The Federal Government currently lacks the ability to determine the specific environmental impact of the proposed Building Modernization Act. This uncertainty emerged from a response by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs to an inquiry raised by the Green party, which was subsequently reported in newspapers belonging to the Frauke Media Group.
In addressing questions regarding whether the draft law aligns with climate goals and EU regulations, the ministry stated that “a robust assessment of the law’s climate impact can only be done after the legislative process is complete.” Furthermore, predictions concerning future price developments for natural gas, biomethane, and green hydrogen are not available to the government; these forecasts were deemed “not reliably quantifiable,” according to the Economic Ministry.
The Green party has expressed deep dismay regarding this lack of governmental certainty. Kassel Taher Saleh, a spokesperson for the Greens in the Bundestag, strongly criticized the situation, stating that “the Federal Government is planning a law about which it cannot even say what effects it will have or how much it will ultimately cost.” He pointed out that the government neither knows the consequences its legislation will have on CO₂ emissions within the building sector nor how intended emission reductions will be balanced. Saleh openly noted the government’s admission that it currently cannot gauge the act’s climatic effect.
Taher Saleh highlighted a conflict with existing principles outlined in Germany’s Basic Law, which prohibits “regression” concerning climate protection standards. He argued that while this constitutional mandate forbids climate rollback, the Federal Government seems intent on lowering previously established standards. Consequently, he declared that this legislation is unconstitutional. Saleh issued warnings about potentially increased costs, greater pollution levels, and reduced planning security, emphasizing that nobody can predict the actual scale of the consequences at this time.
The Building Modernization Act is slated to replace the Energy Act (often referred to as the Heating Law), which was heavily reformed by the coalition government. The legislative draft is scheduled for its first reading in the Bundestag next week.
