Bavarian Merkel ally says climate action belongs in German Basic Law - media
The leader of the conservative Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) and premier of Germany鈥檚 largest state, Markus S枚der, has said climate action should become a binding task for the state and called for enshrining it in Germany鈥檚 Basic Law, . 鈥淲e are facing the challenge of the century, so we need a contract of the century,鈥� S枚der told the newspaper.
S枚der thus embraces a long-standing demand by the Green Party, which had previously been rejected by his party, sister party and government coalition partner of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Social Union (CDU). The German Basic Law is akin to other countries鈥� constitutions, but as it has never been submitted to a popular vote, the term constitution is avoided. that 鈥渢he state shall protect the natural foundations of life, mindful also of its responsibility toward future generations鈥�. The Greens have called for including climate protection to make the provision more assertive.
S枚der said that in light of the magnitude of the climate change challenge it was not enough that only the governing grand coalition of CDU/CSU and Social Democrats (SPD) took decisions. Other parties and all political levels, including states and municipalities, should be involved.
Environment minister Svenja Schulze that 鈥渙f course we can strengthen climate action in the Basic Law鈥�, but this should not be a substitute for effective measures to be laid down in the planned Climate Action Law.
The state premier also called for abolishing the value added tax on train tickets 鈥渁s much as possible鈥� to make rail transport more attractive and keep people from using planes for short distances, .听
Germany鈥檚 government coalition has set out to pass a Climate Action Law package by the end of the year and plans to adopt key climate policy decisions in the so-called climate cabinet by 20 September, in time for the climate action summit to be hosted by UN Secretary-General Ant贸nio Guterres in New York. The government鈥檚 decisions are meant to ensure that Germany reaches its 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target of 55 percent compared to 1990.
Asked about S枚der鈥檚 comments, a spokesperson of the federal government said that the government generally welcomed all climate action proposals, but would not comment on any concrete recommendations at this point. 鈥淭his will all be discussed in the climate cabinet. It鈥檚 about developing a comprehensive plan for the federal government,鈥� she said.
鈥淐limate bonds鈥� and climate budget as part of CSU concept
As input to the government鈥檚 debate on climate action, S枚der鈥檚 CSU aims to adopt its own federal climate concept in September, . The 鈥�4K鈥� concept will, for instance, include a climate budget from which the state can support new technologies, state climate bonds with guaranteed interest rates for citizens who want to invest their money, a CO鈧� levy on domestic flights, and a proposal to reform the motor vehicle tax to better take into account CO鈧� emissions. However, the CSU continues to reject a CO鈧� tax on petrol or diesel, .
In the past weeks, German parties have hurried to put together proposals on how the country could reach its national and international climate targets as pressure from recent election results, ongoing climate protests and an early heatwave continues to mount.
S枚der himself has ratcheted up his rhetoric on climate action, declaring it a policy priority. In June, he called for a 鈥渕assively accelerated鈥� German coal exit, and he has since announced plans for his state as well, such as stepping up a tree-planting programme.
This autumn, S枚der plans to present a state climate action law to ensure Bavaria reaches its 2030 climate goals, reports S眉ddeutsche Zeitung. His vision for the state includes climate neutrality 鈥渂y 2040+鈥�, accelerated renewables expansion, and using forests and moorland as carbon sinks.
S枚der鈥檚 comments stand in contrast to much of his party鈥檚 energy and climate policy in recent years. In Bavaria, it introduced the so-called 鈥�10-H rule鈥�, which prescribes that the minimum distance between a wind turbine and the nearest settlement must be ten times the turbine's height. It has made renewables expansion more difficult. On a federal level, CSU ministers have headed some of the departments that struggle most to reach climate targets 鈥� transport and buildings.
CSU aims to play the part of 鈥渓eader of the pack鈥� in climate debate 鈥� opinion
S枚der鈥檚 party colleague and deputy conservative parliamentary group leader he is 鈥渟ceptical concerning changing the Basic Law. We must not run into a situation in which there鈥檚 the threat of a wave lawsuits, such as with the diesel cars.鈥�
Andreas Jung, deputy parliamentary group leader and member of Merkel鈥檚 CDU, that the CSU had named 鈥渕any positions which we firmly support鈥�, such as reforming the vehicle tax and reducing the VAT on train tickets.
Federal government partner SPD welcomed the 鈥渆ncouraging signals from Bavaria鈥�, which meant that the grand coalition could make progress on the 鈥渓arge climate action package鈥� it plans to present by September, deputy parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch said .
Green deputy parliamentary group leader Oliver Krischer complained that the CSU had long been part of the government and had ample time to change policy 鈥� but 鈥渘othing happened,鈥� . S枚der needs to prove he is serious with his sudden change of policy from rejecting to supporting the reduction of VAT on train tickets. 鈥淭he people are fed up with this populism.鈥�
Green Party co-head Annalena Baerbock, however, welcomed S枚der鈥檚 remarks, as all parties and stakeholders were necessary for effective climate action. 鈥淚f S枚der is serious, we have to get started now,鈥� . She said she hoped the state premier would also help to abolish existing caps on the expansion of renewables.
The CSU 鈥渋s playing leader of the pack in the climate debate鈥� to finally be able to put something on the table and counter the Social Democrats鈥� call for a CO鈧� tax, . At the same time, the CSU is aiming for politicians to regain full control of the debate, which has often been passed on to expert groups in the recent past, such as the coal exit commission or the expert opinions on CO鈧� pricing, he adds.
The 鈥渆co-attack鈥� from the southwestern German state Bavaria 鈥渋s putting noticeable pressure to act on the federal government,鈥� . 鈥淚t shows that climate policy instruments are on the table for everyone to see. Someone just has to use it.鈥� Maier adds that 鈥淪枚der is simply using power tactics鈥�, as the CSU had lost many votes to the Green Party in the 2018 regional elections. 鈥淭hat must not happen again.鈥�
S枚der鈥檚 efforts to 鈥渟tylise himself as the main climate saviour鈥� of the conservative CDU/CSU alliance is 鈥渢ransparent and clever鈥� at the same time, writes Stefan Stahl . However, 鈥渋f train rides from Bavaria to Berlin and back become 20 euros cheaper, it is not enough to strengthen trains versus planes.鈥� A CO鈧� levy as demanded by the Greens is necessary, he writes.
