Backsliding coalition: Climate protection in politics is on the wayside!

The Union and the SPD have anchored economic growth as a central goal in their coalition agreement, but without sufficiently taking planetary boundaries into account ROBIN WOOD reported. The contract is still pending a vote by party members and committees.

The environmental protection organization criticizes the fact that the coalition agreement does not offer any concrete solutions to the pressing problems of the time and propagates the concept of industrial growth as a panacea. There is a lack of constructive proposals on climate justice in key areas such as mobility, energy and forests. It is also pointed out that the current crisis in the automotive industry could serve as an excuse to convert existing plants for the defense industry.

Criticisms of the coalition agreement

In addition, the coalition agreement lacks initiatives to transform traffic, such as a speed limit. The federal transport infrastructure plan should remain unchanged, which is seen as a missed opportunity for climate protection. Planned increases in the commuter allowance could increase climate-damaging subsidies, while the planned expansion of air traffic and the reduction in air traffic taxes are viewed critically from an environmental perspective, as train travel will continue to be taxed.

Further concern is the intention to overturn the heating law, which could have a negative impact on the heating transition. Incentives for energy saving and energy efficiency are also missing from the contract. Plans to restart decommissioned nuclear power plants are not included. Instead, the coalition is focusing on billions of dollars in investments in large infrastructure projects and sees conservation concerns as an obstacle, which could lead to a weakening of collective action rights and environmental impact assessments.

The abolition of the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act and the abolition of the Deforestation Ordinance (EUDR) could further worsen the already tense situation of the forests in Germany. ROBIN WOOD calls for active participation in the climate justice movement to take action against the regressions in climate and environmental policy.

In the broader discourse about social-ecological transformation, the topic of environmental and climate protection is becoming increasingly important. Loud Rosa Luxemburg Foundation Protests by movements such as Fridays for Future have made global warming and its consequences a central political issue. Ecological and social upheavals are expected to shape political debates in the future.

The discussion about an ecological modernization of production and lifestyles will increase, while political developments, also influenced by the effects of the Corona crisis, will drive the debate about a social-ecological transformation. Under the influence of a possible green-conservative government formation, new political strategies must be developed, such as in the context of a debate about a Green New Deal, which offers opportunities for alternative policy proposals.