Ahead of a cabinet session in Neuhardenberg, Thomas Heilmann, chairman of the Climate Union and a former CDU Member of the Bundestag, is speaking out against amending the Basic Law concerning climate adaptation and climate protection.
Speaking to the specialized news service “Tagesspiegel Background,” Heilmann expressed skepticism regarding the proposed constitutional amendment. He cited the 2009 federalism commission, which had effectively eliminated the mixing of duties among federal, state, and municipal levels, as a good reason for his apprehension. He stressed that the change would not bring in any additional funds. Instead, he argued that Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) should utilize revenues generated from the emissions trading scheme, for which these mechanisms were originally established. Heilmann suggested it would be a self-congratulatory formality for the SPD to pursue such a procedural change.
Heilmann previously served as a CDU representative for the Berlin Steglitz-Zehlendorf constituency from 2017 to 2025. Since 2022, he has been the chairman of the Climate Union, an organization composed of members from the CDU and CSU dedicated to climate policy. Prior to the constitutional debate, Heilmann had warned his own party about potential setbacks in climate protection measures caused by the new building modernization law.
However, Heilmann simultaneously appealed to the federal government to intensify efforts in climate adaptation and heat protection. Reflecting on countless heat-related deaths, droughts, and billions of euros in economic losses, he stated, “I expect the federal government now to step up its efforts in climate protection.” He added that Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) had already set the right tone over the weekend, having pledged to do everything possible to counteract climate change, a commitment that the cabinet session must build upon.
