Bundesumweltminister Carsten Schneider (SPD) plans to sharpen Germany’s climate‑action agenda and has presented a set of measures aimed at reaching climate neutrality by 2045.
The Bild (Tuesday edition) reported that Schneider’s proposals are drawn from the draft “Climate Protection Programme 2026”. He wants to boost financial aid for replacing old heating systems with climate‑friendly alternatives. Under the new scheme, households with a taxable annual income of up to €30,000 would receive a 40 % cost subsidy, up from the current 30 %.
For household renovations such as window replacement or new building insulation, a 30 % cost subsidy would be available to families earning up to €40,000 a year. If a dwelling’s insulation is particularly poor, the subsidy would increase by an additional ten percentage points.
Schneider also seeks to create more jobs in the “climate trade”, in part by improving access to Bafög and by offering state subsidies for all training programs related to the heat transition. Furthermore, he proposes a methane‑monitoring programme for dairy cows-modeled on New Zealand’s system-and research into new cattle breeds that produce less methane. The plan would also explore the possibility of reducing the value‑added tax on plant‑based products.
