On the occasion of the Federal Administrative Court’s ruling on the coalition government’s 2023 climate‑protection plan, Green Party chairman Felix Banaszak sharply criticized the federal government’s measures.
In the “Rheinische Post” (Saturday edition) he said, “It is time for Friedrich Merz and Katherina Reiche to abandon their ideological fight against climate and nature protection”. He called on the parties to “now, using our expertise on the subject, present a constitutionally sound and robust climate‑protection program”. He added that the CDU and SPD have been blocking progress in transport and building for years and that the court always orders them to pay the costs.
The court ordered the government to expand the 2023 climate‑protection program. A gap of 200 million tonnes of CO₂‑equivalent remains that must be closed to meet the 2030 intermediary target. Aside from this, the law requires the government to submit a new program by 25 March, ensuring compliance with the 2030 target, the 2040 goal, and the annual milestones between 2031 and 2040. The government can now decide which measures it will adopt to achieve these objectives.
Banaszak offered concrete proposals: launch an affordable “Germany Ticket” create new subsidies for heating system modernization, and immediately commence all ready‑to‑build railway projects across the country – actions that would protect the climate and give the economy a real boost. He also advocated protecting intact wetlands and developing attractive green belts in cities, noting that the special fund has already been set up to finance these initiatives, so lack of money is not the problem.
