Former Saxony‑Anhalt premier Reiner Haseloff, a member of the CDU, has argued that Germany’s ambitious climate‑saving targets are no longer compatible with the difficult overall situation that includes ongoing war. Speaking to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” Thursday, he warned that the current “energy transition” philosophy would lead to severe consequences.
He cited the recent bankruptcies of several automotive‑parts suppliers in Saxony‑Anhalt as evidence that the economy-he described as “the A and O”-is under strain. When he discussed the chemical sector, Haseloff pointed out that large firms such as BASF can relocate plants to China where regulatory rules are looser, but a mid‑size company in Saxony‑Anhalt cannot simply move to another location. If CO₂ certificate prices rise, he argued, such a business would be doomed because the industry can’t produce chemicals without emitting CO₂.
The chemicals sector, he noted, can become greener over time by electrifying processes, replacing natural gas with green hydrogen, using biomass and capturing or storing CO₂ (CCU and CCS). However, many of these solutions remain costly, and the EU is therefore pushing the market forward through carbon‑emission trading.
Haseloff criticised that procedures in Germany have become more complex and slower because the country has delegated part of its sovereignty to Brussels. “On cars and chemicals the federal government can’t decide without the EU” he said. “If the combustion‑engine phase‑out continues, it will hurt the German automotive industry”. He added that people are already feeling the impact.
Given the tough economic climate in Germany, Haseloff called for quicker countermeasures from the federal government. He acknowledged that Chancellor Friedrich Merz has taken some steps, but he warned that incremental, slow progress-“millimetre‑by‑millimetre fighting”-is insufficient to resolve the crisis. Companies need planning certainty regarding future CO₂‑certificate prices; otherwise, he said, they will not invest.
Under the Paris Agreement, 195 countries pledged to achieve a balance between human‑made greenhouse‑gas emissions and their removal by the second half of the century. In 2021, Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court, citing Article 20a of the Basic Law, declared a duty to attain climate neutrality. This means Germany must not only set a target date but also must not exceed a specified cumulative CO₂ amount up to that date.
