German parliament passes controversial climate reform
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In a move aimed at reshaping Germany’s approach to climate protection, the Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament, has approved a significant overhaul of the Climate Protection Act.
However, the reform has stirred controversy and drawn criticism from environmental groups and political opponents.
Under the proposed reforms, spearheaded primarily by the liberal Free Democrats, a fundamental shift in monitoring and accountability mechanisms is on the horizon. Compliance with climate targets will no longer be monitored retrospectively by sector but will instead adopt a forward-looking, multi-year approach that considers multiple sectors collectively.
Critics argue that stripping accountability-ensuring requirements, such as assigning specific responsibility to individual ministries, from the law could weaken the effectiveness of climate action measures.
The opposition conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), have joined environmental groups in voicing objections to the reforms.
The reform comes amidst recent data revealing that Germany’s transport and construction sectors fell short of their emission reduction targets last year. The country faces ambitious climate goals, including an 88 percent reduction in emissions by 2040 and achieving greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045.
In response to concerns about progress, the law stipulates that if it becomes evident in two years that Germany is not on track to meet its 2030 climate goals, broader changes will be necessary.
Despite challenges, there have been positive strides in Germany’s climate efforts, with official data showing a 10.1 percent decline in greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 compared to the previous year. Renewable energy sources are gaining prominence, while the reliance on coal and gas is diminishing.
According to the country’s environmental protection agency, Germany emitted approximately 673 million tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2023, marking the most significant decline since 1990.
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