on whether the definition of climate neutrality should be diluted. Instead, members have settled on a motion that stresses the significance of climate protection and underlines the need to balance it with the competitiveness of the location, according to Funke‑Mediengruppe (Wednesday issue).
The backdrop was a proposal from the Mittelstands‑und Wirtschaftsunion (MIT) and the Christlich‑Demokratische Arbeitnehmerschaft (CDA) that was planned for the upcoming congress. It sought to redefine climate neutrality as a 90 % reduction in emissions by 2050 instead of the full 100 % cut. Under current law, Germany must achieve climate neutrality by 2045.
After strong intra‑party protest, that proposal appears to have been pulled from the agenda. The new motion, now slated for introduction, declares that climate change and the threats to biodiversity pose an existential danger. It argues that climate protection can succeed only through collective global effort. Drawing on the Paris Agreement and stronger international cooperation, it insists that each actor must fulfill its respective contribution. The party frames economy, climate protection, and social balance as complementary, not contradictory, objectives.
