SPD chief Lars Klingbeil has called on the Union (CDU/CSU) not to allow a potential amendment to the Basic Law needed to better adapt to global warming’s consequences to fail because of their rejection of cooperation with the Left Party. “We must do what is right and not engage in petty wrangling over who speaks with whom,” Klingbeil told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.
The critical situation-including a tragic record of 12,500 heat-related deaths, low water levels impacting trade and logistics, and devastating forest fires-demands immediate action. According to Klingbeil, the SPD ministers in the cabinet have now put forward proposals on how to better protect people from the heat and further effects of climate change. He emphasized that an amendment to the Basic Law is necessary to elevate climate protection to a shared responsibility among the federal government, the states, and municipalities, which would allow for much better coordination.
Referencing the coalition agreement, Klingbeil noted that it stipulated that this shared responsibility should be examined. “The goal is to solve problems in this country. Funding programs must be bundled so that we can better equip social institutions, hospitals, and nursing homes with air conditioning systems,” he insisted. He confirmed that a key focus during next week’s cabinet session would be prioritizing heat protection, stating that this was important to him.
When challenged by the Green Party, which suggested that he could already achieve more for climate protection without amending the Basic Law, Klingbeil responded that the federal government is currently investing heavily in the area. He pointed out that no previous government had committed 100 billion euros to the Climate and Transformation Fund.
It was also noted that during negotiations between the Greens, the Union, and the SPD in 2025, an agreement was reached concerning the Basic Law amendment for the creation of the credit-financed special fund for infrastructure and climate neutrality (SVIK). This agreement stipulated that 10 billion euros annually would flow from the SVIK into the Climate and Transformation Fund (KTF) over a ten-year period. Finance Minister Klingbeil now plans to draw more than 13 billion euros from the KTF by 2030 and allocate it to the federal budget.
