The Greens are demanding that the federal government revise its climate protection program, arguing that the government’s latest climate report is a serious embarrassment.
Julia Verlinden, a deputy group chair for the Green party, told the “Rheinische Post”, stating that “Merz, Reiche, and company are blindly marching toward a legislative breach that will cost the people and the country dearly”. She highlighted that recent weeks have already shown the high cost associated with dependence on oil and gas.
The advisory board previously concluded that the federal government’s efforts to protect the climate are insufficient to meet the 2030 climate targets. Verlinden criticized the situation further, noting that the report’s findings are still fresh, yet the government is proceeding with highly problematic legislation-like an outdated building modernization law and permits for new fossil gas power plants. She urged the coalition parties to take the advisory board’s warnings seriously, immediately halt their climate-denying laws, and revise the overall climate protection program.
The criticism is not limited to the Greens. The Linke (The Left Party) also criticized the current climate policy of the center-right coalition. Fabian Fahl, climate policy spokesperson for the Linke, argued that the government has failed to present any climate program that respects planetary boundaries, noting that the critical physical reality is not being adequately recognized. Fahl emphasized that credible climate policy must accelerate the socio-ecological transformation while supporting the citizenry, for example, through appropriate climate dividends (Klimageld).
