Katharina Dröge, the leader of the Green parliamentary group, sharply criticized the federal government for proposing a one-year delay to the EU rules concerning methane emissions from imported fossil fuels. According to Dröge, this postponement is an indictment of Environment Minister Carsten Schneider (SPD), who she claims capitulated to Economy Minister Katharina Reiche (CDU).
However, Dröge labeled Reiche herself as the real scandal, arguing that since her visit to Texas, she has been committed to systematically undermining German and European climate protection, shamelessly adopting the demands of oil and gas corporations. The Green politician asserted that the Chancellor cannot tolerate this and must curb the influence of this pro-oil and gas lobbyist. Dröge stressed that the methane regulation could significantly and rapidly combat global warming.
Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is approximately 28 times more effective at trapping heat over a hundred-year period than carbon dioxide. The EU Methane Regulation requires importers of natural gas, crude oil, and coal to provide details on methane emissions throughout their international supply chains-for instance, those generated during gas extraction and transport. Furthermore, the regulation mandates the rapid fixing of leaks and reducing the flaring and venting of gases.
Shifting focus to the recent agreement between Germany and France regarding the weakening of CO2 fleet limits for new vehicles, Dröge added that Reiche, Merz, and the Union cannot halt the success of e-mobility. She maintains that people and the market are clearly demanding affordability and climate friendliness. However, the current critical decision is whether e-cars, battery technology, and other future technologies will be produced within Germany or in other nations. Dröge concluded her remarks by accusing Friedrich Merz (CDU) of fueling this debate with his deal, which she says seriously damages German production facilities.
The current fleet limits stipulate that all new cars approved in the EU from a manufacturer may currently emit an average of 93.6 grams of CO2 per kilometer. Under the original plan, this allowed CO2 emission levels to be gradually reduced to zero grams per kilometer. This would effectively prevent the sale of new internal combustion engines from 2035 onward, as alternative fuels, plug-in hybrids, and range extenders cannot achieve zero CO2 emissions.
Last year, the European Commission had proposed lowering the target for CO2 reduction for new cars in 2035 from 100 percent relative to 2021 to 90 percent. This proposal required that car manufacturing largely use steel produced without fossil fuels and that combustion engines be run on alternative fuels to compensate. Germany and France are now moving to scrap this compensation requirement.
