Saarland Prime Minister Anke Rehlinger (SPD) received support from the SPD parliamentary group for her warning against a reversal in the transformation of the German steel industry. Esra Limbacher, the Deputy Parliamentary Group Leader, told the “Rheinische Post” that if a “complete halt” were implemented, something some might wish for, it would not work and would have fatal consequences for the industrial base of the region. Limbacher stated, “This is not possible with the SPD.”
Limbacher further emphasized that modernizing the steel industry is a critical issue for the future of Germany’s industrial sector. To achieve this, the framework of emissions trading must be preserved. She noted that many companies, including steel producers in Saarland and Salzgitter, rely on this system. Furthermore, the Deputy Leader stressed that investments and long-term corporate strategies are synchronized with the emissions trading mechanism.
Rehlinger had previously warned Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) in a letter against endangering the climate-friendly reshaping of the German steel industry. According to Rehlinger, the planned reform of the CO2 emissions trading system in Germany and the EU must not place companies in difficult positions that have already undertaken significant steps to reduce greenhouse gases.
