A prominent figure within Germany’s center-right CDU party has defended the nation’s commitment to achieving climate neutrality by 2045, pushing back against calls within the party to reconsider the target. Andreas Jung, Deputy Parliamentary Group Chairman of the CDU/CSU faction, emphasized that climate protection remains a crucial undertaking “given the accelerating climate change.
Jung reiterated the existing commitment, stating that it was formalized in both the party’s electoral program and the current coalition agreement. He stressed the need for “planning and investment security with stable and reliable framework conditions” amidst the current economic climate, alongside “pragmatic approaches to implementation”. He argued that achieving climate neutrality requires a balance between environmental protection, economic strength and social equity.
The defense follows earlier questioning of the 2045 target by fellow CDU politician Tilman Kuban, who suggested that achieving 80% reduction would be a significant accomplishment and that a reassessment of the remaining 20% would then be necessary. Kuban expressed concerns that aggressively pursuing the 2045 goal could lead to deindustrialization, resulting in job losses and potentially weakening European unity. He noted that similar concerns regarding the 2050 climate target are being raised by colleagues in countries like France, Poland and other Eastern European nations.
The commitment to climate neutrality is rooted in a 2021 ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court, which derived a legal obligation to achieve climate neutrality from Article 20a of the Basic Law. The court’s decision established a CO2 budget for Germany, aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement, that should not be exceeded. Remaining CO2 emissions after 2045 would theoretically only be permissible if a portion of the budget remains. This would necessitate substantial CO2 reductions in the intervening years. A similar budget-based approach was adopted by the European Court of Human Rights in a 2024 ruling against Switzerland.
